Talk:MTB 686 - Clarke's Story

Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia

I've highlighted the problems with this page which need attention/alteration, before it is moved to a proper page of it's own. Due to number of problems using the reference system was the easiest way to highlight it. Hope it makes sense.
Item 11 is the main concern.
The non highlighted parts are acceptable, and written to a very high standard.

We would need to decide the best name for the new page. Suggestions please.

Also suggestions for best way to link from the North Ness page. My thoughts would be to use maybe the first paragraph, followed by a very bold link. I would also suggest linking the page from other wartime pages which mention MTBs.

Comments please.
Robbie 10:59, 25 March 2008 (MDT)

The one aspect of this tale which surprises me is the emphasis throughout the various editions on the solving of a mystery. Perhaps I haven't sussed it but the mystery seems to be entirely related to the descendents and not the event itself. I certainly was well aware that the boats had caught fire due to an accident and had been subsequently sunk deliberately. This was common knowledge in Lerwick.

EM 12:49, 25 March 2008 (MDT)

Just a quick response meantime while passing through. Retaining the first paragraph on the North Ness page, and having a prominent link to this page with the rest of the story sounds fine to me. As regards a title, maybe something like 'MTB686 - One victim's story', and subtitle that page with something like 'told by his grandson, R. Clarke'. A bit long winded as it stands, but something worded along similar lines is where I'm trying to go....

Having just read closely and fully digested what's highlighted at no. 11, I'd agree, it either needs to be heavily reworded, or deleted. The insinuation that sailors were sent out on a mission with the intent of sacrificing them, is insulting to both the sailors and the command who are alleged to have sent them. Certainly circumstances arise in all wars where such sacrifice is inevitable, but I have never come across anything to suggest that such events in WWII, wherever they happened, were anything other than a last resort options brought about by unfolding unforseen circumstances. The suggestion that the Allies ever planned any mission where the intent to sacrifice those involved in it, without their knowledge, as part of the plan holds little water as far as I'm aware. If there's reliable and verifiable evidence to the contrary I'd be very interested to hear it.

Picture captions 1 & 2 definitely need rewording, both are misleading. 1 may well be a similar gun, but it can be traced as being on an Australian Navy corvette, the HMAS Castlemaine. 2 can be traced as being an official RN photograph, taken at an unknown location, and part of the Imperial War Museum photo collection. It is copyright free though.

The rest I'll have to come back to later.

Ghostrider 13:04, 25 March 2008 (MDT)

Re. EM,
Surprising perhaps, with local knowledge, but not nationally or internationally, given how difficult it can be sometimes to find specific references to an incident which happened so long ago. This is where local on-line references like Shetlopedia become so important, by highlighting things which we might almost take for granted as being common knowledge, but which unlock a mystery for somebody else, wherever they may be. Often small items of local knowledge would be hidden so far down in a search engine results that they would never be seen.
Perhaps the biggest surprise may be how high Shetlopedia now ranks in search results for many things. :)
Robbie 13:13, 25 March 2008 (MDT)

Yes indeed. The fighter crashing into the knab is exactly such a case. I have no idea when it happened, though I'm pretty sure it was part of a post VE day celebration. "Wings for Victory" perhaps. Anybody have any info on the accident? Although I haven't found any details I do know about the pilot and the recovery.

EM 14:34, 25 March 2008 (MDT)

EM, the only thing I know is that it was in October 1941...See :http://shetlopedia.com/1941 , --Oddrun 14:51, 25 March 2008 (MDT)

OOPS, it looks like I have a little bit wrong info, it was not late in October but first of Nov. :http://404squadron.com/nov1941.html , --Oddrun 15:32, 25 March 2008 (MDT)

Back to the topic ;-), My suggestion is, after editing the worst mistakes and off topics, to name the page "MTB 686 - Clarke's story", (That name will cover all the three generations of Clarke), and make a comment at the top, something like; this is a personal story and so on, like Ghostrider said. Put the page into "Wartime" and link it to North Ness and other relevant pages. --Oddrun 08:36, 26 March 2008 (MDT)