It happened in Scalloway, Shetland. Norway and Shetland secretly
linked
text and photos by Barbara Lodge
During the German occupation of Norway from 1940-45, a route was
opened up between Norwegians and Britain’s most northerly islands of
Shetland. In the dark of winter, specially adapted boats, manned by
Norwegian refugees acting as fishermen, landed undercover agents on
the coast of Norway and supplied the Norwegian resistance movement
with weapons and supplies for sabotage. On the return journey they
brought back Norwegian refugees. Known as the Shetland Bus, these
journeys were not over land but on stormy seas through fog and
darkness.
A monument is on the quayside with the names of the brave men of
both nationalities who gave their lives
The book “The Shetland Bus – a classic story of secret war time
missions across the North Sea” is a personal record by David
Howarth, a junior naval officer at the time who helped set up and
operate the base on Shetland. It tells the stories of the Norwegians
who risked their lives and the Shetlanders who took them into their
community – and sometimes married them….
a small tribute to a brave boat
Scalloway on the west coast of the mainland of Shetland was the main
port from which the boats set off for Norway. A small sculpture on
the seafront commemorates this period of intense cooperation and
friendship between Norway and Britain. This friendship is palpable
today: the new Scalloway Museum was officially opened in 2012 by
Jens Stoltenberg, the then Norwegian Prime Minister and now NATO
Secretary General.
