We recently received a donation of a uniform belonging to Shetland Bus man Palmar Bjørnøy. His son brought it along with numerous other members of the family – see attached picture.
Bjørnøy left Norway aboard MK "Statthav" on 7 April 1941 and arrived at Tórshavn in the Faroe Islands on April 12th. He became an engineer on Shetland Bus boats and was in the first crew of the Arthur with Leif Larsen. Later Bjørnøy was chief engineer on the sub chaser Vigra, skippered by Leif Larsen. In fact he was described as Larsen’s right hand man.
Palmar Bjørnøy was awarded the War Cross of War with swords for "leader characteristics, great courage and determination" during operations on the Norwegian coast in the autumn of 1942. The award was the first time the War Cross with swords was awarded a private crew in the Norwegian defence.
Bjørnøy also received a number of other awards for his efforts during World War II. He was awarded St. The Olav Medal with Ekegren and the War Medal. Britain awarded him the Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal and King's Medal for Courage in the Cause of Freedom.
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📢 Scalloway Museum AGM – All Members Welcome! 📢

Scalloway Museum will hold its Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, 25th March 2025, at 7 PM at the museum.

We encourage all members to attend and have their say. Please take a moment to review the SBFS annual report and accounts for 2023/2024 below.

Your support is invaluable--we look forward to seeing you there!
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Scalloway Museum

Scalloway Museum recently welcomed a group of cadets from Norwegian sail training vessel Statsraad Lehmkuhl for a wreath laying ceremony at the Shetland Bus Memorial and a tour of the Prince Olav Slipway and museum.

During the service at the Memorial, trustee Stephen Leask paid tribute to the strong bonds between Shetland and Norway, saying that:

“The brave men remembered here fought for the freedom of their nation, and this gathering today celebrates the commitment made by our young Norwegian visitors who continue to cherish and honour that freedom.

"The strong bond between Shetland and Norway were forged in these times of hardship and danger and continue to this day, as these words from Captain Anderson of Oygarten, one of our regular visitors, verify.

"'It is a fact that the events of World War Two took place many years ago and some of those who remember this period are growing old and will pass away. In my opinion, it is our duty to maintain and develop the strong bonds and good relations these people established between Shetland and Norway. It is great to see that younger generations are now taking over and want to continue this relationship.’"

Scalloway was a crucial base for the Shetland Bus Operation and cadets had the opportunity to visit the Prince Olav Slipway which was recently restored by the museum with funding from both Shetland and Norway.

Scalloway Museum recently welcomed the Head of the Norwegian Department of Cultural Heritage & Ministry of Culture, Steinar Lien and the Head of War Norwegian War Graves Service, Haakon Vinje. Per Blystad from Stravanger who is the nephew of the Shetland Busman of the same name accompanied the tour. They visited the Scalloway Museum on the morning of Saturday 20th May and had a tour of the museum and Scalloway waterfront by Chairman Charlie Grant and trustee Jim Young. Here they are pictured at the Shetland Bus Memorial on Scalloway's waterfront.