Cromarty Firth ceremonies recall Natal tragedy
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COMMUNITIES on both sides of the Cromarty Firth will today commemorate a maritime tragedy which claimed the lives of more than 400 people including children.
The events, in Invergordon and Cromarty, will mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of WWI naval cruiser HMS Natal in 1915 while at anchor in the firth.
The ship’s captain, Eric Back, was hosting a film party aboard and had invited the wives and children of his officers, a civilian friend – the factor of Novar Estate – and his family, as well as nurses from the nearby hospital ship Drina to attend.
But as the party was getting under way on the afternoon of December 30, a series of violent explosions tore through the rear part of the ship.
She capsized five minutes later with the loss of 421 lives.
Many of the crew were on shore leave at the time of the explosion. Some were playing football in Cromarty, heard the explosion, and watched the ship go down with their comrades on board.
Initially it was believed the Natal had come under enemy fire, but a later inquiry concluded that it was caused by an internal ammunition explosion.
As well as commemorating the centenary of the disaster, the programme of events in Invergordon and Cromarty will mark the 110th anniversary of Natal’s launch at Barrow-in-Furness on September 30, 1905.
There will be a memorial service at Invergordon Parish Church, to be followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at the Natal buoy in the firth.
In attendance will be Rosalind Cahill, granddaughter of Captain Back.
A reception will be held in Invergordon Museum for some of the families who are travelling up from the south of England for the occasion.
Boats will be going out from both Invergordon and Cromarty.
On board the Cromarty boat will be Mrs Cahill, along with her daughter and son-in-law. Mrs Cahill will lay a wreath at the Natal buoy.
Following the wreath-laying, Cromarty school pupils will pay their own tribute at the 15 Natal graves in Cromarty cemetery by laying flowers at each one. Local pipers will play to introduce and close the event, which will include a bugler from the band of the Royal Marines playing The Last Post.
The full marching band of the Royal Marines will then perform Beating the Retreat at Cromarty Harbour, before Mrs Cahill unveils a specially-commissioned memorial panel telling the full story of the Natal disaster.
John Campbell-Smith, a volunteer at Invergordon Museum where there is a permanent display to HMS Natal, said it was an important anniversary for the town to remember.
"It was such a shocking event and all so quick," said Mr Campbell-Smith
"We have copies of all the signals between the ship and the admiralty in the museum and initially they thought that a German U-boat had got into the Cromarty Firth and torpedoed it. The fleet was put on immediate standby. There must have been such panic in the town."
The Natal tragedy is highly unusual because it was a naval disaster, in wartime, in which women and children were among the casualties.
Some 400 of the crew survived.
