Heroic WWII 'Shetland Bus' to be marked by Norway to Scotland flotilla
The boats also smuggled explosives, weapons and radios from Shetland for the resistance movement and also brought back refugees and soldiers fleeing Nazi-occupied Norway.
The perilous route, which risked the constant threat of being discovered by German submarines and planes, was dubbed the Shetland Bus by the fearless sailors who navigated it.
READ MORE: Judge appointed to Emma Caldwell inquiry as family hope for closure
Commemorating the sailors' bravery, several of the small boats originally used during WWII will take part in the Liberation Convoy, which will cross from Bergen in Norway to Lerwick in the Shetland Islands for VE Day ceremonies on May 8.
Captain Jack Cowie (below) of the Gordon Highlanders, was the liaison officer for Norwegian fishing boats in transit to and from Shetland through Aberdeen.
(Image: The Liberation Convoy 2025)
His daughter Isabell Jack said he was proud of what he did but never wanted to make a 'fuss' after the war so just returned back to work.
She said: 'Obviously it was a secret operation so not much was said to us as children. But Dad was well liked and had a nice manner about him, with a warm sense of humour, and integrity and I think this helped him in this role.
'Dad was proud of what he did, but he wasn't a man to make a fuss and after the war ended, he returned to his job working for the bank, until he retired.'
The lord lieutenant of Shetland, Lindsay Tullock, said the convoy is 'fitting recognition' of the alliance between Norway and the UK, and of Shetland's special role.
'As we commemorate and give thanks to those who were lost, we remember also the resilience of the men and women involved in the liberation of Norway and Europe,' he said.
'The arrival of the Liberation Convoy in Shetland will be an opportunity to acknowledge the long-standing alliance between the people of Shetland, the rest of the United Kingdom and Norway.
'People of Shetland have vivid memories and recollections of the covert Shetland Bus operations during the Second World War. The enduring relationship between Shetland and Norway has strengthened over the years and will continue to do so as we join together in Remembrance on the 80th Anniversary of the end of the War in Europe.'
MK Andholmen (below), which was one of the vessels used for missions to Shetland, as well as Orkney and mainland Scotland.
(Image: The Liberation Convoy 2025)
'Ordinary Norwegians were trained as special forces soldiers in both England and Scotland,' said Per Ola Holm, the current skipper of MK Andholmen.
'Many went on to crew the Shetland Bus vessels as they dodged German submarines and war planes during their dangerous missions, or they returned home on sabotage missions and to fight the occupying Nazi regime.'
He added: 'Everyone who crewed those small boats and ships taking the route knew they were risking their lives, but the fragile link it provided between the Shetland Islands, the Orkneys and occupied Norway was just too important.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
9 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
'Horrifying' neo-Nazi presence near Glasgow condemned
A banner emblazoned with Patriotic Alternative (PA) and the slogan 'Scotland for the Scots' has been spotted in the town as have others in recent weeks which are also believed to be connected to the group. PA was founded by a former leading member of the British National Party (BNP) and has links to an extreme, violence-obsessed Nazi group National Action, which was banned under anti-terror legislation. Mr McDougall said: 'It is important that decent folk in Barrhead know who Patriotic Alternative are. 'They are a neo-Nazi organisation whose leader praises Hitler, and whose members have links to the banned Nazi terror group National Action.' Despite being the UK's most active fascist organisation, according to anti-fascist organisation Hope not Hate, PA remains fringe with an active membership numbering in the low hundreds. The group was present at a protest outside a Falkirk hotel housing asylum seekers at the weekend. In June, West Dunbartonshire Council passed a motion condemning the "racist" banners, flyers and posters displayed at the Clydebank Bandstand by the group. Patriotic Alternative are not standing a candidate in the council by-election taking place in the Barrhead, Liboside and Uplawmoor ward on Thursday (August 21). One of the aforementioned banners, however, urged people to 'vote for Reform', who are. Mr McDougall added that he hopes Reform 'disavows support of these extremists'. 'A group like this campaigning in the local by-election is horrifying," he said. 'People in Barrhead are better than this, and proud of our local history fighting against Hitler. 'I'm in touch with anti-Nazi campaigners Hope Not Hate and the police. "These hooligans won't turn local people against each other.' A spokesperson for Reform said: "Reform UK and Andy MacGibbon has run a positive campaign in Barrhead, focused on the people's priorities. "We can't control who supports us as our opponents know, yet they have nothing positive to offer people so resort to this sort of mudslinging. "The public deserve better." Georgie Laming, the director of campaigns at Hope not Hate who have slammed the group for co-opting local issues, described the group's presence in Barrhead as worrying. 'PA has accommodated and even promoted former activists from the proscribed group National Action and multiple key activists have been jailed under race hate or terror-related charges,' he added. 'They are undeniably hateful and extreme.' A mother-of-two, who spotted banners yesterday in Main Street before later noticing that these had been taken down, also shared her concerns. The 47-year-old, who asked not to be named, said: 'I am a parent of young people at Barrhead High School. "Our family has engaged within the Barrhead community since the children started school in primary one. 'At that time, they were often the only minority ethnic children in their year group but always felt included as part of a tight-knit community in Barrhead overall. 'I was disturbed therefore to see signs saying 'Scotland is for Scots only' going up on the Main Street as we know well what this means. 'It's a racist dog whistle that is used to create division amongst our united communities and suggests those that are not white are not welcome as Scots. 'This is a deeply negative and harmful message that we do not need in Barrhead. "It is makes me worry about the safety of my children and the growing multicultural demographic within the community. 'After the terrible scenes in Falkirk and Aberdeen last weekend, minority ethnic communities are becoming fearful for their safety and future in our own communities. 'I really hope the Barrhead community will overwhelmingly reject this kind of rhetoric at the local election this week. We don't need it here.' A Police Scotland spokesperson confirmed that officers attended an incident on Main Street this week in relation to a small group of people with a banner on display. It is understood that Police Scotland's job is to facilitate peaceful protest and freedom of speech if the behaviour does not breach any European Convention on Human Rights pillars or stray into criminality. On this occasion, officers found that it did not. 'The banner was viewed, and it was established that no criminality had occurred,' explained the spokesperson. 'Officers remained in the area until all participants had dispersed, and no banners remained at this location.'
STV News
10 hours ago
- STV News
Police investigating banner at anti-asylum hotel protest
Police are investigating a banner at a demonstration outside a hotel used to house asylum seekers in Falkirk on Saturday. Two demonstrators outside the Cladhan Hotel were seen carrying a banner that read: 'Kill 'em all, Let god sort 'em out.' Two men were arrested after around 1,000 people attended a demonstration outside the Cladhan Hotel. Organisers from the Save Our Future & Our Kids Futures group said they were 'concerned citizens' who were 'standing against uncontrolled illegal immigration'. Photos and video from the protest showed one man doing a Nazi salute and another wearing a t-shirt bearing the logo of Britain First – the far-right fascist political party. Other demonstrators were caught on video making lewd and sexually aggressive comments and gestures toward counter-protesters on the other side of the road. The Stand Up To Racism campaign group called the demonstration 'a danger to us all' and said it should be a 'wake-up call for Scotland'. Stand Up to Racism said approximately 250 counter-protesters stood on the other side of the road, separated by police. Responding to the photos of the demonstrators shared by Stand Up to Racism Scotland, Save Our Future organiser Connor Graham said the group would like to make it 'absolutely clear' that it does not condone any form of 'racist, extremist, or aggressive behaviour'. 'The images and behaviour highlighted, including Nazi salutes, inappropriate banners, and lewd gestures, are appalling and are not representative of who we are or what we stand for,' Mr Graham said. 'Unfortunately, as these are public gatherings, individuals can turn up uninvited, and we cannot always control who attends. The small minority who behaved inappropriately were not part of our organising team, and their actions go completely against the principles of Save Our Future.' 'Moving forward, we will continue to make it clear that Save Our Future stands only for peaceful, lawful demonstrations. Anyone attempting to hijack our events with extremist or hateful behaviour will not be welcome.' Police Scotland said officers arrested two people during the demonstrations on Saturday. 'We received a report of indecent exposure in the Kemper Avenue area of Falkirk around 3.10pm on Saturday, August 16, 2025,' a spokesperson said. 'A 23-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection and is due to appear at Falkirk Sheriff Court on Monday, August 18, 2025.' A 26-year-old man was also arrested and charged with obstructing police. He was issued a recorded police warning. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Spectator
12 hours ago
- Spectator
The joy of Giorgia Meloni
There are not, as far as I know, any Italian top-flight poker players. Italians are hardly renowned for their ability to suppress their facial expressions or conceal what they're really thinking, they are unusually well-represented in this regard by their Premier, Giorgia Meloni. Upon becoming Italy's prime minister in 2022, Ms Meloni was written off by the bien-pensant Anglophone press as a far-right extremist, destined for her rag tag coalition to crash like so many Italian governments before. Contra this narrative, she took her seat beside president Trump at the leaders' round table in Washington DC yesterday. He even complimented her longevity in a famously unstable political climate: 'You've been there for a long period of time relative to others. They don't last very long; you've lasted a long time. You're going to be there a long time.' Such prominence for an Italian leader would have been unthinkable a little while ago. Italy's schizophrenic political culture and its resolute failure to commit to Nato defence spending goals had made it easy for tho France-German alliance to usher the Italians into a side room alongside the Spanish, Greeks and other 'full partners' in the European enterprise. Not so now. Meloni is not only making positive moves on defence, standing firm on the issue of Ukraine (earning her the ire of the actual Italian far right) but is also overseeing one of Europe's only successful economies. She is seen by many as a Trump whisperer, able to wrap the notoriously erratic and bizarre American president around her finger. Ms Meloni's facial expressions at the Washington summit were a delight. Whether it was the eye roll during the pompous, drawn-out remarks of the German chancellor or her perma-scowl and crossed arms in the Oval Office, she has a remarkable ability to steal the show – and make her feelings abundantly clear – even in a room that contains more than its fair share of divas. Her visible hatred of Emmanuel Macron is often conveyed through withering stares; she looks at the French president as if he's something that she has just stepped in on the notoriously unclean pavements of Rome. One person, by contrast, who can't even make his words convey meaning, is our own dear leader. Sir Keir's turn came on the round table and he duly filled his designated two minutes with waffle. The observation that 'this conflict has gone on for three and a bit years' was one of his more profound contributions. During his speech, Ms Meloni flicked her hair, pursed her lips and explained considerably more than Sir Keir ever could.
