Council / Shetlanders lost in Second World War to be remembered in town hall projections
SHETLANDERS lost in the Second World War are to be projected onto the side of Lerwick Town Hall to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the war in 1945.
It comes ahead of Remembrance Sunday, which will be commemorated this weekend.
Over 300 men from Shetland who served in the Armed Forces or Merchant Navy, who died or were recorded missing during the Second World War, will be displayed on the outer walls of the town hall.
The WW2 Roll of Honour was compiled by the late Ian Jamieson in the late 1980s and published by the Shetland Council of Social Service in 1991.
All the pages from the roll of honour have been scanned into a slideshow of around 160 images by local historian and history teacher Jon Sandison.
These images will be projected onto the north wall of Lerwick Town Hall this Friday and Saturday evenings, from 6pm-10pm, and will be visible from the Hillhead and Aitken Place.
This year marks the 80th Anniversary the end of the Second World War in 1945, following the German surrender on 7 May and the Japanese surrender on 15 August.
The majority of those Shetlanders who volunteered chose to serve at sea, in either the Merchant Navy or Royal Navy, and this is reflected in the number of sailors lost, who are included in the roll of honour.
Others served in British Army regiments and the Royal Air Force, and their names also appear. Wreaths will be laid at the County War Memorial on Remembrance Sunday, 9 November at 11am.
Members of the public are invited to attend, with assembly at the Upper Hillhead in Lerwick from 10.40am.
Lerwick Town Hall will also be lit red on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday evenings as part of this year’s Scottish Poppy Appeal.
Historian Jon Sandison said: “I hope that these projections at the Town Hall help local folk to remember their relatives and others in our community who never returned from the Second World War.
“It was a special generation and each individual story is of such interest. During Armistice week, we can all pause and reflect on the impact of war upon communities, not least our own.”
Andrea Manson, convener of Shetland Islands Council, added: “These projections on the Town Hall will be a poignant reminder of those in our community who never came home after the end of hostilities, 80 years ago this year.
“As every year, we remember the sacrifice of those who gave their lives in conflict so that we may enjoy our freedoms today.”
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