HMS Hampshire: a Century of Myths and Mysteries Unravelled

The loss of the cruiser HMS Hampshire and Lord Kitchener on 5 June 1916 shocked the nation. Ten years later Orkney commemorated the disaster with the Kitchener Memorial. To mark the centenary the Orkney Heritage Society has had the memorial refurbished and augmented with a wall bearing the inscribed names of the 746 men who gave their lives off Marwick Head one hundred years ago.

The details and causes of the sinking and associated loss of life and of the subsequent diving on the wreck have been shrouded by secrecy and censorship and contorted by rumour and hoaxes, which in turn have given rise to conspiracy theories and indignation that linger to this day. To help commemorate the centenary, twelve authors with local knowledge have pooled their expertise to sort fact from fiction with an objective review of the many books, press cuttings and copious unpublished records now available.

This volume also traces the story of the Kitchener Memorial and describes the events staged in Orkney to mark the centenary.

The proceeds from this publication, including the authors’ royalties, will go to the Orkney Heritage Society for the Kitchener Memorial Refurbishment Project.