In the First World War there was a ‘boom defence’ sited from Thieves Holm across to Shapinsay, to protect the base for the Northern Patrol in Kirkwall from the threat of German submarines. Boom defence boats operated a gate in the boom to allow permitted vessels in and out of the protected zone. Sadly, two of these boats were lost in service. Most tragically, the Loch Garry sank alongside the boom net in September 1916, due to a heavy gale and strong tide. Only one of the crew survived: William Smith, the sixteen-year-old son of the skipper.
Click here for more information on the Loch Garry and her crew.
The second loss was the HMT Endeavour, an ex-trawler, also used as a boom defence vessel. She sank in a collision with one of the boom nets. Nowadays the sites are visited by divers who bring back photographs of the wonderful array of colourful marine life living on the wrecks.
