Detail of foundation stone laid by 'Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser, G.C.B., K.B.E. on February 29th 1944'

Description Detail of foundation stone laid by 'Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser, G.C.B., K.B.E. on February 29th 1944'

Catalogue Number SC 645769

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of D 21502 CN

Scope and Content Datestone, World War II Fleet Cinema and Theatre, Sutherland, Flotta, Orkney Islands During both World Wars the influx of tens of thousands of military and civilian personnel into Orkney meant the creation or adaptation of buildings for residential and communal use on a massive scale. Purpose-built accommodation huts and service buildings were generally of the mass-produced and pre-fabricated types which prevailed elsewhere in wartime Britain, and military sites throughout Orkney had a greater or lesser complement of such structures, the greatest concentrations being around the naval base at Lyness on Hoy and the airfields on Mainland. The major camps boasted cinemas, concert halls and gymnasia, and shore-based recreation facilities, particularly on Flotta and Hoy, were provided for those whose accommodation was on board ship. A stream of popular show business entertainers, such as Gracie Fields, Vera Lynn, George Formby and Tommy Handley, performed for the troops during World War II, playing to very large audiences. Located close to Sutherland and Gibraltar Piers on Flotta for the convenience of the ships' companies, the Fleet Theatre completed in 1943-4 was probably the biggest purpose-built cinema and concert hall in wartime Orkney. This is a detail of a stone laid by Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser, GCB, KBE, on 29 February, 1944 (a leap year). At that date Admiral Fraser was the most senior serving officer in the Royal Navy, having been appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet in May 1943, but whether the stone, which has been re-positioned in the ruins of the cinema, marks its foundation or a formal ceremonial opening by him remains unclear. Admiralty records indicate that it was completed in July 1943. This date stone was originally on the Fleet Club next door to the Naval Cinema. It was only moved to its present location when the Fleet Club was demolished around 1980. 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.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/645769

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