When I Heard the Bell - The Loss of the Iolaire

[jay dubaya]

I first learnt of the sinking of H.M Yacht 'Iolaire' a few years ago whilst reading Neil Oliver's 'Not Forgoten' The final voyage of the 'Iolaire' is a tragic story that has been largely hidden away in the minds of the survivors and the families that lost their men. For years it was never spoken about, the depth and horror of the tragedy running too deep for anyone even to utter the name.

The war was over and the men of Lewis were on their way home to their loved ones, their crofts and their land. The 'Iolaire' sailed at 7.30 pm on 31st December 1918 from the Kyle of Lochalsh and headed for Stornoway, it was a clear windy night that would get much worse. At 1.55 am on 1st January 1919 the 'Iolaire' struck the 'Beasts of Holm' a ropcky out crop only yards from the shore and just outside the harbour entrance, within an hour she had sank beneath the waves. Of the roughly 284 men onboard only 80 would survive, many bodies were never recovered and of the ones that were 9 were laid to rest 'Known unto God' Mnay aboard the 'Iolaire' had survived Antwerep, the Dardanelles, one man had survived 36 hours in the sea after his ship was torpedoed - he swam and eventually reached Algiers then only to die so close to home, when his body was recovered, his hands were in his pockets. Only one man could claim to land at the harbour, he had spent the night clinging to the mast (the only thing above the water) and was picked up by a RN boat the following morning. It would take upto three days for the news to spread around the island.

John Macleod has gone to great lengths in the writing of his book and it does indeed have much Gaelic text and personal interviews with the last of the survivors and those that lost their fathers and older brothers on that fateful night over 90 years ago. The book also deals with the incompitence and callousness of those in charge on shore, the aftermath for the survivors and islanders themselves, the subsiquent enquiry and although we will never know for sure what happened the book paints a very good impression of what probably did happen. It's a tough subject that has been well researched, well written and difficult to put down. 'When I Heard the Bell' is a tribute to those 284 men who sailed on the last voyage of 'Iolaire' and to the people of Lewis.

The Iolaire - Ian Crichton Smith

The green washed over them. I saw them when

the New Year brought them home. It was a day

that orbed the horizon with an enigma.

It seemed that there were masts. It seemed that men

buzzed in the water round them. It seemed that fire

shone in the water which was thin and white

unravelling towards the shore. It seemed that I

touched my fixed hat which seemed to float and then

the sun illuminated fish and naval caps,

names of the vanished ships. In sloppy waves,

in the fat of water, they came floating home

bruising against their island. It is true

a minor error can inflict this death

that star is not responsible. It shone

over the puffy blouse, the flapping blue

trousers, the black boots. The seagulls swam

bonded to the water. Why not man?

The lights were lit last night, the tables creaked

with hoarded food. They willed the ship to port

in the New Year which would erase the old,

its errant voices, its unpractised tones.

Have we done ill, I ask? My sober hat

floated in the water, my fixed body

a simulacrum of the transient waste,

for everything was mobile, planks that swayed,

the keeling ship exploding and the splayed

cold insect bodies. I have seen your church

solid. This is not. The water pours

into the parting timbers where ache

above the globular eyes. The lsack heads turn

ringing the horizon without a sound

with mortal bells, a strange exuberant flower

unknown to our dry churchyards. I look up.

The sky begins to brighten as before,

remorseless amber, and the bruised blue grows

at the erupting edges. I have known you, God,

not as the playful one but as the black

thunderer from the hills. I kneel

and touch this dumb blonde head. My hand is scorched.

Its human quality confuses me.

I have not felt such hair so dear before

not seen such real eyes. I kneel from you.

This water soaks me. I am running with

its tart sharp joy. I am floating here

In my black uniform, I am embraced

by these green ignorant waters. I am calm

[Waddell]

Thanks Jon.

I'll add that to the christmas list. Neil Oliver's book does describe it well but would like to know more.

Scott

[johnny_doyle]

are you aware of the "Sea Sorrow" publication re the Iolaire sinking? A friend of mine is from the Isle of Lewis and loaned me his copy. Only 24 pages but an interesting read. There's a note to say that the ship that went down on 1/1/1919 was not the Iolaire that had been in situ for most of WW1 but the slower Amalthea which had been renamed Iolaire.

[museumtom]

Iolaire means Eagle.

Regards.

Tom.