Community leaders in Orkney are seeking opinions regarding a proposed memorial complex dedicated to one of the most significant tragedies of the Royal Navy in the 20th Century. The sinking of the battleship HMS Royal Oak, which resulted in the loss of two-thirds of her crew, remains a poignant event more than 85 years after the vessel was torpedoed while stationed in her wartime anchorage at Scapa Flow.
Orkney has long served as a site of pilgrimage for survivors, along with their families, descendants, and historians. A memorial is located at Scapa Beach, just outside Kirkwall, the capital of Orkney, and a few miles north of the final resting place of the Royal Oak. In collaboration with the Royal Oak Association, the Orkney Islands Council is planning a comprehensive renovation of the site, which will include the creation of a memorial garden surrounding the existing obelisk and the construction of a visitor centre.
This new centre will replace the current HMS Royal Oak memorial building at Scapa, which primarily serves as a repository for wreaths previously placed at the wreck site. The proposed centre aims to offer more space to narrate the history of the ship and her crew while also providing a serene area for reflection. Additionally, a series of memorial plaques is intended to be installed, listing the names of the 835 sailors lost, including 134 boy seamen under the age of 18. Prior to advancing the project and seeking funding, the council is engaging in consultations with the local Orcadian community through public and online displays, as well as reaching out to anyone with a connection to the Royal Oak.
Gareth Derbyshire of the HMS Royal Oak Association stated that the project has involved four years of dedicated effort, culminating in a proposed memorial site that serves as an appropriate homage not only to the Royal Oak but also to all individuals who served at Scapa Flow, the expansive natural harbour.
He added: “We hope that the public consultation will allow those with a connection to the ship and the public in general to appreciate the potential development of the site and offer the opportunity for feedback which can be used to deliver enhancements to the existing proposals and support the subsequent planning application process.”
On 14 October 1939, HMS Royal Oak was anchored in Scapa Flow when it was struck by a torpedo from U-47, which had successfully navigated past the base’s defences. Of the crew, two out of three perished as the battleship went down in a mere 13 minutes. Each October, local residents commemorate this tragedy, while Royal Navy vessels visiting Scapa Flow honour the memory of those lost, and naval divers routinely replace the White Ensign during their inspections of the wreck.
Council Convener Graham Bevan said the proposed new memorial would “provide a fitting reminder” of a tragic event in both Orkney’s and the Royal Navy’s history.
He added: “It is fitting, given Orkney’s affinity with these events that a suitable memorial should be available, for everyone to remember the event and it is important that in Orkney we make a concerted effort to maintain a suitable quiet place for remembrance and reflection.” I look forward so supporting this project as it develops.”
Gavin Fraser, Project Lead for HRI Munro Architecture, who have worked on the concept designs said: “To be involved in developing the future of the site commemorating the HMS Royal Oak, and the broader Scapa Flow is a rare opportunity and a great privilege for our design team.”
“The concept of the building, content and landscape are simple; to draw the visitor on a journey, informing them of the history and significance of location, ending on the final view over the harbour to the buoy marking the HMS Royal Oak’s final resting place.”
“The building and landscaping utilise a limited palette of materials: Orkney drystone walls, black cladding and steel. The steel focusing on areas of particular significance; view, names of the lost, and information.”
“It will be a quiet thoughtful experience, a memorial with implicit muteness, stillness and gravity. Giving the visitor places to stop and contemplate the location, its meaning and impact.”
To have your say on the HMS Royal Oak and Scapa Flow Memorial: https://www.orkneyharbours.com/documents/hms-royal-oak-memorial-consultation
