Tales of life in wartime Orkney shared in new podcast series
“Powerful and deeply personal” stories of wartime life in Orkney are to be shared, in an ambitious audio project launched next week.
Voices from Scapa Flow launches on October 14, marking the anniversary of the sinking of HMS Royal Oak.
The production reveals what life was really like for the residents, service personnel and workers stationed in the county in the First and Second World Wars.
The collection features between 40 and 50 audio stories, ranging from five to 15 minutes in length.
The series combines newly recorded interviews, newly digitised archive sound, and readings from personal diaries and letters, some made public for the very first time.
Key accounts within the series feature:
- Susan Leonard and Pat Long recall the tragic night of March 16, 1940, when an air raid took the life of James Isbister, the first British civilian killed in enemy action in the Second World War.
- John Muir, now in his 90s, shares the story behind Orkney’s world-famous Italian Chapel, built by POW Domenico Chiocchetti, and the lifelong friendship that was sparked between their families.
- Archival recordings of diver John Rosie describing the dangerous scuttled German fleet salvage operations in 1938 and his work on the battlecruiser Derfflinger.
- Heartwarming memories of wartime weddings, childhood recollections of air-raid drills and barrage balloons, and local cultural traditions, from swinging swords to Orcadian dialect.
In addition to launching across all major podcast platforms, excerpts from the collection will be integrated into four brand-new listening stations on-site at the museum in Hoy.
Ellen Pesci, Scapa Flow Museum curator said: “Launching Voices from Scapa Flow on October 14 is particularly significant, as it coincides with the anniversary of the sinking of HMS Royal Oak in Scapa Flow in 1939.
“We wanted to honour this important part of Orkney’s history while also bringing to life the personal experiences of those who lived and worked here during the First and Second World Wars.
“The interviews feature a wide range of accounts of people’s experiences, ranging from a wedding that was cancelled then salvaged, the first British civilian casualty of the Second World War, the creation of the Italian Chapel and many more.”
Among the voices featured is the childhood recollection of eight-year-old islander Alfie Flett, who witnessed the aftermath of the Royal Oak sinking and the devastating loss of more than 800 lives.
Ellen added: “His story, alongside the many other powerful and deeply personal accounts in the collection, helps us understand the human experiences behind the history.
“We are delighted that Voices from Scapa Flow will be available to everyone, with remote access, preserving these remarkable memories and making them accessible to new audiences for generations to come.”