Orkney, Scotland — Marsden’s Love Story

 Orkney, also known as the Orkney Islands, is a chain of small isles located in the northern most territory of Scotland—which, in turn, is alotted to the larger colonial framework of the Kingdom of Great Britain. During World War II, wartime Orkney served as a pivotal point of maritine prowess for First Lord of Admiralty, Winston Churchill. After German U-Boats sunk the HMS Royal Oak (1939), the development of man-made barriers helped prevent more war vessels from passing through. These are now properly fashioned as the 'Churchill Barriers.' Work on the barriers began in May 1940 and was completed by September 1944. The barriers were officially opened on May 12, 1945—just four days after the end of World War II which was once engulfed Europe. After the war, a roadway system throughout Orkney was built to connect the isles of Lamb Holm, Glimps Holm, Burray and South Ronaldsay.

Much of the labor was attended by nearly 2,000 Italian prisoners of war. In the book, The Flight of Gemma Hardy, Mrs. Marsden recalls a instance of an Italian POW falling in love with a local girl (9). Perhaps passage was way to shallow the internment of Italians on English soil. It’s hard to assess the legitimacy of this story, but we use this bit of information as a clue into how land was utilized even in smaller spaces like in the Orkney archipelago during times of conflict since this novel is centered around post-war Scotland. I would like to see how the role of space plays out throughout the story.