Today is the centenary of the loss of the drifter Laurel Crown.  While on minesweeping duties off the Orkney West Mainland coast, the drifter exploded one of the mines U75 laid there over three weeks earlier which had also taken the life of Lord Kitchener and 736 others on board HMS Hampshire.  The nine sailors on board HMD Laurel Crown all killed in the explosion included George Petrie of Burray, who had served only five weeks in the Royal Naval Reserve.  The story of his death and the loss of Laurel Crown is available as a Word document in the Burray section of the website, or can be downloaded direct as a pdf using the link below.