CWGC hosts Scapa Flow centenary ceremony

Today the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) hosted a ceremony to mark the centenary of the scuttling of the German fleet at Scapa Flow.

On 21 June 1919, 54 German ships were sunk by their crews while being held at the British harbour, off the Orkney Islands. During the ensuing confusion a handful of Germans were killed as they attempted to come ashore.

The fleet had been interned following the 1918 Armistice while the peace negotiations were ongoing.

Nine of these men are buried in Lyness Royal Naval Cemetery, their graves are looked after by CWGC on behalf of its German counterpart Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge (VDK).

Among those gathered to pay their respects today were the Lord Lieutenant of Orkney, Rear Admiral Stephan Haisch of the German Navy as well as representatives from VDK and the Royal Marines.

In the lead up to the centenary CWGC’s Scotland team undertook renovation works at the site. This included restoration and replacement of a number of headstones after historical research revealed some of them contained inaccuracies.

Julian Evans, director of international engagement, laid a wreath on behalf of CWGC at the ceremony, organised by Orkney Islands Council.

He said: “The scuttling of the German fleet was an infamous day in the history of the First World War.

“It’s an important reminder that people from both sides continued to die during the peace process, long after the 1918 Armistice.

“The Commission cares for many service personnel from other nations, including former enemies, who are buried in our cemeteries. We afford them the same respect and dignity as the fallen of the Commonwealth nations.”

Lyness Royal Naval Cemetery is one of the CWGC’s largest UK sites and contains more than 600 burials from both World Wars, mostly of those connected to the naval base on the island or ships which sunk nearby.