Tuscania and Otranto centenary commemorations on Islay

[mbriscoe]

This week's Oban Times has a report of events on Islay commemorating the centenaries of the losses of the Tuscania and Otranto.

 

Friday 4th May - service at the American Monument at Mull of OA

Followed by a public service at Port Ellen War Memorial

 

Community events on Fridat 5th February and Saturday 6th October

 

5th February - community service at the American Monument at the Mull of Oa followed by a ceremony at the graveside of Private Roy Muncaster at Kilnaughton CWGC cemetery and an address in Port Ellen where many survivors were housed

 

6th October - service and wreath laying at Kilchoman Military Cemetery followed by reception at Kilchoman Distillery.

 

Full details on second link below

 

Islay commemoration for World War One

Commemorating Islay’s story of WW1 and the incredible events of 1918

 

[Mark Hone]

Remembering those lost on SS 'Tuscania' 5th February 1918.

[mbriscoe]

Might be wprth checking BBC News channel to see if they have any live coverage.  There is a picture on Twitter of a Radio Scotland reporter live from Port Ellen though they might leave that until the May event.

[mbriscoe]

This one BBC1 Scotland next week - outside Scotland it will be on iPlayer.

 

Quote

DOCUMENTARY: Islay: For Those in Peril
On: BBC 1 Scotland HD    
Date: Tuesday 1st May 2018 (starting in 5 days)
Time: 19:00 to 19:30 (30 minutes long)

Glenn Campbell travels to his home island of Islay and to the United States to tell the little-known story of the SS Tuscania and HMS Otranto. 100 years ago, in the closing months of the First World War, unimaginable tragedy and death came to the Hebrides. Within eight months, two US troopships taking their country's men to the Western Front sank off the coast of Islay. Hundreds died, and were washed up on the island's shores. Many others managed to find their way to shore, where they were rescued and taken care of by local people. What happened in 1918 forged links between two nations and their people, and would touch the lives of the families of both the survivors and the dead.
(Stereo, Widescreen, Subtitles)
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Marked By: 'Category: Documentary' marker
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Excerpt taken from DigiGuide - the world's best TV guide available from http://www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=7346

Copyright (c) GipsyMedia Limited.

 

 

 

[AlanCurragh]

Bumping this - the programme is on this evening

 

[NigelS]

On ‎25‎/‎04‎/‎2018 at 21:14, mbriscoe said:

. ..outside Scotland it will be on iPlayer.

Available until the 29th May

 

Although the programme mentioned that - with one exception  - the victims of the Tuscania & Otranto were later repatriated from Islay, my understanding is that the remains of  those  whose families did not wish them returned to the USA  are now buried at the American Military Cemetery at Brookwood. American victims of these incidents whose bodies were never recovered, along with others also lost at sea during WWI, are individually commemorated on the 'Walls of the Missing' within the American Military Cemetery's chapel at Brookwood. 

 

Battle Monuments Commission: Brookwood American Cemetery and Memorial (pdf file)

 

NigelS

[mbriscoe]

The programme will be on BBC News channel next week

 

Quote

 

DOCUMENTARY: Islay: For Those in Peril
On: BBC News    
Date: Friday 11th May 2018 (starting in 9 days)
Time: 21:30 to 22:00 (30 minutes long)

Glenn Campbell travels to his home island of Islay and to the United States to tell the little-known story of the SS Tuscania and HMS Otranto. 100 years ago, in the closing months of the First World War, unimaginable tragedy and death came to the Hebrides. Within eight months, two US troopships taking their country's men to the Western Front sank off the coast of Islay. Hundreds died, and were washed up on the island's shores. Many others managed to find their way to shore, where they were rescued and taken care of by local people. What happened in 1918 forged links between two nations and their people, and would touch the lives of the families of both the survivors and the dead.
(Repeat, Widescreen, Subtitles)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marked By: 'Category: Documentary' marker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt taken from DigiGuide - the world's best TV guide available from http://www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=7346

Copyright (c) GipsyMedia Limited.

 

 

 

And the Gaelic version is on this week again

 

Quote

 

ENTERTAINMENT: Call air Cladach Ile/The Loss on Islay's Shore
On: BBC Alba    
Date: Friday 4th May 2018 (starting in 2 days)
Time: 21:00 to 22:00 (1 hour long)

Mar a thug gaillionn eagallach agus bàt'-aigeann Gearmailteach uabhas a'Chiad Chogaidh gu eilean Ìle. Mar a shlaod na h-eileanaich na b'urrainn dhaibh beò as a'chuan, a'sealltainn ri na beò, agus a'cur na ceudan mhairbh dhan uaigh le urram is spèis. Documentary telling the unknown story of two sea tragedies that brought World War I to the Hebrides. In February 1918, nearly 700 men died when the troopship Tuscania was torpedoed by a German U-boat off the coast of the inner Hebridean island of Islay, killing more than 200 American soldiers and British crew members. Eight months later, HMS Otranto collided with another ship in its convoy in a terrible storm, killing nearly 500 men, with just 19 reaching Islay's shore alive. The programme is based on contemporary accounts of survivors and witnesses, and on interviews with family members of American soldiers, British crewmen and islanders who lived through the tragedies.
(Stereo, Repeat, Widescreen)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marked By: 'Category: Entertainment' marker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt taken from DigiGuide - the world's best TV guide available from http://www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=7346

Copyright (c) GipsyMedia Limited.

 

 

[mbriscoe]

According to George Robertson (in Many Were Held by the Sea), there is a grave in Kilchoman Military Cemetery - "Unknown Negro  / Known Unto Go".  He writes that he told Colin Powell about it at some meeting they attended together.  i suppose it could be a member of the crew but more likely one of the American servicemen.

 

 

[Mark Hone]

The inscription was changed some years ago and now makes no reference to race. It is unlikely that he was an African-American serviceman as the US Army was segregated at the time and only 'white' units were abroad the 'Tuscania'. In his excellent recent bòok 'The Drowned and the Saved', Les Wilson speculates that he was possibly Hispanic, Native American or indeed a member of Tuscania's crew.

Islay is a wonderful island and Kilchoman Cemetery, poised above the dramatic Machair Bay, where 'Otranto' foundered, is one of the most atmospheric CWGC sites I have ever visited. 

[mbriscoe]

Only been to the cemetery briefly photographing war graves for the WGPP but I was working on the island at the time so did not have a great deal of time.  I have been having a think about a trip over but I would avoid the commemorations so a bit quieter.

 

A good distant view of the ROTOR radar station at Kilchiaran in that picture.!

 

This is Kilchoman I think but the cemetery will be behind the farm.

 

 

 

 

[Mark Hone]

The view from the Cross of Sacrifice out to sea, where 'Otranto' sank. 

Another view of the cemetery. There is a rather eerie ruined church nearby and the Kilchoman Distillery is just up the road.

[mbriscoe]

Quote

The Otranto disaster. The cards from the wreaths which were placed on the graves of the victims of the Otranto at the funerals on Islay

 

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/45503575

 

Quote

Otranto disaster. Otranto survivors entertaining their friends and rescuers at tea in the dining room of the Bridge End Hotel, Islay, Scotland

 

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/45503507

 

Quote

Supplies for the Otranto survivors arriving at Islay, Scotland

 

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/45503603

 

This is the one that I was trying to find

 

Quote

Otranto disaster. American Red Cross worker distributing supplies to cottagers who cared for the survivors of the U.S. Troopship, Otranto, wrecked off Island of Islay, Scotland

 

 

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/45503615

 

 

Edited 2 May , 2018 by mbriscoe

[mbriscoe]

Good image of Bowmore

 

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/45503497

 

 

[mbriscoe]

Quote

Otranto disaster. Villagers of Kichoman, Islay, Scotland, when they learned of the needs of the Otranto survivors, willingly supplied large quantities of food. One woman is shown giving her entire stock of eggs, butter and milk to see the Red Cross

 

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/45503609