“The Tower of Remembrance”: HMS Hampshire

On 2 July 1926, the memorial to those who lost their lives with the sinking of HMS Hampshire on 5 June 1916, was officially unveiled at Marwick Head. In 1926 the tower was dedicated to Lord Kitchener who was killed along with 736 men when the Hampshire struck a German laid mine. The vessel was…

theorkneynews

June 5, 2026

2–3 minutes

HMS Hampshire, Lord Kitchener, Marwick Head, memorial, shipwrecks, World War 1

On 2 July 1926, the memorial to those who lost their lives with the sinking of HMS Hampshire on 5 June 1916, was officially unveiled at Marwick Head.

In 1926 the tower was dedicated to Lord Kitchener who was killed along with 736 men when the Hampshire struck a German laid mine. The vessel was on its way to Russia for a secret peace mission.

The Orkney Herald reported that U75 had laid 22 mines on May 29 1916. The report published on 9 June 1926 states:

“The wild tales which have been published that Lord Kitchener was killed by Russian treachery are quite without foundation. ..Lord Kitchener was last seen on deck collected and calm.”

There were only 12 survivors who were helped on the shore by people in the nearby farms, given food and shelter before being picked up by the authorities.

The Orkney Herald carried a supplement feature on 7 July 1926.

Today, 5 June 2026, 110 years after the tragedy, there will be a memorial ceremony at 8.30pm at the Memorial, Marwick head. Click on this link for the Facebook page.

The Dundee Courier reported on 6 July 1926:

A great crowd assembled at Marwick Head, Orkney, to witness the unveiling by Lord Horne of the memorial to the late Lord Kitchener. The memorial overlooks the spot where the Hampshire went down and bears the following inscription, “This tower was raised by the people of Orkney in memory of Field Marshall Earl Kitchener of Khartoum on that corner of his country which he had served so faithfully, nearest to the place where he died on duty.” At the foot of the tablet are the following words – “He and his staff perished, along with the officers and nearly all the men of HMS Hampshire , on 5th June 1916.

The Daily Express headlined it ” Kitchener’s Lonely Memorial”

At the unveiling there was a 19 gun salute from the battleship Royal Sovereign. Lord Horne said that Lord Kitchener’s work for the Empire was written deep and wide in history. When his fame was at its zenith he passed out of the site of men by the path of duty and by way of the sea.