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by | Mar 16, 2018 | Hosta

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The Kitchener Memorial is a 48 ft tower war memorial in Birsay, Orkney Islands, erected after the sinking of British battleship HMS Hampshire.[1]

History

In June 1916, battleship HMS Hampshire was on her way to Russia on a diplomatic mission, by orders of Lord Horatio Hebert Kitchener, field marshal of the British Army. While passing Birsay, Hampshire struck a mine laid by Germany U-Boat U-75 at 19:40 on 5 June, sinking her, with a loss of 737 on board, including Lord Kitchener. There were only 12 survivors.[2] After the First World War, the people of Orkney raised funds to construct a monument to honour Kitchener, and the other crew members onboard Hampshire who were lost that evening. The monument was named Kitchener Memorial, and was officially unveiled on 2 July 1926.[3]

The Kitchener Memorial in 2011.

On 5 June 2016, 100 years after the sinking of Hampshire, a commemorative wall was unveiled at the base of the tower with the names of all servicemen lost in the disaster inscribed along it.[4]

In 2020, the Kitchener Memorial was listed as one of the targets during the 'Topple the Racists' protests, however it was never touched.[5]

References

  1. ^ "The story of the Kitchener Memorial". Orkney.com.
  2. ^ "The Kitchener Memorial, Orkney". Submerged.
  3. ^ "The Kitchener Memorial". War Memorials Online.
  4. ^ "The Kitchener Memorial and HMS Hampshire Commemorative Wall". Orkney Heritage Society.
  5. ^ "Tensions rise over race and heritage as more statues are attacked". The Guardian.
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