Orkney Image Library

Where is this? is it on the eastside? Can we have more info please?
Very tragic, what was it all for, this is a fitting time to be reminded of the horror of war.

George Esson's book "For Freedom & Honour" gives an account of this tragedy. The SS Giralda was sailing from Ayr to Kirkwall carrying coal. SE of Grimness she was attacked by two German aircraft and left ablaze. Their lifeboat capsized before reaching shore and the crew of 23 were drowned.

Thank you Bill and thank you for all the wonderful photos you have posted to this site we can never get enough of this sort of material.

I have a scale model of the Giralda which was made by my Grandfather, Walter Colvin, believed to be the ship's engineer. I am trying to find out if he was still on the crew in 1940, he was not on board the day she sank. Does anyone know when he left this vessel ?

Shetland museum archive photo NE02001 [is a picture of a member of the crew. To see this and other pictures, click here.]

One of the men lost was Donald Farquhar from Sandwick, Shetland. His son Don is usually on the crew of the "Swan". He was in Bill Peace's hoose in Stronsay wan night and Bill had some coal he had dredged off the Girlada. Bill mentioned this as he threw some coal on the fire and Don telt him aboot his fether being lost on her. It must have been horrible seeing the poor men and not being able to help them.

Your story of Don Farquar,s dad being lost on the Giralda is most intresting Bill. I have known Don for a long time, I suppose 30 years, but was not aware of the story of the Giralda.

Visiting Shetland a long time ago I was shocked to see the numbers of men who lost their lives during the wars, a great number being lost at sea in the Merchant Service and in the Naval Reserve.

Shetland men went to sea much more so than Orcadians as there was not the good land to gain employment from as here in Orkney. I remember visiting a war memorial on Burra Isle and being shocked at the numbers lost from that small island. We must remember there was more loss off life in the Merchant Navy than the Army the Airforce and Royal Navy put together and only very recently were they recognised for there massive input to our victory over the enemy during hostility.

An unfortunately named ship. In August 1918,the armed merchant ship, the 1,100 ton 'SS Giralda' was torpedoed by a U-boat 5nm off Whitby whilst returning to the Tyne from London.
A Spanish vessel (2,194 tons) of the same name was also lost to a U-boat of Cape Guardia in January of the same year.

My grand father was Jesse Bradley a fireman/trimmer on the Giralda has anyone any information or photographs please.