02/05/2025
Plans are unveiled for events marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, including the visit by the ‘Liberation Convoy’ - a flotilla of five historic vessels crossing the North Sea from Norway 🇳🇴
Weather permitting, the convoy will set off from Bergen on Sunday 4th May and the convoy is expected to arrive into Lerwick Harbour on Tuesday 6th May.
From Wednesday 7th May, ships will be open to the public, including the largest ship in the convoy, the 60-metre cargo ship S/S Hestmanden known as the “Norwegian War Sailor Museum”.
S/S Hestmanden and other visiting vessels will be open to the public each day from 11.00am until 5.00pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
At 6.30pm on Wednesday evening, crews from the vessels, veterans and guests will form a procession led by Lerwick Pipe Band walking from Lerwick harbour to the Town Hall, via Harbour Street and Fort Charlotte. Council Convener Andrea Manson will then host an evening civic reception at the Town Hall for invited guests.
On Thursday 8th May, the 80th Anniversary of Victory in Europe (‘VE’) Day will be marked with public commemorative events in Lerwick and Scalloway. The Lord Lieutenant and Convener will lead the laying of wreaths, with national anthems played by Lerwick Brass Band and musicians from the Norwegian Naval Band.
A memorial service in Lerwick will take place on Thursday morning at the County War Memorial at 11.00am, with assembly from 10.40am.
In Scalloway, a memorial service will also take place in the afternoon at the Shetland Bus Memorial at 3.00pm, with assembly from 2.40pm. There will be some road closures for traffic for a short period around the time of these events.
In the evening of Thursday 8th May, musicians from the Norwegian Naval Band will perform at a concert in St Columba’s Kirk in Lerwick. The concert will begin at 7.30pm and will be free of charge, although donations are welcome and will be split equally between Veterans charities.
Visiting vessels are expected to start to depart Lerwick harbour from Saturday 11th May, with some returning to Norway, while others will make their way to other Shetland ports, including Scalloway and Baltasound. Those vessels that remain in harbour will be open to the public from 11.00am to 5.00pm.
Lindsay Tulloch QPM, Lord Lieutenant of Shetland, said: “Plans are now coming together for the visit of the Liberation Convoy. This will be the first time that some of these vessels have crossed the North Sea since the end of World War Two and the convoy will be an impressive sight in the harbour. I hope that the public will enjoy visiting the vessels, welcoming their crews and be able to attend some of the commemorative events to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe in 1945.”
Ragnhild Bie, Project Manager and Historian with S/S Hestmanden, the Norwegian War Sailors Museum, said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming people on board during our visit to Lerwick as part of the Liberation Convoy. We’re eager to share stories of the heroism of everyone involved in the Shetland Bus operations, that shipped resistance fighters to Norway and refugees back to Britain, and of Norwegian war sailors, who helped maintain supplies of food, fuel and weapons to the UK throughout the Second World War.
"Norway remains truly grateful to the people of Shetland and the rest of the UK, and we’re pleased to have this opportunity to celebrate our strong relationship.”
More details on the Liberation Convoy, including information on the historic vessels, can be found at www.liberationconvoy.com
Frigjøringskonvoien 2025 - The Liberation Convoy
Shetland Museum and Archives
Scalloway Museum
Lerwick Community Council
Scalloway Community Development Company
Poppyscotland
📸 One of the vessels in the Liberation Convoy will be the fishing vessel M/K Andholmen, featured on the Shetland Bus memorial in Scalloway. Credit: SIC
