As the secret of the “Shetland Bus” helped Norway during World War II

It seems that it may be a plot of a spy novel, but the “Shetland Bus” was a real secret operation that assisted resistance in Nazi Norway during World War II.

In the depths of winter and under the cover of the dark, the convoy boats left the safety of the northernmost scotland to deliver valuable goods and special agents to the bay and fishing ports for 200 miles along the coast of Norway.

On dangerous trips, refugees escaping from the occupation, were hidden in a fishing boat plant when they were looking for a sanctuary on the British Isles.

To celebrate the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE), six historical ships that were part of the Tandland bus escorts will again sail from Bergen to Norway to repeat the journey back to Shetland.

They plan to come to Lervik on Tuesday during the honored day.

Norway invaded Nazi Germany on April 8, 1940, a few months before France’s full occupation.

The Norwegian government and its royal family, including King Haocon VII, were forced to exile in London, and thousands of Norwegian peoples went to fish and other small ships, crossing the North Sea to seek asylum in the UK.

In July 1940, the Prime Minister of British Winston Churchill created an underground organization called Executive Director for Special Operations (SOE) for the sole purpose of performing espionage and sabotage missions throughout German Europe.

Shetland buses were part of the Norwegian state -owned enterprises, supporting the resistance movement in Norway.

Between 1940 and 1945, they made 200 North Sea transitions, carrying hundreds of resistance agents, tones of weapons and materials, and saved more than 300 Norwegian refugees escaping from the occupation.

In the winter, 200 miles passed to use the dark hours and avoided German patrols.

But it meant that the sea was often insidious.

Crews and passengers on board had to survive not only the difficult conditions of the North Sea, but also the constant risk of opening German aircraft or patrol boats.

On September 27, 1941, MK Arneford left a small Island Hernar northwest of Bergen, carries 20 refugees.

Although the weather began calm, they soon collided with a bush brown. Everyone on board were sea, and some discussed the turns.

In the end, Arnefjord spent him safely and delivered crews and passengers to Musa Island in Shetland.

But others were unlucky. Of the six boats crossed by the North Sea with Arneadd this weekend, only four did so.

A total of 10 fishing boats were lost during the bus escorts, and 44 men lost their lives.

The present skipper mk arnefjord, Morten Neta, will make a return back to Shetland as part of honored commemorative days.

He told the BBC Scotland News that the boats had to make the crossing in the winter or late fall to avoid detecting the Germans.

“If they went on a clear summer day, they could be noticed immediately,” he said.

“The Shetland bus was really important for the Norway’s common population because it showed that someone was” standing for them “in resistance against the occupation.”

Bill Moore from the Friendship Society in Shetland, said that although it was difficult to say what influence on the war was an important part of the resistance movement, which gave optimism and hope to people in Norway.

People said they were “taking a bus Shetland” as an occupation code.

Residents of Shetland have welcomed soldiers and refugees from Norway throughout the war, forming a close relationship between two places that are still ongoing.

A The release of the convoy Bergen will leave Bergen in Norway on Sunday at 19:00 and is scheduled to arrive in Lervik on Tuesday, May 6, where they will take part in a number of honored honors.