View from the North West

Description View from the North West

Date 30/5/1997

Collection Records of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), Edinbu

Catalogue Number D 17554 CN

Category Photographs and Off-line Digital Images

Copies SC 653977

Scope and Content World War II Roman Catholic Church, World War I and II Naval Base, Lyness, Hoy, Orkney Islands At Lyness on Hoy, close to the sounds which made up the main fleet anchorage, naval quarters, stores and an oil depot were established during World War I and were considerably developed in World War II to become the Base Headquarters, HMS Proserpine. The base came to include an extensive area for the repair of anti-submarine boom nets, 16 above-ground oil storage tanks and, beneath the nearby hill of Wee Fea, six very large underground fuel tanks which were capable of storing some 100,000 tons of oil. These are the foundations of the building which served as a Roman Catholic church during World War II. Viewed here from the western or entrance end, the superstructure was of conventional timber or sheet metal construction, akin to a large hut. With thousands of military and civilian personnel stationed at Lyness at any one time, such temporary provision was made for all the major denominations of Christian worship. At the heart of the Orkney archipelago, Scapa Flow was the main fleet anchorage for the Royal Navy during both World Wars. Its vital importance led to the creation of one of the most concentrated defence networks in Britain. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

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