Kirsty Andrews has been spending time in Shetland and Orkney , where the sense of maritime history is palpable
Had I not become a diver , I fear that my knowledge of British wartime history would never have risen above the fairly vague general awareness I formed at school . It ’ s not that I wasn ’ t interested , but just that there are so many other things to be curious about . Yet here I am , not only a diver but a diver in the UK , perfectly placed to appreciate the remnants of military might that have landed , or rather sunk , so close to my home shores . I often joke to my dive buddies that I like diving wrecks because they make a pleasant artificial reef . This is certainly true , but is not the full story . I want to know what happened ; did the sunken vessel have a gloriously eventful or sadly short-lived career ; what were the circumstances of the sinking : was it a ferocious battle , a cunningly targeted attack , even an unfortunate accident ? What happened to the captain and crew on that last fateful voyage ? I recently had the privilege of spending some time in Shetland and Orkney . In the few days between dive trips , I sought out opportunities to better inform myself about the key role played by these small but mighty isles in both World Wars . Stories are everywhere , from subtly placed memorials and plaques to full-blown museums and impressively-stocked bookshops detailing local history . Throughout my time on the islands I felt a permanent lump in my throat , imagining the hardships and sacrifices of so many whose lives were subsumed by these immense conflicts . Just as underwater I can appreciate both the squidgy plumose anemones that inhabit a wreck as well as the historical significance of the underlying metalwork , so on land , multiple enticements are on offer . I visited Sumburgh Head in Shetland in part to coo at the cute nesting puffins , like many tourists , but then was also awed to visit the radar stations set up there in 1939 . I learned of their vital interventions in April 1940 to track and enable defeat of air attacks on Scapa Flow . This latter location will of course be familiar to all wreck-loving BSAC divers . Had I not been attracted to Shetland by the world-class diving on offer there , I might
“ Perhaps my most memorable dive in Shetland waters was the wreck of the British submarine E49 ” never have heard details of these heroics . Crossing the Churchill Barriers in Orkney , I considered the snorkelling possibilities of the remains of sunken block ships there , but was also wowed to read in the local Heritage Centre of the Herculean efforts made to speedily realise Sir Winston Churchill ’ s vision and prevent another tragedy such as the sinking of HMS Royal Oak . Perhaps my most memorable dive in Shetland waters was the wreck of the British submarine E49 , which hit a German mine in March 1917 in Balta Sound off Unst , one of the most northerly parts of our country . All 31 crew were lost . The dive is visually spectacular by any measure , but it is in learning the tale , in contemplating what it must have been like to serve on a submarine over 100 years ago , and in respecting the sacrifice of those who lie there beneath the waves , that makes the experience unforgettable . We are lucky that countless divers and historians both amateur and professional have done the research and filled in the blanks before us . I am particularly grateful to the incredibly knowledgeable local dive skippers who take the time to impart some of this information to us before each dive , allowing us a small insight into the past and bringing colour and context to our wreck diving experiences . �