Bebo

Take thou they shoes from off thy feet-nay more,
Bend a low knee if thou would'st enter here;
For a real presence lingers brooding near
This Holy of Holies on a storm lashed shore.
What prayers, what longings did these captives pour
Out to their God, when swift to calm each fear
Christ day by day stooped to his alter bier,
What time the priest the Sacred Host upbore.
Long years ago in Patmos'lonely isle
Tarried St John expecting a far call:
Did he not pray for these in their exile?
And that dear Virgin Mother of us all-
She whose own heart had known the sword's sharp fall-
Give them the tribute of her tears, her smile?

H CARLTON S MORRIS

to the east of Scapa Flow, there were until the 2nd world war, four channels leading into the naval anchorage.
These were blocked with sunken ships and this was thought to have been enough to stop attack, However in 1939 October Lieut-Commander Prein brought his German u boat through, this was to be the end of the British battle ship The Royal Oak, which is now sunk of Scapa. 800 hundred lives were lost.
This is how it was decided that the barriers would be built, Balfour Beaty got the contract for this, it would take seven years to complete. The prisoners were used to build these although it was stated that it was to join the communities together as it was against the Geneva convention for them to work like this, More than a quarter of a million tons of stone and rock were laid,one and a half miles of road altogether,
The community's were at last joined and the p.o.w's sent to work on farms in Wincombe and Ledbury...

Guido left Orkney in 1945 after three years of building the chapel and Churchill barriers.
He came to Gloucestershire as a prisoner to work on the farms where he later met my grandmother,
He never said much about pre Gloucestershire but my mother remembers having his big grey coat on her bed to keep out the cold in the winter.
Only a few years ago we saw a programme on the tv and my mum told gramp, he told us he had helped to build the chapel and since we have looked into it as much as possible and managed to help him return there.
we did this last week and it was one of the most amasing experiences of my life!

We left home at 8am 28th june08 to go to Birmingham Airport.After a late flight we picked up a car and Ian drove to Gills Bay, 7hrs later...we arrived there and boarded the ferry to St Margarets Hope Orkney, The scenery was breathtaking little did we realise that this would probably be one of the most rewarding and emotional holidays of our lives. When we arrive Pat the lady who we were renting the beautiful Cottage(Erract)fromf was waiting for us, she even made us scones and scott's pancakes, she was a lovely lady and had even put on the electric blanket for gramp..
We unpacked and then decided to see the chapel while it was quiet.to be continued....