Orkney Image Library

Alan, this does not look like the ship that went on the Skerries, unless she was altered to look more old fashioned. As I remember, the Oljaren had a modern squat black funnel, with a white T on it.
Could this picture be of an older ship?.

Time you wrote a book Allan.

You're good at digging up them pictures Allan. Here is another for you, the Charles D MacIver, not sure of the spelling of MacIver, she was an American Liberty ship, and was beached off east Moaness for repairs, around 1943-44. I have some memory of a huge hole in her starboard side, don't know if it was a mine, or torpedo maybe a collision even. I reckon you, Fred, or John are the boys that will come up with something on this one. The task is yours boys.

Alan, I now note that your photo was taken in 1947. They must have streamlined the funnel at a later date, as it was a much more modern looking structure in 1951. The funnel was black, with a white T on it. The horizontal stroke at the top of the T was angled.
As you say, she was 8337Gt, 13100DWT, 147Metres Long, 18 M Beam, 10.7 M Draft. The owners were Transoil Redri A/B of Gothenburg. The master had been through the Pentland Firth sixty times in the " Oljaren" and hundreds of times in his career at sea. This was his last trip before retiring, so he was naturally very upset and had to be ordered by the owners to abandon the ship.

Jimmy, the Charles D McIvor is a ship I know very little about, but I should do, as she was the Longhope stations biggest rescue if numbers are taken into account. Saved vessel and 72. As far as I know, she was in a collision in the Pentland Firth in thick fog and one of the Lifeboat crew, probably Billy Dass or Sinclair Mowat, boarded her and piloted her into the Flow and beached her.
I moved to a village near Plymouth for 10 months 1943-1944, so that's probably why I know so little about the incident.

Jimmy, here is a bit more on the Charles D McIver. The incident occurred on the 5th and 6th of August 1944. She was in collision in dense fog 4miles NW of Stroma, loaded with urgently needed war materials. The first service lasted from 9.45pm 5/08/1944 until 3.00am 6/08/1944 when a tug arrived. At 10.40am on the 6th. the lifeboat was again called out and despite the dense fog found the ship 2 miles North of Dunnet Head. At the request of the salvage officer, Billy Dass(Coxwain) boarded and piloted the ship into Scrabster. The lifeboat returned to Brims at 6.45pm and it seems that subsequently, the Vessel was taken over and beached at Moaness.

Thanks Fred, you have excelled yourself once again, Allan and John must still be
looking for a picture, and no doubt they will find one. We got lots of goodies off her while she was being repaired, all sorts of things that were rationed at the time. They borrowed our yole as a jolly boat while they lay there and gave it a complete paint job before they departed.

Too much hassle Stewart.

Fred is fairly correct, this is not the Oljaren that went on the Skerries, this pic is of an older ship and a bit smaller in tonnage. However she is swedish and may even be a previous ship to the one that went aground. At the moment I do not have a picture of the ship in question before the grounding, however there is a pic of her in another web site but it's covered by copyright. I have asked permission to use the picture but until then we will have to wait and see. [Allan, if you want to post the link to the picture in a comment WITHOUT the http:// bit, I can sort it so it is clickable- Steven]

Jimmy, as you know, Orkney was classed as a war zone during world war two and strict censorship was in force, so maybe there are no photos of the Charles D. McIvor, especially as she was carrying a military cargo.

There's now a link to the Oljaren in happier times in a comment to picture #9126.

I was working at the Police Station in the back road when this occured and I remember that after the crew were taken off some returned and found that 'there had been visitors' during their absence. Chief Constable Cheyne went on board with the Captain to investigate without result. I remember being given a packet of LUCKY STRIPE cigarettes by the Captain.

See picture #10629 for further INFO on the Charles D McIvor