Here are more photos taken by Centenary News at the unveiling of the new memorial commemorating all those who died on the cruiser HMS Hampshire when it was sunk off the Orkney Islands in 1916 while taking Britain’s War Minister, Lord Kitchener, on a secret mission to Russia.
Lady Emma Kitchener, great great niece of Field Marshal Kitchener, arriving for the service with her husband Julian Fellowes, creator of the British television drama series ‘Downton Abbey’.
The new memorial wall commemorating the 737 men lost on ‘HMS Hampshire’ and nine crewmen of the minesweeping vessel, ‘HM Drifter Laurel Crown’, also sunk off Marwick Head in June 1916. The First World War Centenary memorial project was led by the Orkney Heritage Society.
Remembering Petty Officer William Cake of ‘HMS Hampshire’ – granddaughter Jackie Baynes (left) and great granddaughter Louise Wright. They were among around 100 descendants invited to a special reception at Birsay Community Hall. Petty Officer Cake’s body was among the few recovered and laid to rest at Lyness Royal Naval Cemetery on the island of Hoy.
Royal Marine buglers sound the Last Post on the cliffs overlooking the scene of HMS Hampshire’s loss in a mine explosion on June 5th 1916.
Newly-laid wreaths at the HMS Hampshire Memorial and graves in Lyness. The naval cemetery is among more than 12,000 sites around the UK where the Commonwealth War Graves Commission commemorates the dead of both world wars.
All photos © Centenary News
Read CN’s full report from Orkney on the Centenary service at the Kitchener Memorial here.