Kitchener Memorial

Located at the top of the cliffs of Marwick Head, 5 miles (8 km) northwest of Dounby in Orkney, the Kitchener Memorial takes the form of a square crenellated tower. It commemorates the loss of Field Marshall Lord Kitchener (1850 - 1916), the British Minister of War, and the cruiser HMS Hampshire, on the 5th June 1916. Kitchener was en route for a meeting with the Tzar of Russia to discuss aid for the campaign against Germany in the east. The Hampshire struck a mine in heavy seas, exploded and sank within minutes. There were only twelve survivors. Kitchener had been a national hero, having led the British Army to victory in the Sudan, and was the face of thousands of recruitment posters. The money for the memorial was raised by the people of Orkney and it was dedicated in 1926.

The plaque, displayed in the centre of the east-facing wall, states:

This tower was raised by the people of Orkney in memory of Field Marshall Earl Kitchener of Khartoum on that corner of his country which he had served so faithfully nearest to the place where he died on duty. He and his staff perished along with the officers and nearly all the men of HMS Hampshire on 5th June, 1916.

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