Thieves flee with WW2 Catalina propeller

POLICE in Shetland are hunting thieves who stole a World War Two propeller from the rear of a former fish hatchery in Weisdale.

The propeller comes from a Consolidated Catalina flying boat, many of which flew from the Sullom Voe RAF base between 1939 and 1945.

The hatchery was purchased by Shetland Arts last November to expand the Bonhoga Gallery opposite.

Shetland Arts venue manager Richard Wemyss said they first noticed the propeller had gone missing from behind the building last week, where it had been lying in long grass for several years.

Mr Wemyss said he saw tyre tracks and evidence of something heavy being dragged away from the site. “At first I wasn’t sure what it was, and it was only a couple of days later that it clicked and I went back and checked,” he said.

Shetland has recently been targeted by scrap metal thieves, but local aviation expert Derek Jackson said the three-bladed propeller would have been made of an alloy and would have no scrap value.

“There would have been a fair amount of Catalinas up at Sullom Voe during the war,” Mr Jackson said.

“The propeller might have some historical value if you could link it to a particular aircraft, but I can’t really understand why anyone would want to steal one. It won’t be worth much.”

However Mr Wemyss said he would like to get the propeller back. “It certainly wasn’t in mint condition, but it is still of interest to Shetland and it would be very good if it could be returned to us.”

Meanwhile police reported that a number of batteries used to run an air conditioning system at commercial premises on Lerwick’s Holmsgarth Road had been stolen overnight on Thursday last week.

In other incidents, on Saturday morning police arrested a 20 year old man in Cairnfield Road, Lerwick, for drugs possession and are reporting him to the procurator fiscal.

A 29 year old man is also being reported after being arrested on suspicion of assault on Lerwick’s Commercial Street in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Shortly afterwards a 36 year old man was arrested for being drunk and incapable nearby and issued with a fixed penalty.