The Whtie Wife of Otterswick

	The White Wife stands above the site where the Bohus was driven ashore and sank.

In 1924 people living on the east coast of Yell looked out of their windows to see a three-masted sailing ship, her sails fluttering uselessly, failing to clear the headland to the south of Queyon Bay. Knowing their local waters, with its winds and currents, they knew the ship was doomed - and so it proved.

The captain abruptly abandoned his attempt to clear the headland and turned to starboard, hoping to either gain enough speed for a second attempt, or to find holding ground for his anchor, but the bottom of the bay is solid rock and the anchor dragged. The Bohus, a sail training ship from Germany, ran aground on the Ness of Queyon.

Fortunately only four lives were lost out of the 39 on board. Some days later the figurehead, which was based on the daughter of the ship's first owner, was washed ashore and locals erected it overlooking the site of the shipwreck as a memorial to the four who lost their lives.

What was, perhaps, remarkable, was that the locals who rushed to rescue the crew had, only six years previously, been trying to kill every German they encountered as they fought in the First World War 1914-18. Perhaps the Bible the White Wife carries was responsible for teaching them to "love your enemies".