HOY
The island of Hoy lies on the western side of the Flow, and, as most of the Base ships were anchored in its vicinity, it was the island which became the most familiar to and frequented by those going to the "beach" for recreation and exercise. The names of Long Hope, Lyness, Melsetter, North Ness, are as familiar to the many thousands of naval men who spent so long at Scapa, as are the Strand and Charing Cross to Londoners. Fortunately, Hoy is perhaps the most interesting and picturesque of the Orkney Islands, and some of its hill and cliff scenery is amongst the finest in Great Britain, whilst the sportsman, the botanist, and the geologist can find ample material for their various pursuits.
Hoy will probably show more permanent evidences of the "naval invasion" of Scapa Flow than any of the other islands, as it has now become, at Lyness, the headquarters of the permanent peace-time naval establishment at Scapa Flow. At Lyness there are the makings of a miniature dockyard, with a wharf accommodating vessels of 30 feet draught, slipway, storesheds, oil, fuel, and petrol depôts, and a reservoir for fresh water supply, which, in the event of war, would be at once available for meeting the requirements of the Fleet. Such an establishment would have been of immense value at the outbreak of the present war, and, indeed, had been contemplated for some years prior to 1914.
WARD HILL, HOY
Ward Hill is the highest hill in Orkney (1,556 feet), and from its summit on a clear day a magnificent panorama of the Orkney Islands unfolds itself, lying at one's feet like "the scattered fragments of some ingenious and parti-coloured toy map," whilst on the further side of the Pentland Firth the coast of Scotland is clearly defined as far as Cape Wrath. During the war the whole of the Grand Fleet could be seen in the Flow, and it seemed hard to realise that those small and insignificant specks as they appeared in the distance lay as a "sure shield of Empire" between our nation and the domination of the German Eagle.
THE OLD MAN OF HOY
The lonely pillar of rock standing well out on the western coast of Hoy is one of the best-known "sights" of Orkney. It stands 450 feet above the sea (as high as St. Paul's Cathedral) in one of the most inaccessible parts of the coast, but the scene repays the hard walk over the moors which a visit to the rock entails. The photo happens to show the features of the "Old Man" quite distinctly.
THE DWARFIE STONE
The Dwarfie Stone is one of the strange relics of antiquity which abound in Orkney. It is a mass of sandstone about 30 feet in length, 14 feet in breadth, and from 2 to 6 feet in height, and lies in a lonely valley at the foot of Ward Hill. It has been hollowed out on either side of the entrance door shown in the photo into two chambers, each with a stone bed, with a hole in the roof to serve as a window or chimney. Nothing appears to be known of the origin or purpose of the stone, but a rather quaint theory is brought forward in an old book on Orkney (1701), as follows:
"Who hewed this stone, or for what use it was, we could not learn, the Common Tradition among the People is, That a giant with his wife lived in this Isle of Hoy, who had this stone for their Castle. But I would rather think, seeing it could not accommodate any of a Gigantick stature, that it might be for the use of some Dwarf, as the name seems to import, or it being remote from any House might be the retired Cell of some Melancholick Hermite. The stone also may be called the Dwarfie Stone, per Antiphrasin or by way of Opposition it being so very great."
Sir Walter Scott refers to the stone at some length in his novel "The Pirate," the scene of which is laid in the Orkneys and Shetlands, and which will be found of interest to the student of Orkney traditions and history.
LYNESS
Following the rough road on the east coast of Hoy from Ward Hill, by way of Pegal Burn, one reaches Lyness, in pre-war days a few scattered crofts, and now the Naval Base in Orkney. The stone wharf, built by Messrs. Kinnear and Moodie, of Glasgow, is now only just nearing completion, and the other buildings (torpedo and paravane depôts, petrol tanks, store sheds, etc.) were not available in time to be of much value during the war, but they will be ready for the next! Some idea of the difficulties with which the contractors had to contend will be realised, when it is remembered that every ton of material had to be brought by rail and sea from the south, during a time when, owing to the submarine menace and the shortage of shipping, it was often months before delivery of stores could be made. The work was frequently completely held up by non-delivery of a machine or replacement, whilst the difficulties of recruiting labour in such a desolate spot as the Orkneys were a great handicap. On many days work had to be suspended owing to gales, whilst in winter operations were only practicable during the few hours of daylight available. The works, incidentally, were responsible for the introduction of the first train into Orkney!
CROCKNESS
Crockness lies a little beyond Lyness, to the south, and is chiefly noteworthy for its Martello Tower, which, with that at Hackness on the further side of Long Hope Bay, was erected during the Napoleonic Wars, and completed in 1818 as a protection for the harbour. It was in Long Hope Harbour that merchantmen bound for America and the Continent assembled to await convoy, and it is curious that exactly one hundred years later history has repeated itself, and that during the war just concluded the same system of convoy was adopted from Kirkwall, into which harbour all neutral vessels were sent for examination and convoy. It is rather characteristic of our nation that both the Martello Towers and the works at Lyness were completed some time after the Napoleonic Wars and the European War respectively were over!
The Towers are very solidly built structures, with gun mountings on top, and underground cellars for stowing ammunition, etc., but they have never apparently been of any practical use. It is related that it was not until the present war that a monthly payment, which originated in 1818, to a crofter family for certain services rendered to the original occupants of the Tower, was at length discontinued, when it was discovered that the Tower had been disused for some generations! but the accuracy of the story cannot be vouched for.
LONG HOPE
Continuing by the road from Crockness, the village of Melsetter is passed on the road to Long Hope.
At Melsetter is the very fine residence of Mr. and Mrs. Middlemore, whose hospitality was always open to the many naval officers who used to call there. The visitors' book among many famous names contains those of the King and the Prince of Wales, and Admirals Jellicoe and Beatty. A William Morris Tapestry in one of the reception rooms is noteworthy as recording the exploits of "Sir Gawaine of Orkney," one of the Knights of the Round Table.
Long Hope Bay during the war was the headquarters of the auxiliaries of the Grand Fleet, and never in its history were so many vessels of such varied types assembled in the harbour. The village of Long Hope, where there is a good pier, naturally became much frequented by officers and men from the ships, and eventually a commodious Y.M.C.A. was erected, which did much useful work. "Tea on the beach" was always a pleasant change from ship life (and tinned milk!), and the Post Office at Long Hope became a favourite rendezvous for informal tea-parties. (Possibly the attractions of the fair postmistress and her sister had something to do with this!)
Incidentally, a writer on Orkney remarks that "there is a considerable Celtic element in the population of South Walls brought by some seventy-one Highlanders, who, evicted from Strathnaver to make room for sheep, settled in the parish between 1788 and 1795, and who have thrown in a dash of good looks not so common in other parts of the group." The comment seems hardly fair to the rest of Orkney, however true it may be with regard to Walls.
The inn at Long Hope (where the King stayed on one of his visits to the Fleet) was transformed into the office of the Admiral Commanding the Orkneys and Shetlands, and a wireless station was erected alongside. It has now (1921) reverted to its pre-war condition, much to the gratification of the Long Hope inhabitants.
KIRK HOPE AND CANTICK
The road from Long Hope leads past the Y.M.C.A. to the lonely little cemetery (shown on the left of the photo above) at Kirk Hope, and thence to the lighthouse at Cantick Head. A fine view of the islands is obtained from the Lighthouse Tower, and the visitors' book contains the names of R. L. Stevenson and Prince Albert, amongst others of interest.
PEATS
As there are practically no trees in Orkney, wood is not available for fuel, but fortunately peat is very plentiful, and is used almost universally for heating purposes. The peats are cut in the spring, and a peculiar-shaped form of spade, known as a toysker, is employed to cut the turfs, which are stacked on the side of the bank as shown in the photograph. After a few weeks the peats are "raised"—i.e., set on end—and arranged in small heaps, so that they may dry more thoroughly. They are then carted home and stacked, each croft possessing its stack for the winter months.
During the war parties of men from the ships could often be seen assisting the crofters in digging the peats—such assistance being very welcome at a time when labour was scarce and there was plenty of work to be done on the land. A day at the peats can be recommended to anyone who wants to know what it is to feel really tired after a hard day's work!
PRIMITIVE METHODS OF AGRICULTURE IN ORKNEY
The primitive cottages which prevailed in Orkney, until a few years ago, are gradually giving way to larger and more substantial dwellings, but some of the crofts are still reminiscent of very early times, consisting only of a "but and a ben," with the beds let into the wall, after the style of the French cupboard beds of Brittany, and with the floors made of stone flags.
Orkney has several cottage industries, no doubt due to the long winter evenings and the inclement weather. Amongst these is rush plaiting for the famous "Orkney chairs," which, with their comfortable rush backs and seats and hoods, are familiar to all who have been in Orkney.
SPINNING
Spinning is another occupation of the winter evenings, which has been widely revived recently in Orkney owing to the high price of wool. The Orkneys and Shetlands are noted for the softness and quality of their wool, and the various processes of teasing, carding, spinning and dyeing are all carried out on the crofts.
PART III
THE NAVY AT SCAPA FLOW
The photographs which follow depict various aspects of the work and play of the Grand Fleet and the Auxiliaries at Scapa, and are more or less self-explanatory. Owing to limitations of space, it is not possible to deal adequately with a subject on which so many volumes have been written, but an effort has been made to include as many types as possible of the varied units of the Grand Fleet, and to depict the various phases of the everyday life and recreations of the personnel of the Fleet. Owing to the strict photographic censorship during the war, it was not practicable to take many subjects which would otherwise have found a place in this record, but those which are shown in the following pages will give the reader some little idea of how the Navy "carried on" during the eventful years 1914-1919.
(Over 4,000,000 tons of coal were supplied to the Fleet at Scapa from the outbreak of war to the date of Armistice.)
(The more serious cases from the Fleet were sent to the Hospital Ships—of which there were generally three or four at Scapa one of which, H.M.H.S. "Agadir," was set aside for infectious cases only. In addition to the drifter "Coryphæna," shown in the photograph, two other drifters were detached for Hospital Ship duties, named, rather suggestively, the "Golden Harp" and "Elysian Dawn!")
(The Navy is renowned for its hospitality, and the above shows a group of school children and their teachers who were entertained to a cinema show and tea on board. Many of the children had never seen the "movies" before.)
(The work of victualling the Navy at Scapa was no small task, as the following figures of the monthly Fleet requirements indicate: Meat, 320 tons; potatoes, 800 tons; flour, 6,000 140-lb. bags; sugar, 1,500 120-lb. bags; bread, 80,000 lbs.)
(The mooring work of the Base was performed under the control of the Admiralty Port Officer, H.M.S. "Imperieuse." Amongst the mooring vessels which did useful work in laying and lifting moorings for the Fleet, in addition to the "Recovery" pictured above, should be mentioned the mooring craft "Strathmaree," "Ben Doran," "Ben Tarbet," and "Bullfrog.")
(The Junior Army and Navy Stores was one of the most popular "institutions" at Scapa, and from 1914 to 1919 it was the great shopping centre of the Fleet. Almost every variety of article was stocked, from "an elephant to a shirt button," and in addition a hairdressing saloon and a laundry were installed.)
(An officer's cabin is his exclusive "sanctum," and in this case the occupant appears to have been determined to keep in mind "the girls he left behind him!")
THE LIGHTER SIDE OF LIFE AT SCAPA FLOW
(The Naval Cemetery at Lyness is situate on some rising ground overlooking the waters of the Flow. Here lie buried those who died whilst serving at Scapa, those who fell in the Battle of Jutland, and those who perished in the "Hampshire," "Vanguard" and other vessels. Their memory is perpetuated by the memorials which have been erected by their shipmates, some of which are here shown.)
PART IV
THE GERMAN SHIPS AT SCAPA FLOW
THE GERMAN SHIPS AT SCAPA FLOW
Although the association of the Grand Fleet with Scapa Flow would of itself have given that hitherto almost unknown spot a peculiar and honourable significance in our naval history, it was undoubtedly the choice of Scapa as the place of internment of the German ships and their subsequent dramatic sinking, which made Scapa a familiar name, not only in this country but all over the world. The photographs which follow show the various phases of the German "occupation" of Scapa from the time that the vessels arrived for internment to the final scenes in March, 1920, when those vessels which had been salved after the scuttling in June, 1919, were finally towed south for distribution amongst the Allied Powers.
The first phase took place on 23rd November, 1918, and the succeeding days, when the surrendered ships were escorted from Rosyth to Scapa and anchored in the Flow, prior to taking up their permanent billets in Gutter Sound (previously the collier anchorage of the Fleet; see map on p. 110).
The ships arrived in the following order: