Memorial details

Memorial type
Board / Plaque / Tablet
District
North East Fife
Town
Anstruther
County
Fife
Country
Scotland
Commemoration
First World War (1914-1918)
Ceremony
  • Dedicated
    Date: 31 January 2002
    Attended by: Local Clergy/Dignitaries
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
57976

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Current location

Opposite the Fisheries Museum
Harbourhead
Anstruther
North East Fife
Fife
KY10 3AB
Scotland

OS Grid Ref: NO 56890 03452
Denomination: Undefined

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Description
Plain rectangular bronze plaque mounted onto a plain plinth with forward sloping top. There is an accompanying interpretation board
Inscription
Plaque: TO COMMEMORATE THOSE MEMBERS/ OF THE SHIPS' COMPANIES OF/ HIS MAJESTY'S SUBMARINES K4 AND K17/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY/ OFF THE ISLE OF MAY/ ON 31st JANUARY 1918/ ERECTED IN THEIR MEMORY DURING THE SUBMARINE CENTENARY YEAR 2001/ Interpretation Board- The "Battle" of May Island/On the night of January 31st 1918, a disaster took place just/a few miles off Anstruther when the British Grand Fleet left/Rosyth for exercises in the North Sea. With wartime news/restrictions in force, few if any people onshore were aware/of this. At speed and without navigation lights and on radio/silence, the leading column of submarines encountered/two minesweepers also operating without lights and/completely unaware of the Fleet's movements./In the ensuing confusion two submarines, the K4 and/K17, were rammed and sunk with the loss of 108 lives. Four other submarines and a cruiser were severely/damaged. Relatives were merely informed that their/loved ones were lost om active service./They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:/Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn,/at the going down of the sun, and in the morning/We will remember them.
Inscription legible?
yes
Commemorations
  • First World War (1914-1918)
    Total names on memorial: 0
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 0
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Undefined
    Order of information: Undefined
Components
  • Board
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Metal
  • Plaque
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Metal
  • Plinth
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stone
Condition
Costs

Comments: Joint venture involving Fife Council, the Royal Navy, naval charities and War Memorials Trust.

Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Sponsorship
Public
Reference

This record comprises all information held by IWM’s War Memorials Register for this memorial. Where we hold a names list for the memorial, this information will be displayed on the memorial record. Please check back as we are adding more names to the database.

This information is made available under a Creative Commons BY-NC licence.

This means you may reuse it for non-commercial purposes only and must attribute it to us using the following statement:

© WMR-57976

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