A growing tribute to WWI seamen lost off Marwick Head

April 2, 2016 at 7:05 am

HMS Hampshire, which sank off Birsay in June 1916, with the loss of 737 crewmen.

A project to create an area of woodland to commemorate the seamen lost off Marwick Head in June 1916, will get under way today, Saturday.

The Woodland Trust Scotland will plant hundreds of trees in Kirkwall to create the HMS Hampshire Centenary Wood, ahead of the centenary of the ship’s sinking in June.

The project will see 746 trees — including hawthorn, hazel and rowan — planted on land owned by Orkney Islands Council, near Reid Crescent and Kirkwall Grammar School.

The saplings represent each of the men who died on board HMS Hampshire and the HM drifter Laurel Crown.

Both vessels sank in June 1916, after hitting mines off Marwick Head.

HMS Hampshire was carrying Lord Kitchener to secret talks in Russia when it sank on June 6, 1916. Of the crew, 737 men drowned, with just 12 survivors.

The nine crewmen of the Laurel Crown, including deckhand George Petrie from Burray, died when it sank on minesweeping duties on June 22.

Members of the public are invited to help plant the trees from 11am to 4pm.