History / Restored Shetland Bus slipway provides link to the past
AFTER plenty of fun in the sun at the Scalloway summer foy on Saturday there was a reflective look to the past today (Thursday) when the village’s links to the wartime Shetland Bus operation were brought back into the spotlight.
The restored Prince Olav slipway was formally opened before a ceremony was held at the Shetland Bus memorial to remember the 44 men who lost their lives in the undercover World War Two operation.
The restored slipway and replica boat cradle was the focal point, however, with commemorative ceremony taking place after being built by Malakoff last year.
The original cradle, built in 1942, allowed repairs to be made to Norwegian fishing boats used in the Shetland Bus operation.
It had been designed by sub lieutenant David Howarth and built by Norwegian shipwrights along with the engineers of Scalloway shipyard William Moore & Sons.
Apart from the rails, components were sourced from across Shetland – with the winch coming from Fair Isle, while the single-cylinder engine was taken from a Norwegian fishing boat wrecked in poor weather in 1941.
It was named after the Crown Prince Olav of Norway, who visited shortly before the slipway was operational.
When the Shetland Bus operation moved from fishing boats to more robust, armed ‘submarine chasers’, the hauling equipment on the slipway had to be strengthened.
After the war the Prince Olav slipway continued to service small boats but in more recent years it lay un-used.
The replica was designed thanks to the recollections and knowledge of former employees of the William Moore & Sons shipyard who worked with the original.
The £130,000 cost was funded from donations from both Shetland and Norway, and beyond.
It is accessible via the back of the Malakoff building at the waterfront, with display boards giving more information and history on the slipway and the Shetland Bus.
Scalloway Museum previously said there were four people without whom the slipway project would not have happened.
These are Børge Haugetun, the former Mayor of Øygarden whose idea it was to restore the cradle and slipway, George and Raymond Sinclair, the two retired engineers with detailed memories of the slipway, and Shetland Bus Friendship Society (SBFS) trustee Jim Young who led the project forward.
At Thursday’s event Young was present to give a talk about the history of the slipway and the restoration project.
He explained how the first boat on the slipway in the 1940s was from Øygarden – “particularly fitting” as the mayor of Øygarden Tom Georg Indrevik was in attendance at the ceremony.
Young said that over time the origins of the slipway almost slipped away – until the restoration plans were hatched and the knowledge of former shipyard workers was tapped into.
He said the restoration took “longer than we’d hoped”, with the Covid pandemic getting in the way, and he thanked all those who contributed funding.
“The restored slipway will remind future generations of a unique moment in the shared wartime history of Shetland and Norway,” Young said.
“It will also be a lasting memorial to the Norwegians who carried out the Shetland Bus missions, to the Scalloway engineers and the Norwegian shipwrights who built the slipway. And not least the people of Scalloway who supported the bus operations.”
Meanwhile chairman of the friendship society Charlie Grant described it as “special day” bringing together funders and guests “from both sides of the North Sea”.
Aasmund Anderson and Jenny Heggvik also spoke on behalf of Norwegian donors.
Anderson said it was “touching” to see the enthusiasm that goes into Shetland Bus projects in Scalloway.
“Together with the museum and the memorial, Price Olav Slipway will now, thanks to you, ensure that the history of the Shetland Bus operation will be remembered and can be told, clear and visual, to future generations,” he added.
Heggvik also spoke about global conflicts taking place at the moment.
“We must never give up working for common sense to prevail when conflicts between people are to be resolved,” she said.
Heggvik said a “substantial portion” of the funding for the project came from the municipalities of Øygarden and Bergen, as well as Norwegian armed forces, companies and individuals.
A plaque was then fittingly unveiled by SBFS trustee Bill Moore, whose father Jack owned William Moore & Sons, and Astrid Larsen – the daughter of the famed Shetland Bus skipper Leif Andreas Larsen.
Also in attendance at ceremony was crew from the former Norwegian fishing boat Haugefisk who are visiting Shetland.
The father of skipper Svein Sandvik was involved in the Shetland Bus operation.
Many members of the public also watched on from the road above, which was closed to traffic.
Following the plaque unveiling a wreath laying ceremony took place at the Shetland Bus memorial not too far away along Main Street, which included speeches from son of David Howarth, Stephen Howarth, and SBFS trustee Stephen Leask.
Those involved were invited to the Scalloway Museum for refreshments, while they will also enjoy dinner and music tonight before heading to Lunna – a former Shetland Bus base – on Friday.
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