HMS Tuscania and Otranto

[mbriscoe]

I was just updating the record on the IWM WMR.

I cannot find a date of the unveiling of the American Monument.  It was planned to be done by the US Ambassador on 7th April 1920 but had to be postponed by three week because his wife was ill and he had to go the South of France where she presumably was.  Also some bronze fittings for the minument had not been received.

I have not been able to find a report on the unveiling taking place.

A friend tries asking ChatGPT and it came up with 2007, I have not much faith in ChatGPT but is it possible that it was just cancelled then done many years later?

 

 

 

[seaJane]

This page   https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/LB52472 suggests that the American Red Cross may have the details, if indeed they are not to be found in this item from the bibliography, which has a chapter on the TUSCANIA: https://archive.org/details/passinglegionsh00fifegoog

It might also be worth seeing if your local public library will give you access to the British Newspaper Archive and any reports of the unveiling - although Scottish newspapers may be elsewhere - try the National Library of Scotland.

[Mark Hone]

The very good book on the twin sinkings and their aftermath:  'The Drowned and the Saved: When War Came to the Hebrides' by Les Wilson ( Belinn 2018) will almost certainly have information on this. Unfortunately, my copy is still in a box waiting to be unpacked at my new house so I can't check at the moment!

Edited 22 November , 2023 by Mark Hone

[mbriscoe]

8 hours ago, seaJane said:

This page   https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/LB52472 suggests that the American Red Cross may have the details, if indeed they are not to be found in this item from the bibliography, which has a chapter on the TUSCANIA: https://archive.org/details/passinglegionsh00fifegoog

It might also be worth seeing if your local public library will give you access to the British Newspaper Archive and any reports of the unveiling - although Scottish newspapers may be elsewhere - try the National Library of Scotland.

I have a subscription to the BNA and also newspapers.com but not found anything after the postponement.

[mbriscoe]

2 hours ago, Mark Hone said:

The very good book on the twin sinkings and their aftermath:  'The Drowned and the Saved: When War Came to the Hebrides' by Les Wilson ( Belinn 2018) will almost certainly have information on this. Unfortunately, my copy is still in a box waiting to be unpacked at my new house so I can't check at the moment!

I have a copy of the book and it does not mention it, I also have a copy of 'Many Were Held By The Sea'.

I would have expected a picture of the unveiling ceremony there and in newspapers. The museum on Islay do not know. It makes me wonder if it was postponed indefinitely, perhaps the Ambassador's wife died? That could fit with the much later date that ChatGPT found, perhaps someone realised there had never been a formal ceremony?

It is more difficult to get access to newspaper archives for more recent periods.