The story of that trip, in one of the worst storms for 70 years, is told by david howarth in his book the shetland bus. Shetland bus academic dictionaries and encyclopedias. Lunna house is noted for having the best historic designed landscape in shetland. See more ideas about scottish authors, books and scotland. The shetland bus is the amazing truelife account of storms, attacks, danger, and the heroic efforts of brave men. David howarth thinks this mission for which he served as second in command was a i knew absolutely nothing of this operation before reading david howarths book. Very few people lived in that area, which helped keeping the operation secret. Lunna lunna house was the original hq of the shetland.
The first problem was to establish a suitable base for the shetland bus and the remote lunna bay, on an isthmus jutting out into the sea, 27 miles north of lerwick, was chosen. Thanks mate well doneand you say lunna loona sorry couldnr resist it. Lunna provided an excellent sheltered harbour, secrecy and a base in the form of lunna house which sits proudly on the hill. The pier at lunna, the original base for the shetland bus courtesy. Its an unassuming exterior and yet inside is packed with character. The relatives in norway did not know what had happened to hop until 4 years after the war. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
After 1945 the area returned to the sounds of the crashing waves and the sea. The names of these men are shown on the four plaques arranged around the memorial. His burial is discussed by david howarth in his book the shetland bus. In the 1960s it was acquired by the lindsay family who commenced buildings restoration. For the norwegians who remained in norway, the shetland bus as this dangerous operation became knownfortified them both physically and spiritually. Lunna house shetland bed and breakfast accommodation. Lunna house was the original headquarters of the shetland bus.
The other no stranger to scalloway was the restored subchaser hitra, which was one of three such ships the others being the hessa and the vigra that took over the operation from 1943, a year that was pivotal in the service. So, in 1942, the base was transferred to scalloway. Firstly visiting vementry, where hamish gathered in his moorit flock and annettes ponies were a big attraction, we had soup, tea and sandwiches while looking at marion and joyces hand made knitwear and then up north to ollaberry to see a fantastic display of all kinds of knitwear, and we enjoyed lunch there before stopping off at. The author was second in command of the shetland base for the small boats, collectively known as the shetland bus, which maintained the wwii escape and supply route from occupied norway. Lunna kirk was rebuilt in 1753 and is shetland s oldest.
The shetland bus was the popular name for the clandestine naval operation in world war ii between the shetland islands scotland and nazioccupied norway it was operated initially by a large number of small fishing boat s and later by three u. In the 20th century it was used as a base of the wartime shetland bus operation. Lunna house was the first headquarter for the shetland bus operations during world war ii. Shetlanders the war was now uncomfortably close to home. Lunna kirk was rebuilt in 1753 and is shetlands oldest church in regular use. Hitra is still afloat as a museum ship at haakonsvern in. We then took a walk out along the stunning scottish shetland. A memorial was erected in the village in 2003 and serves to remind us of the courage and bravery of the many who risked, and gave, their lives for the liberation of norway. Jan 9, 2019 for the goodreads read scotland 2014 challenge.
It was originally based in lunna but later moved to scalloway. A base for the operations to norway was established at lunna in the east mainland. Lunna was an ideal base for the secret organisation being off the main road and away from the main shipping areas with a good depth of water beside the stone pier. The shetland bus a wwii epic of escape, survival, and adventure book. A lot of interesting detail of the workings of the organization, their problems, deaths, and later solutions. They started with using fishing boats, and later admiral nimitz heard of their. Although organised by the british, missions were carried out by the norwegians. It is the old shrewsbury problem even the locals cannot aggree. Colonel wilson appointed major leslie mitchell to oversee operations in shetland and major mitchell in turn appointed david howarth as his secondincommand.
Many who fled norway had arrived in shetland by fishing boat. Col john wilson from edinburgh was largely responsible for getting the shetland bus started. Lunna kirk shetland islands scotland drone video youtube. If you know anything about the shetland bus, the second world war special services operation between shetland and norway, then youll want to stay here. Released in 1951 and 1957, respectively, these titles offer littleknown chapters in the history of world war ii. David armine howarth 1912 1991 was a british historian and author. The shetland bus, a small fishing vessel, crossed the rough seas several times to bring people to the island that was free. British naval officer, historian and author david howarth the shetland bus had his. Jan, 2001 the first problem was to establish a suitable base for the shetland bus and the remote lunna bay, on an isthmus jutting out into the sea, 27 miles north of lerwick, was chosen. The author was an officer who helped organize and operate the shetland bus, which was the british supply organization for the norwegian underground. The scalloway museum has an outstanding section dedicated to the story of the shetland bus and is well worth a visit.
In the shetland bus, david howarth, who was second in command of the shetland base, recounts the hundreds of trips made by fishing boats in the dark of arctic winter. A wwii epic of escape, survival, and adventure 97815992217. There were plenty of stone sheds to serve as stores and the large mansion house there made ideal headquarters. In the shetland bus, david howarth, who was second in command of the shetland base, recounts the hundreds of trips made by fishing boats in the dark of arctic winter to resist the nazi onslaught. How the shetland bus became a wartime lifeline the. Lunna house was the first headquarter for the shetland bus.
Repair facilities at lunna were poor and boats were frequently towed to lerwick for this purpose. This video provides an introduction to the shetland bus story, the. You may recognise the name lunna, as this was the station from which the shetland bus ran from in may 1940 before moving its headquarters to scalloway in 1942. About the author david howarth served as a british naval officer during world war ii, running the norwegianmannered spy ring whose name became the title of his first bestselling book. The norwegian vessels smuggled weapons, fuel, radio transmitters, agents as well as messages into norway. Lunna house was a base in the early days of the operation before it was moved to scalloway. After graduating from cambridge university, he was a radio war correspondent for bbc at the start of the second world war, joining the navy after the fall of france. But to take the shetland bus meant escape when capture became the only other option. No britishmade boat could successfully sneak into the harbors without raising an eyebrow. On top of the memorial is a model of one of the fishing boats used in the shetland bus operation. If a british sailor fluent in norwegian were to be questioned, he would certainly garner an accent.
Of the 30 or so british staff, david howarth, who later wrote a book, has become well known. How the shetland bus became a wartime lifeline the sunday. The shetland bus, as this operation was known, could offer escape when there was no other option. Lunna is famous for its role in the shetland bus operations between 194145, but following the war it was close to dereliction. View pictures taken at one hour intervals 640x480 view pictures taken at 5 min intervals 640x480 view most recent image 1280x960.
Welcome to lunna house lunna house shetland bed and. Lunna house lunna house was the original hq of the shetland bus from the invasion of norway in. Lunna house is a 17thcentury lairds house on lunna ness in the shetland islands. The other crew on this first tour were mindor berge, ivar brekke, andreas gjertsen, and bard grotle. The shetland bus the shetland bus was a world war ii resistance movement taking wireless operators, armaments and combatants into nazi occupied norway and returning with refugees and members of the resistance. Released in 1951 and 1957, respectively, these titles offer little.
Mar 23, 2018 members of the special forces club tour sites associated with the shetland bus a top secret wwii operation carried out between shetland and norway. You will see shetland ponies and various poultry including chickens, ducks, turkeys, guinea fowl and a peacock. The small country of norway, who tried to be neutral during wwii, ended up playing many important roles to expedite the end of the war. Hidden away down a dead end road in the north east of mainland, this church is perched near lunna house famous as the headquarters for the shetland bus in wwii. The shetland bus the shetland bus was a world war ii resistance movement taking wireless operators, armaments and combatants into nazi. He was buried at lunna church, as mentioned, but was moved to norway in may1948. It was off the main shipping line and sheltered, but it lacked ample repair facilities for the boats. In preparing this article, ive been very grateful for the photographs provided by davy cooper. I stayed in the larsen suite, named after the most famous shetland bus participant, leif larsen, a hero in norway. From mid1942 the official name of the group was norwegian naval independent unit nniu. Our monthly magazine tells the stories of the people and events in shetland. The author, david howarth helped to set up the shetland bus and was second in command at the naval base in shetland.
The original shetland bus boat, the aksel, skippered by august n. The story of the operation is vividly told in david howarths book, the shetland bus. The topography and weather of norway and surrounding countries play an integral part in helping as well as hindering the efforts of the norwegian. On the return trip they usually brought news, and, on many an occasion, refugees. The author was one of the british officers involved in the relatively small unit. Looking west across west lunna voe twards swinister hill. As the scale of the operation increased it needed a base more easily accessible from the rest of shetland and so moved to scalloway, while lunna ness hosted oneman submarines and other unconventional means of waging war. One of the most notorious involved the brattholm, which, on a voyage from scalloway, was met by. Wartime link marked by return of shetland bus vessel. Kare stayed with larsen for the remainder of 1941 until the end of spring 1942. We took a drive out to lunna kirk, the oldest working church in shetland. Hnoms vigra, hnoms hitrahnoms hitra and hnoms hessa. This book chronicles the work of a british and norwegian unit based on shetland island during wwii that ferried men and equipment to germanoccupied norway and brought back refugees.
By then, the shetland bus was suffering increasing losses. May 03, 2019 the shetland bus, a small fishing vessel, crossed the rough seas several times to bring people to the island that was free. The shetland bus book san francisco public library. After the war, he wrote several books about the war in general and of specific events in the war. For a short time in ww2 lunna house was base for the clandestine shetland bus operation which used fishing boats to smuggle spies, saboteurs, radios, ammunition and explosives into german occupied norway and brought back refugees.
Lunna house is well known in norwegian recent history, but is virtually unknown to uk visitors, except that it has featured on bbc childrens blue peter, in a story about lief larsen and the shetland bus. In the summer of 1941 a secret base was set up at lunna on the north east coast of the shetland mainland and during the winter that followed many successful. So in 1942, as the project grew, the shetland bus was moved to shetland s old capital, scalloway, where there was a bigger harbor. Its a place with a lot of history around the shetland bus. His first trip was with leif larsen on board the arthur.
When he died in 1991, he asked that his ashes were to be scattered over the waters of lunna voe, shetland which was the first base of the shetland bus. The shetland bus recounts the hundreds of crossings of small boats from the shetland islands to germanoccupied norway to supply arms to the resistors and to rescue refugees all under constant threat by german uboats and winter storms. The operational base, which had been at lunna on the east coast, was moved to scalloway. There is much more information on the shetland bus website. The story of the shetland bus is well told and based on fact. The ii shop offers services including award winning photography and printing. Aug 28, 2015 the shetland bus the shetland bus was a world war ii resistance movement taking wireless operators, armaments and combatants into nazi occupied norway and returning with refugees and members of the resistance. Shetland flock book trust hosted a full day trip out today. Sep 29, 2019 you may recognise the name lunna, as this was the station from which the shetland bus ran from in may 1940 before moving its headquarters to scalloway in 1942. This is his tribute to the bravery of the norwegian sailors who manned the boats for the dangerous crossing.
Buy the shetland bus new edition by howarth, david j. In 2006 the family and neighbours were hosts to bbc springwatch programme for two weeks during the filming and broadcasting. Sep 07, 2019 lunna kirk shetland islands scotland drone video lunna house 0. Following his request before death, his ashes were buried at sea in lunna voe, shetland, near lunna house, the first base of the shetland bus operation. The shetland bus was a world war ii resistance movement taking wireless operators, armaments and combatants into nazi occupied norway and returning with refugees and members of the resistance. The british base from which these forays were launched was a tiny place by the name of lunna in the shetland islands therefore the name shetland bus. Memorial to the shetland bus of world war 2 detail scalloway mainland. Why was lunna chosen as a base for the shetland bus operation. Shetland bus memorial this memorial was built with stones taken from the village or place where each of the 44 crewmen who died on the shetland bus missions came from. Many norwegian came ashore in shetland on a remote place on the northeast mainland, called lunna. Aug 29, 2019 lunna house was the first headquarter for the shetland bus operations during world war ii. For anyone interested in the shetland bus story, a visit to the scalloway museum is a. The first base, at a village called lunna ness, was a good place to begin. The shetland bus was initially based in lunna and flemington now known as kergord but in 1942 the main operation was moved to the more central location of scalloway, with better communications, more social life for the bus men and crucially, a purposebuilt slipway for repair of the battered boats at moores shipyard.