Around the British Isles in 80 Island Books: Book 75 - The Chapel at the Edge of the World

The Chapel at the Edge of the World by Kirsten McKenzie - first published in the UK in 2009

This novel is based on some real life events but with fictitious characters. This is the true story:

In January 1942 1,200 Italian prisoners of war, who had been captured in North Africa, were sent to camps on the uninhabited Orkney island of Lamb Holm (500 of them) and the larger inhabited island of Burray. Their task was to assist the contractor Balfour Beatty in the building of what later became known as the Churchill Barriers. These are 5 causeways linking Orkney Mainland and the four islands lying in a chain to the south: Lamb Holm, Glimps Holm (uninhabited), Burray and South Ronaldsay. The 5th and lesser known Churchill Barrier links Burray to the small island of Hunda. The purpose of the causeways was to protect the eastern side of the deep water anchorage of Scapa Flow, which was used as a base by the Royal Navy, from attack by the Germans. In October 1939 HMS Royal Oak was sunk by a U-boat in Scapa Flow and 833 men lost their lives.

Initially the Italians refused to work on the barriers and went on strike because the Geneva Convention forbade the use of prisoners of war in "war work". However they were eventually persuaded that the barriers were needed to link the islands together to improve communications for the islanders of Burray and South Ronaldsay. Today the Churchill Barriers are used to carry the A961 road from St Mary's on Orkney Mainland to South Ronaldsay

The Italians at Camp 60 on Lamb Holm persuaded the camp commandant Major T.P. Buckland to allow them to build a chapel on Lamb Holm. Domenico Chiocchetti, an artist and sculptor, recruited craftsmen such as plasterers, blacksmiths and electricians from amongst his fellow prisoners. Together they transformed 2 Nissen huts into a wonderful chapel using readily available materials and trompe l'oeil. The corrugated iron walls were covered with plasterboard, an altar was constructed and ornate ironwork was used to create the sanctuary screen. A concrete façade with a small belfry was built in front of the entrance. The inside was painted to resemble brickwork and Domenico Chiocchetti painted a Madonna and Child mural as the altarpiece.

The Italians left Orkney in 1944. In 1960 Chiocchetti returned to Lamb Holm for 3 weeks to help restore the chapel, which has been looked after by the local people ever since. The Italian Chapel as it is now known is one of the main tourist attractions on Orkney.

In the novel Emilio Sforza, who lives on Lake Como is sent to fight for the Italian army in North Africa. He is captured in June 1941 and he and his friend Bertoldo are sent to Orkney to work on the Churchill Barriers. They are later involved in the creation of the chapel on Lamb Holm.

Meanwhile Emilio's girlfriend Rosa remains at home on Lake Como, where she assists her mother in the running of a small hotel. After the surrender of Italy to the British in September 1943, Rosa joins the Italian resistance movement and assists in the fight against the Nazis. She has a brief affair with a childhood friend Pietro before he is killed by the Nazis This is actually the more interesting of the two parallel stories.

After the war Rosa and Emilio marry and many years later they are invited back to Orkney. However by this time Emilio is suffering from dementia

The book title is a bit overdramatic - Orkney is not the edge of the world, although it might have seemed like it to the Italian prisoners of war.

Islands covered: Lamb Holm, Orkney Mainland