The Shetland Bus

The name given to the perilous journeys taken during World War Two between occupied Norway and the Shetland Isles (Northernmost part of Scotland)

As I have not been able to do much on the website or Blog for the past months with the commemoration of the end of the war in Europe very close (Despite what some may say) VE day celebrates and remembers the ones who gave their own lives so that we could continue with ours in a relatively peaceful time for most.

I had the good fortune a couple of years ago to visit a small maritime museum in Alsund, Norway and was kindly taken around one of the small fishing boats to be told that this vessel had been one that was used to ferry people and supplies across the wild North sea in the winter during the dark 6 years of war in Europe.

The fishing vessel Heland berthed at Alsund in Norway while repairs and conservation was being carried out by Eldar, the local shipwright tasked with looking after her, it was he  who took me around the boat and told me some of her amazing history as one of the vessels used on what became known as the Shetland Bus run.

Some very brave people who made this journey fighting not just the weather but the brutality of a Nazi occupation force that meant you did not wish to be captured.

Not much room below to hide for how many days it took to make the trip from Norway to the Shetland Isles.

Space was at a premium on the small boat, with no where to really hide if stopped, just another reason to set off during the long dark days of winter, when the seas and weather was also at its worst.

You may have got some heat from the stove with your head against the wooden bulkhead.

Her small engine was all that they could rely on in a storm-tossed sea.

As for cooking and heating facilities well as you can see, they were also very basic in the extreme.

The stove for cooking and heat.

When it came to clean the dishes or have a wash the small sink served the purpose. Makes you think the next time you may complain about the hotel or cruise facilities!

Cold water washing

A journey that so many brave one took as they continued the fight against the oppressors who had invaded their country, also a means for many spies to be inserted into a country that was being used to produce what was known as “Heavy Water” a fundamental ingredient for atomic bomb making at the time. Many made the journey many times.

Fishing Vessel Heland

Nice and peaceful in this picture as she is being worked on, to keep her in good condition and also seaworthy.

Storage and bunk space was very limited forward and perhaps you could hide in one of the small storage spaces or below in the forward bilges by lifting the decking.

Forward bunk spaces on Heland

The Shetland Bus, was a fleet of fishing vessels and motorboats, tasked with ferrying agents, supplies, and escapees across the treacherous North Sea, braving the elements and the ever-present threat of German patrols.

The men who manned these vessels were a hardy and courageous lot, hailing from both Norway and the Shetland Islands. They navigated the choppy waters with a skill born of a lifetime spent at sea. Each crossing was a perilous journey, fraught with the risk of detection, capture, or even death. Yet, they pressed on, driven by a sense of duty and a burning desire to strike a blow against the oppressive Nazi regime.

The Shetland Bus operations were not without their challenges. The cold, unforgiving waters of the North Sea posed a constant threat, and the German forces were ever-vigilant, ready to pounce on any sign of activity. But the resilience and ingenuity of the Shetland Bus crew’s knew no bounds. They developed innovative tactics to evade detection, using the cover of darkness and the unpredictable weather to their advantage.

Heland berthed at Alsund, Norway 2023

Salute and respect to all who may have sailed on Heland and to all who work to keep her in good condition so others may see just what it took to help keep freedom alive in the dark days of World War Two, as we near the 80th year to commemorate and remember the end of that terrible 6 years of conflict in Europe, it would seem that some just don’t learn the lessons from history, as yet another war is raging in the east of Europe.