Stephen Wynn - The Shetland Bus

For some unexplained reason, six German aircraft carried out an attack on Lerwick in November 1939; their target being the harbour. But despite the aircraft dropping a total of eight bombs, they caused very little in the way of damage. The raid was so quick and unexpected there had not even been enough time for the home defences to sound the air raid siren. Where their bombs failed, their machine guns made up for it by strafing a flying boat that was sitting in the harbour. Miraculously, all crew on board at the time survived, despite the aircraft bursting into flames.

The air raid could have resulted in a lot more damage, as there were numerous other vessels in the harbour and just outside of its walls, but they all escaped unscathed.

However, it was the German invasion of Norway rather than the Lerwick attack of November 1939 that resulted in the islands defences being improved by the British government.

When Germany invaded Norway in April 1940, it created a fear that she might also consider invading Britain via Shetland, rather than the more obvious route of the English Channel. Prior to this point, no such major attack had ever been considered, but after the fall of Norway the British government seriously had to reconsider its position. Shetlands distant position in the far-off reaches of Scotland, where for long periods of the year it was closeted by inclement weather, meant living there was not for the faint-hearted. It was largely because of this environment that there were very few defensive positions in place and even fewer military personnel to deal with any kind of German invasion, especially a full-blown one.

Once the decision had been made to fortify Shetland, it was not long before troopships carrying large numbers of men began arriving. As many as 20,000 British troops were stationed there at any one time, garrisoned at Lerwick, Scalloway, Sumburgh and Sullom Voe; their numbers greater than the inhabitants of Shetland.

Despite the potentially harsh weather conditions that were likely to be encountered by the British troops, they were initially expected to live in tents. Thankfully, the military hierarchy eventually saw sense and the tented accommodation was quickly replaced by Nissen huts.

Improvements to the islands defences included many of the buildings being protected against bomb blasts, by being surrounded with sandbags. Anti-aircraft guns and artillery pieces were installed in and around the harbour at Lerwick and elsewhere.

But it was not just soldiers who had been hastily moved to one of the furthest military outposts of Britain. Pilots and other air and ground crews of the RAF also found themselves suddenly stationed in the Shetlands, flying and looking after Spitfires and Hurricanes, after new runways had been built at Sumburgh and Scatsta, so that Shetland could be defended from any German air raids. There was also a massive base at Sullom Voe for flying boats. Estimations suggest at one time there were some 1,800 servicemen stationed there: 1,200 British and some 600 Norwegians.

Shetland had suddenly become an important military location as far as the British were concerned. So much so that it became what was known as a restricted military area; in essence nobody was allowed in or out without an official pass.