2024 marks the 110th anniversary of the bombardment of Scarborough by German battle cruisers on the 16th December 1914. It was one of the iconic moments of the First World War. A day when modern warfare crashed into the streets and houses of a peaceful seaside town.
‘Remember Scarborough’ the recruiting posters implored the men of Britain in the wake of the attack. A century on that powerful message lingers in the cultural memory, but who now remembers the ships and sailors lost to a sea mining operation that ran concurrently with the bombardment? Whilst nineteen people were killed in the streets of Scarborough, over six times that number lost their lives at sea, as twenty merchant ships struck mines and sank, often little more than a mile from the coastline.
Via a series of events Scarborough will remember those lost at sea to the deadly minefield laid on that infamous day. Between December 2024 and March 2025 an exhibition will be held at the Scarborough Maritime Heritage Centre which will chart the losses, retell the stories of the ships and sailors and place into context the dramatic events that took place in the waters off Scarborough during the winter of 1914/15. Plans are also in place to hold open days at the wonderful club house of the Scarborough Sub Aqua Club.
The Ships: research the ships sank, where they were built, their ownership, their routes and cargoes, to help give an insight into the nature of shipping off Scarborough in 1914.
The Crews: the people who crewed the ships, their fates, stories and diverse nationalities, how they have been commemorated (or not as the case maybe), what does it tell us about international / imperial aspects of manning of British merchant shipping? Scandinavian & Indian crew members onboard.
The Mine Field: Mine warfare in WW1 and the reasons it was extensively utilised, how was it countered? The impact of mines on coastal shipping and fishing, use of trawlers in sweeping mines, development of the East Coast War Channel, the lasting legacy, i.e. unswept mines. How many and where were they made?
The Wrecks: Rediscovery and mapping, obstruction to fishing, leisure divers on war graves, hidden heritage, a crumbling resource, artificial reefs. The Sub Aqua Club are currently drawing up a dive plan for 2024 based around the wrecks and those yet to be rediscovered. Chart with minefield laid out plotted against the wrecks .
Commemoration day event, December 16th 2024 and possible Armed Forces Day inclusion. Speakers could include Jann Der Witt, Anthony Firth, Merchant Navy Association, Royal Naval Rerserve?
Schools: Engagement, outreach and inclusion? Jim Middleton / Andrew Clay of SMG?
Funding: National Archives grant?
Media & publcity: BBC Look North, Yorkshire Post, local radio & media, national magazines.
Exhibition: Scarborough Maritime Heritage Centre from December 2024 to March 2025
Open Days: Scarborough Sub Aqua Club.
Programme of speakers: Stephen Joseph Theatre or halls, Western Front Association, Dr Robb Robinson (Hull).
Publication: Collaborative publication with chapters by specialists, website and or booklet?
Film: Find or make underwater footage of the wrecks, 3d scanning?
Researching the losses
Firstly we have to work out exactly what ships were lost to the mines, surprisingly there is no comprehensive list. From there we can estimate the number of sailors lost onboard the ships. Surprisingly, there is nowhere that lists the men killed, their names are scattered across the globe on various memorials and some have not been commemorated at all.
The wrecks are quite literally hidden history. Although they lie just off beaches that teem with holidaymakers in the summer months, presenting their stories in an accessible and compelling manner is the cause of a lot of thought. The cluster of wrecks are the physical reminders of the Great War at sea, they represent geographies of trade, manufacturing and manning. But each wreck also has its own story and indeed its own tragedy. Bringing together all these narratives, whilst paying homage to the people whose lives were lost, is the ultimate and challenging goal of this project.
The project will grow as there is huge scope to explore further aspects such as the wrecks as artificial reefs, quantifying their impact on marine life, as the wrecks have become havens for schools of fish and corals grow on the hard surfaces of the wrecks. Multi-beam sonar scans of the wrecks offer an opportunity to present the wrecks to a wider-public and could be an inspiration to artists.
It is important to tell the human stories, shipwrecks are not just rusting hulks beneath the waves, every single wreck has stories of heartbreak and loss; the latter made even more poignant when the ship simply disappears, leaving those left behind not knowing what became of their loved ones.
Dr David Pendleton - January 2024
