Poppy ceremony remembers HMS Royal Oak crew

Today, Sunday, a service of remembrance took place at St Magnus Cathedral, focusing on the tragic events of October 14, 1939, when HMS Royal Oak was sunk by a German U-Boat in Scapa Flow.

At 2pm, an informal, but highly moving community poppy planting session was held at the Royal Oak memorial garden at Scapa.

Phil and Heather Taylor, greatly assisted by Mick Unsworth, manufactured 1,239 wooden poppies, one for each crew member aboard on the night of the sinking, these were placed in the ground ahead of the anniversary on Monday.

There was a large Royal Navy presence while the stems were placed in the ground, including by many relatives of those who were lost in the sinking, and members of the HMS Royal Oak Association.