NEWS

On Tuesday 27th February, three Ladies from the Islay art group came in and talked to us about the Tuscania, the Otranto  and how it is 100 years since the war ended. They showed us how to use clay and mold it into shapes. We all had to make clay figures to remember all of the beloved soldiers that died fighting to protect our country. All of the schools on Islay and Jura have been asked to make these clay models, we are hoping to Make 1010 because that’s how many soldiers we lost from Islay and Jura and on the Tuscania and the Otranto. Some of the men drowned, some of them were really badly damadged and some of them survived the war but died from bad wounds when they came back. We are making the Clay models in this way because a guy called Antony Gormley made these amazing clay models. All the clay models will be presented in the Ramsey hall on May the 4th were another rememberance will be held.

by Sophie Macdonald

For my Endeavour I am doing Islay walks I’ve walked up to Ben -Solem and Borachle so far. I’m going to be aiming to walk to Ben Vicar which is the highest hill on Islay.  By the end of my project I am going to have learnt the routes up to all the hills I’ve walked on, learn how to read a map and use a compass.

On Wednesday 14th February primary 6/7 went to the Islay museum to learn more facts about WW1 and also about life on Islay in the past. We are all researching a soldier that was in the war and trying to find facts out about him. Some of us got facts from the museum. We also got to look at some objects from the past on Islay and also some objects from the war as well. One of the things we got to look at was a book that had poems in them that we got to read. We also got to see some bullets from the war. Although we got to hold the fake ones, they were still fascinating to look at. At the end we got to have a look around the museum to see what we could find. Once we found an object we wrote facts about it and then we drew it. I drew a medal and I learned that on the rim it says the name of the man and what rank he is. My favorite thing in the museum was the machine gun  because it looked old, rusty and fascinating.(I would not like to wear all of that!)  At the museum I learned that in the war the men were forced to wear old Kilts, itchy jackets, heavy green helmets, and old boots.

By Rebecca and Ellen

A couple of weeks ago a poet called Ryan Van Winkle came into the P 6/7 class and helped us to write a good poem and think of ideas. Ryan Van Winkle went to all the schools on Islay and he will be putting together all of our ideas to make a poem about World War 1. We learnt how to make good similes, metaphors and personification, we wrote on the board all the things that human can do and objects can’t do. We also wrote down about the objects senses, I decided to write about the table and how it is annoyed how it has to lift all the pots and how it hurts when people lean on it. After we then wrote a poem about Islay and what we would miss about it if it was during the war. I said I would miss all of the  nature although I wouldn’t miss the smell of fish. Ryan Van Winkle had a fidget spinner and he dabbed and everyone in the class laughed.

We have been learning loads of fascinating information about world war one, ships torpedoed/sunk, the soldiers that served for our county, and the community heroes all because of one thing… Its been one hundred years since world war one (also known as the Great War) ended and since the Tuscania got torpedoed by a German U-boat. We all remember this tragic, heart-touching moment because not only was their lots of American Soldiers on the Tuscania and killed  but their was loads of Islay and Jura Soldiers on the Tuscania as well! In memory of the brave, and mighty Soldiers we lost, in the front school grounds we have made the most remarkable WW 100 sign that some of primary 6/7 made created and planted a variety of plants; Tulips, daffodil, poppy, bulbs and many more. In p6/7 we went down to the pier to venture the war memorial. Everyone chose someone from Islay and Jura to find facts and figures about them. I decided to learn more about A. Mackinnon. Alastair Mackinnon. Some miraculous facts I found out about Alastair was:

Alastair went to Port Ellen Primary School when he was a kid. In 1908 he went to Fettes Collage in Edinburgh. Fettes Collage looked like quite a posh school for someone to go to in 1908. After Collage he went to Edinburgh University. Eventually Alastair set off to go to war.

He Died on 14/10/1916
Aged 21
8th Bn.
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

Son of the Rev. James Mackinnon, M.A. and Margaret Mackinnon, of the Manse of Kildalton, Port Ellen, Isle of Islay.
Alastair home was Kildalton House.
People/family living with Alastair in 1901: James Mackinnon (head) aged 35, Margaret Mackinnon (wife) aged 34, Alastair Mackinnon (son) aged 5,
Sheila Mackinnon (daughter) aged 3, Margaret Mackinnon (sister) aged 30, Maggie Mckay (Servant) aged 31
Mary White (servant) aged 13.

Alastair Mackinnon had and inscription on his grave;
“BEATAE MEMORIAE”

The facts about Alastair I found most interesting was who lived in his home at the time of 1901 because I now have a good image in my head of what it was like to be him at the time especially with two servants.

For the choir this year we have been learning a song that relates to WW1. This year our song is called The White Swan. The man who wrote this was in the war. We all gathered at teh American Monument on the Oa because it had been 100 years since the Tuscania sank in 1918. It had also been 100 years since the war ended so on that day we went down to the graves at Kilnaughton and sang that song to everyone who was there. Also there were some people videoing us and now we are on TV. Lots of other people were there and they were saying poems and at the end we placed these small crosses with poppies on the top and we put them around the graves and in the ground. I really enjoyed singing for everyone who was there.

By Rowan Morris

Our school has been learning about WW1 and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders museum lent us some primary and secondary resources from WW1. They lent us: helmets, a kilt, a jacket, a water bottle, a tin that you could keep your food in and inside it there is a sauce pan to cook you food in, a belt that you can keep your bullets and small guns in, two medals, a whistle, bandages, gas masks, gas goggles, cleaning products like a comb,pins,a brush, a razor and a thing to hold your buttons in to clean them, they also sent us a fork and a knife, a exercise book, books to show you what to do in the war and posters to show people in action and meals that they would eat.

From all those things I learnt that in the war you had to have all your equipment with you. I also learnt that you have a lot of cleaning products. That they eat stew that looks and sounds disgusting . I learnt that the gas masks have been changed over the years to better ones. That the kilt and jacket was very itchy. Thank you to the museum for sending our school all those things.

By Abi Logan

Epilepsy Action Digital Media Manager Mark Morton talks about the different ways in which the digital world can offer young people living with epilepsy the support they need.

Today is the hundred year anniversary of a tragic event that happened on Islay right at the end of the First World War.  The SS Tuscania, carrying 2000 American troops,  was torpedoed by a U-boat 7 miles off the coast of Islay.  Many of the survivors, but even more of the bodies ended up on our shores.  The survivors were rescued and looked after by the locals who took them into their homes, and the dead were buried in graves around Islay.  Today a service is being held at the American monument on the Oa and at the war graves in Kilnaughton cemetary to remember the tragic events of 100 years ago.  The school Gaelic choir will be singing An Eala Bhàn, The White Swan, a song written by a soldier from Uist who fought at the Somme.

Below is a news article, written by the children, that tells the story of the Tuscania as though they were on Islay a hundred years ago:

ILEACH’S SAVE LIVES OF TORPEDOED AMERICAN SOLDIERS

On the 5th February a tragedy happened, the SS Tuscania, a US troopship that was carrying more than 2,000 American soldiers, was torpedoed 7 miles off the South East coast of the Isle of Islay. The SS Tuscania was going to Liverpool from New York City and was part of a convoy of 14 vessels. It was a tragic night with conditions like no other, the rough seas and darkness in the sky made it impossible to see. Sadly the SS Tuscania was torpedoed twice by a U- boat at 6:40pm; the first torpedo missed the SS Tuscania but sadly the second one hit it. It left a huge v shaped hole in the troop ship and destroyed many of the lifeboats. The torpedo hit the middle of the boat on the starboard side. The SS Tuscania sank at around 10pm. After having fired the torpedoes the submarine immediately dived to escape as escort vessels came to attack. Some of the men managed to get onto the lifeboats, left and got to safety, but others fell overboard due to rapid waves and rough seas. Luckily Three British destroyers; Grasshopper, Mosquito, and Pigeon came to help others, putting their own lives at risk to come alongside the Tuscania and as safely as they could transfer the men for one ship to another by rope whilst still being fired upon by the U-boat. The destroyers saved 1,500 men

As the lifeboats were approaching the coast of Islay in the dark, the men aboard the lifeboats would have heard the sounds of the crashing waves. An Islay man, Duncan MacDonald, is reported to have been on one of the lifeboats and he persuaded the other men on the lifeboats to wait until morning before they carried on. When it was light they then made their way safely into Port Ellen. Another 50 men sadly died when they were attempting to make their way in the dark and their lifeboats crashed on the rocks. One boat landed near Upper Killeyan and the survivors started to make their way to the Morrison’s family home. Robert set off to see what he could do to help, while his sisters Betsy and Annie had begun baking scones for them. One of the survivors was Arthur Siplon, who said ‘Men were in good spirits despite tragedy occurring all around them.’

Other people helped save them on the island, but many just collected the bodies of the dead. Luckily 132 men made it safely to Islay but sadly a lot of them were badly injured.

One of the survivors Everett Harpham wrote a letter to a friend in America saying that they nearly drowned and when it was light enough to see there was some bodies lying near them dead and they had to listen to the groans of the dying comrades until a Highlander rescued them. Arthur Siplon had been knocked off a lifeboat by a wave and managed to get back on and he was trying to help his friend Wilbur Clark up, when a big wave hit the boat again and they were both thrown against a rock and Wilbur Clark hit his head and sadly died.

Loads of people were found dead around the island in places like Lochindaal, Kilnaughton and Bowmore. There were 53 bodies buried in Port Charlotte, 83 were buried in Port Ellen and 46 bodies at Port- nan- Gallan. It is estimated that 182 lives were lost. There was a funeral at Port-nan-Gallan where 28 bodies were buried by Captain Ramsey and then on the 11th 18 more bodies were buried. Port Charlotte also had a funeral and over 400 people attended even in the rain.

We are all sorry for everyone’s loss and if anyone finds a body please contact the police.

By Sarah, Rebecca and Lauren P7

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