Remembering the Islanders

[anteros_lmc]

I was surprised and very moved to come across this Remembrance Day article about my home town of Stornoway in The Guardian this weekend. The article briefly tells the story of the tragic loss of the HMY Iolaire, the ship that was wrecked within sight of Stornoway harbour on Hogmanay 1919, resulting in the death of 205 sailors and service men

Comments

[mylodon]

Thanks for sharing that. The more I find out about WWI, the more I realise I know almost nothing...

[anteros_lmc]

Indeed. You'd be forgiven for not knowing about the Iolaire tragedy, it's only relatively recently that people have started to commemorate the disaster. A simple memorial was raised in 1958, but it wasn't until 2001 that a plaque was added listing the names of all those that died.

Mind you, I thought I knew most of the island's war history, but I was astonished to learn about HMS Timbertown on a fascinating BBC Alba programme last night.

[charliecochrane]

How fascinating.

Young Scrimgeour's diaries were an eye opener, too.

[anteros_lmc]

HMS TImbertown was definitely a new one on me! I must have a read of young Scrimgeour, his diaries sound fascinating.

[nodbear]

Yes thanks to anteros

I think the fact that so many personal histories are now being researched gathered and presented means that we sense there is far more to the events of the 1914-18 war than the standard things we have traditionally 'learned in past schooling etc
I am determined to try to make the effort I have been thinking about for years and discover more about my maternal grandfathers time as a POW - maybe by next November 11th...meanwhile I have rediscovered in the last year something of his I might post a pic of for tomorrow.

[anteros_lmc]

I remember you mentioning your grandfather's time as a POW. I'd love to know if you ever find out more about this.

[nodbear]

The sense of impact such a proportion of men being taken from a small community and the overwhelming sense of loss with the ship so near home is very moving. It does seem now that these 'smaller' in the sense of lesser known - stories are being told and interpreted in a way that allows some very profound experiences to unfold...

[anteros_lmc]

For so many to be lost within sight of home after surviving the horrors of the war was a tragedy beyond enduring for many. And of course many of them were sailors who couldn't swim.

The Lewis poet Iain Crichton Smith wrote an intensely powerful poem about the Iolaire which equates the loss of the young men with loss of faith in god.

The IolaireThe green washed over them. I saw them when