Colour photograph of the captain of the Queen Mary cruise ship preparing to drop a wreath commemorating the wrecking of the destroyer HMS Sturdy at Sandaig during WWII.
Organised by Commander Michael Gibson of Plymouth, the wreath was thrown overboard in the summer of 2015 as the Queen Mary cruised past the Hebrides. HMS Sturdy foundered during a storm in October 1940. Five lives were lost, but were it not for the actions of Tiree folk, in particular Captain Donald Sinclair, the toll would have been much higher. The dedication on the wreath reads: “Dedicated to the bravery of Captain Donald Sinclair and those who helped in the rescue effort of HMS Sturdy and in remembrance of all those lost on Empire Eland in 1941”. Captain Sinclair was on the Empire Eland when it was torpedoed by a U-boat in the Atlantic.
Colour photograph of a wreath commemorating the wrecking of the destroyer HMS Sturdy during WWII. It is being held by the captain of the Queen Mary cruise ship.
Organised by Commander Michael Gibson of Plymouth, the wreath was thrown overboard in the summer of 2015 as the Queen Mary cruised past the Hebrides. HMS Sturdy foundered on rocks at Sandaig during a storm in October 1940. Five lives were lost, but were it not for the actions of Tiree folk, in particular Captain Donald Sinclair, the toll would have been much higher. The dedication on the wreath reads: “Dedicated to the bravery of Captain Donald Sinclair and those who helped in the rescue effort of HMS Sturdy and in remembrance of all those lost on Empire Eland in 1941”. Captain Sinclair was on the Empire Eland when it was torpedoed by a U-boat in the Atlantic.
Colour photograph of the captain and crew of the Queen Mary cruise ship with a wreath commemorating the wrecking of the destroyer HMS Sturdy on rocks at Sandaig during WWII.
Organised by Commander Michael Gibson of Plymouth, the wreath was thrown overboard in the summer of 2015 as the Queen Mary cruised past the Hebrides. HMS Sturdy foundered during a storm in October 1940. Five lives were lost, but were it not for the actions of Tiree folk, in particular Captain Donald Sinclair, the toll would have been much higher. The dedication on the wreath reads: “Dedicated to the bravery of Captain Donald Sinclair and those who helped in the rescue effort of HMS Sturdy and in remembrance of all those lost on Empire Eland in 1941”. Captain Sinclair was on the Empire Eland when it was torpedoed by a U-boat in the Atlantic.
Black & white photograph of grave markers in the old graveyard at Soroby in the 1950s. The graves are of servicemen buried after WWII but before gravestones were erected. The three gracves to the right and just beyond the service graves belong to the Campbell family of Millport House, Hynsih.
Colour booklet and certificate to accompany the ceramic poppy delivered to An Iodhlann from the Tower of London WWI memorial display in 2014. Includes annotations and two letters from donor Greta Travers dated 2 April and 16 December 2015. Greta was stationed on Tiree as a WAAF during WWII.
Black and white photograph of the Kennavara coastline from a postcard dated May 1946 by Donald Winn who was stationed at RAF Tiree. The handwriting reads “May/46. Happy memories of a wonderful time. Love always _ xxx. An inspiring place with an inspiring person. Until the next time. Don McWinn”. Probably taken looking northwest from West Hynish.
Black and white photograph of Balephuil croft land with Ben Hough in the background from a postcard in the 1940s. Probably taken looking north from the road just north of ‘Manitoba’, Balephuil. The handwriting on the reverse reads “Happy memories of a really wizzard time. May 1946 to May 1947. All my love. Forever yours. Don. May the sun shine always on “Sunny Tiree”. Donald Winn was stationed at RAF Tiree and married Ann MacDonald Kennedy, the daughter of Archie Walker, Moss.
Black and white photograph of Scarinish and the harbour from a postcard sent from Scarinish Post Office to Devonport in July 1947. Handwriting reads “Having a wizard leave!! Weather wonderful. Time too short”.
Pages mentioning Tiree from the WWII Admiralty War Diaries from 6 June 1939 to 14 November 1944, marked “Most Secret”, including records of shipping and convoys, U-boats, mining, defensive actions, casualties, military intelligence, communications with allied forces, and SS Laristan. Courtesy of Martin Briscoe, Fort William.
Part of a newspaper article published in around 1960 about Captain Lachlan MacPhail (Tiree and Glasgow) who was a mourner at the funeral of ‘The Man Who Never Was’ in 1943, a ruse to mislead the Germans during WWII. Lachlan MacPhail served in the Royal Navy during WWII and was an accomplished piper and writer of pipe tunes and Gaelic poems.
