Eagle tragedy
Iolaire sank right off the coast with her mast sticking out of the water, which saved Donald Morrison.
When Germany agreed to an armistice on November 11, 1918, demobilization began in the British armed forces. Ordinary sailors were interested in it, as well as their superiors and, above all, politicians. Hundreds of thousands of young people, held under strict discipline, sometimes miles from their homes, often at daily risk of losing their lives in previous months, at a time when the threat from the "Huns" seemed to no longer exist, an explosive element.
It seems that it was the fear of an outbreak of discontent among the military masses, and not so much economic considerations, that became the main driving force behind the hasty dismissal of soldiers and sailors from the ranks. Thus, the demobilized warriors wandered home in a long and wide empire. However, this “long journey home” did not end well for everyone. The sailors and soldiers of Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides were particularly brutal.
Hailing from the Outer Hebrides, sailors (the vast majority) and soldiers flocked to Kyle of Lochalsh. It should be noted here that out of approximately 30, 6200 residents of Lewis and Harris enlisted about XNUMX people, which in practice constitutes the vast majority of fit young people.
Kyle of Lochalsh is a village located at the entrance to Loch Alsh. about 100 km southwest of Inverness and connected to it by rail. Sailors arrived in Inverness, dismissed from service at the Orkney base of the Grand Fleet - Scapa Flow. That, and the fact that the local steamer, the elegantly named Sheila, sailed once a day from Kyle of Lochalsh to Stornoway on the Lewis and Harris, and on the last day of 1918 more than half a thousand demobilized men gathered there. However, not everyone has a place on board the ship.
More than 100 youths had to wait further, which, given their level of frustration and anger, was dangerous in itself. The commander of the sea area, Lieutenant Richard Gordon William Mason (who lives in Lochalsh), apparently did not want to deal with the seafaring brothers celebrating the New Year and decided to use the auxiliary caretaker Iolar, who was stationed in the port, to transport the sailors. His commander, Lieutenant Walsh, as well as Mason from the Royal Navy Reserve) were not informed in advance that a transport task was envisaged for him. When Walsh learned that he had about a hundred people to plant, he at first protested. His arguments were absolutely correct - on board he had only 2 lifeboats with a capacity of no more than 40 people and 80 life jackets. Mason, however, eager to avoid trouble at all costs, insisted. He was not even convinced by the argument that Commander Iolaire never called at Stornoway at night and that the port is very demanding in terms of navigation. While both officers were fencing themselves off from disputes, two more depots with demobilized people arrived at the station. This solved the issue, - Mason decided literally.
figuratively speaking, "defuse" the situation. So, 241 people boarded the Iolaire. Crew of 23 people.
Kyle of Lochalsh is about 60 nautical miles from Stornoway. So it's not a long distance, and the route passes through the stormy waters of the Minch Strait, which is characterized by high dynamics of weather conditions.
