Poignant new sunken ship memorial to be unveiled at Talmine ceremony tomorrow
A poignant new memorial has been created on the north coast using the gun of a merchant ship which sank in the area 80 years ago.
The gun from the SS Ashbury has been restored and mounted on a site outside the old post office in Melness, overlooking Talmine Bay where the ship foundered on rocks on January 8, 1945, with the loss of 42 lives.
It was the worst loss of a merchant ship during World War II, in an incident not caused by enemy action.
An inauguration ceremony for the Ashbury gun will be held at 12pm tomorrow (Thursday, January 9) and will mark the 80th anniversary of the sinking.
Owned by the Alexander Shipping Co Ltd of London, the SS Ashbury was chartered to the Ministry of War Transport at the time of her loss - the war had just entered its sixth year.
Despite mechanical problems, the ship sailed as part of a convoy from Lochewe on January 6, straight into a force nine gale and soon fell behind, becoming unmanageable in the heavy seas, and running aground on Dubh-Seir Mhor (The Black Rocks) of Talmine.
Twenty-six bodies were recovered and 14 of the crew were buried in war graves at Thurso Cemetery.
A formal investigation into the sinking of the Ashbury concluded that the loss of the ship was due to it striking the rock under stress in heavy weather.
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The remains of the Ashbury, broken up and scattered around the rocks, are often visited by divers.
In 1980 the gun was salvaged by Alistair Ross of Bonar Bridge, who ran Ross Diving Company, with the help of another well-known diver Chris Murray, from Dornoch, and the late Cathal Dingwall.
They gave it to Hamish Mackay of the Craggan Hotel but his plans to mount it did not work out, and after his death his family donated it to Tongue, Melness and Skerray Community Council.
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Community council chairman Andrew Gunn said funding was obtained from the Crag Riabhach Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund to refurbish the gun, mount it and install it on the site.
Michael Mackay stripped the gun down and worked on it and Alan Findlay of Melness prepared the site and helped install the gun. The work was completed in December 2024.
Mr Gunn said: “A lot of people have known about the gun for a long time and we have all wanted to do something with it, but we haven’t had the funding until now, but now we’ve had a bit of money from Creag Riabhach, we’ve been able to undertake the project.”
A large number of people are expected to attend tomorrow’s ceremony, including Sutherland Lord-Lieutenant Major General Patrick Marriott along with representatives from the three armed forces, the Sutherland branch of the Royal Naval Association, HM Coastguard UK, the community council and community members.
The programme included a welcome from Deputy Lieutenant Frances Gunn, a short service from former Royal Navy chaplain The Venerable John Green, the laying of wreaths as well as the raising of the ‘Red Duster’ flag - flown by British merchant and passenger ships since 1707.
Refreshments will be provided after the ceremony at the Kyle Centre in Tongue.
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