Today we visited the Ness battery which we saw from the MV Graemsay last week. Anne Bignall of the Scapa Flow Landscape Partnership met us and showed us around the site.
First we looked out to sea and thought about the route we took aboard the MV Graemsay, then we looked around the gun emplacements and the lookouts and the engine room. We had already passed the buildings on the shore on the way where the lights would have been.
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| Arriving at Ness battery. |
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| What a great view, with Skerry battery on the opposite shore. |
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| Looking out from one of the gun emplacements. |
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| The single Nissen hut - not enough room for 100 men! |
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| The lookout station. |
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| Sitting outside the engine room. |
Then we went into the mess hall and saw the famous mural. In the mess there would have been a curtain across the room so the mural stops where it would have been. The area which would have been curtained off would have been used for entertainments.
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| Outside the mess hall. |
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| Part of the mural. |
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| In the mess. |
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| The officers' mess - with an open fire! |
We finished our day by thinking about if and why we think it is important to preserve the Ness battery. Though it is only 70 years old it lets us have a look back in time in a very special way.
Many thanks to the Scapa Flow Landscape Partnership for bringing our project to life!
Ellie was telling us all about her trip today and how much she enjoyed it. Tommy wished he had had the opportunity to go when he was in P7! What a fabulous way of bring history to life - it certainly needs to be preserved.
ReplyDeleteJudy - Ellie's mum
Wow! What a great day and super experience! You are all very lucky to be able to see these things and appreciate them.
ReplyDeletePauline - Kayla's mum
What a great educational trip, I love the photos of your time there and especially like the painting in the Mess Hall. That was Elise's favourite too.
ReplyDeleteShe's enjoying the World War 2 project and I loved hearing her practice her personal project for the presentation.
All our historical sites should be preserved for future generations to enjoy and learn from.
Helen - Elise's Mum
Helen -
Looks like you all have had a great day at Ness Battery and with the sun shinning , what a bonus! Thanks for sharing your fun day with us at home.
ReplyDeleteSheena - Kristopher's mum
Thank you for all your comments so far!
ReplyDeleteMuch appreciated here at school.
You are very lucky to get the chance to see these amazing war time relics. The mural was amazing and must have brightened up a very bleak place.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos too!
Alice C
Lots of interesting things going on. Ness battery trip looked very fascinating, a very different sort of trip. Mural looks beautiful, this should definately be restored and preserved.
ReplyDeleteBridget- Leah's mum
I have never seen the mural but your photos have definitely made me want to see it for myself. I thought your map was great and very professional looking too.
ReplyDeleteThe site is excellent, you've all done so much work! I particularly like the radio play, it really had an atmosphere of the 1940's. Your boat trip reports were also good - you remembered lots of information and all seem to have grasped a lot of knowledge about wartime Orkney. I also really liked the way you used the photographs from the day, it looked like video footage!
ReplyDeleteAnne Bignall
Scapa Flow Landscape Partnership
that looks fun ryan p2
ReplyDeletethat looks fun well done ryan p2
ReplyDelete