James Irvine, editor of HMS Hampshire: A Century on Myths and Mysteries Unravelled, has recently been in touch with Jock Cumloquoy, great nephew of Jessie Cumloquoy, the Birsay Postmistress in 1916.  She had  seen a large warship was in distress and went to the Post Office to be ready to send a telegram from the territorial soldiers on lookout duty to the authorities in Kirkwall and Stromness. 

Jock has kindly forwarded this remarkable portrait of his great aunt. Jessie had the first message transmitted before Hampshire had sunk!

(For a more detailed account, see p.17 of the book.) 

The Orkney Heritage Society's publication HMS Hampshire: a Century of Myths and Mysteries Unravelled was nominated for the Maritime Foundation's Mountbatten Maritime Award for Best Literary Contribution.

This year marks the twenty-second year of the Maritime Media Awards, launched by the Maritime Foundation to honour journalists, authors and others whose work in the media has served to create greater public understanding of maritime issues, and of Britain’s manifold dependence on the sea.

HMS Hampshire: a Century of Myths and Mysteries Unravelled is available for sale via our Bookshop