News:
A Diary Of The Convoy
By Wiktor Mølleskog
Wiktor is one of the organisers of The Liberation Convoy and he kept a diary while the event was taking place
About two years ago I started working with the idea of getting some restored Norwegian boats from WWII to sail from Norway to various UK ports to celebrate the maritime effort and the close cooperation between Norway and Britain.
In May this year this became a reality. On 2nd May the following boats were assembled in Bergen Harbour; S/S Hestmanden, M/K Erkna, M/K Andholmen, M/K Heland and M/K Arnefjord.
I had the honour of laying the wreath on the statue of King Haakon 7 and declare the start of the Liberation Convoy 2025.
Wiktor standing at the statue of King Haakon 7 after officially declaring the Liberation Convoy 2025 open
Wiktor with the Sub Lieutenant of Northumberland County
On Sunday 4th May we left Bergen and after a thirty five hour bumpy voyage we arrived at Lerwick in the Shetland Islands. We were met by the Lerwick lifeboat and a fire-tug sprayed water.
Our visit to Shetland was fantastic, every shop was decorated with Shetland and Norwegian flags.
We visited all the important Norwegian sites from WWII. Lerwick was home to the Norwegian Navy and a group of MTB's. Lunna was the first base of the Shetland-gang and Scalloway became the permanent base of the Shetland-gang and the Shetland Bus. On the evening of 7th May the crew members of the Liberation Convoy paraded in procession from the Harbout to Lerwick Town Hall for a Civic Reception.
The spectacular Norwegian Independence Day Parade at Kirkwall in the Orkneys
Wiktor with Kanen Flanighan, daugther of WWII veteran Karluf Thorsen and her husband, John Flanighan
The Norwegian Royal Navy Band held a memorial Concert at St. Columba's Church Lerwick.
Crew members from the Liberation Convoy parade from Lerwick Harbour to Town Hall for a Civic Reception
Laying wreaths on War Graves in Lerwick
The memororial service at the Shetland Bus Memorial in Scalloway
The Shetland Bus Memorial in Scalloway depicting the M/K Andholmen
The civic reception at Lerwick Town Hall
The 9th and 10th May were days of open ship and different schools visited the Liberation Convoy ships.
On the 11th May, S/S Hestmanden and M/K Andholmen departed Lerwick for the Orkneys, with the rest of the boats going back home to Norway. More than 5000 people visited the Convoy during the stay at Lerwick.
The S/S Hestmanden headed towards the Orkneys, arriving at Stromsness in on 12th May where it stayed until 15th May. During the stay there was open ship every day and wreaths were laid on the war graves.
S/S Hestmanden arrived Kirkwall in the Orkneys on the 16th May It stayed here together with M/K Andholmen until 18th May.
The 17th May was Norwegian Independence Day and was celebrated in the traditional way, with parades through the Town. Norwegian Independence Day is celebrated in the Orkneys every year.
S/S Hestmanden arrived in Aberdeen on the 19th May and stayed there until 24th May with open ship and different exhibitions every day. There was also wreath laying on war graves in Aberdeen. The M/K Andholmen returned to Norway.
The 24th May saw S/S Hestmanden leave Aberdeen and arrive in Edinburgh the following day. During the stay in Edinburgh S/S Hestmanden was berthed next to the old Royal Yacht Britannia. The S/S Hestmanden stayed in Edinburgh until 30th May. There was open ship every day and a wreath was laid on the War Graves there.
Having departed our Scottish hosts, S/S Hestmanden arrived in Newcastle on 31st May. The vessel was met at the mouth of the river Tyne by a flotilla of small vessels lead by the Old Tynemouth Lifeboat and a fire-tug with water-jets spraying. A royal welcome!
The S/S Hestmanden
S/S Hestmanden was berthed at Spillers Wharf right in the middle of town. The stay started with open ship from day one and many people came to see the museum ship while it was docked. Sunday 1st June started with a Church Service at the Chapel in Trinity House, Newcastle. The Service was lead by the rector of the Norwegian Seamans Church London and a Dean from Newcastle Cathedral. The service was held in both Norwegian and English and the service was followed by coffee and biscuits. In the afternoon the ship was visited by Sea Cadets.
The Church Service at the Chapel in Trinity House, Newcastle
Monday 2nd June started with an open ship seeing yet more visits by both school classes and sea cadets. We are so pleased that so many came to visit the ship. Monday evening, the S/S Hestmanden and the Liberation Convoy 2025 held a reception for the dignitories of Newcastle and the surrounding area. I had the Honour of handing the Haakon 7 Freedom Medal to Chris Flanighan and his family in memory of his grandfather War-Sailor Karluf Thorsen.
There was the laying wreaths on the war graves on Tuesday 3rd June, together with representatives of the British War Graves Commission, British Legion, Captain of Trinity House, Sub Lieutenant of Northumberland, the Flanighan family, local school children, the Captain of S/S Hestmanden and myself. The rest of the day was open ship again.
On Wednesday 4th June we were honoured to have a very special visit from a 100 year old veteran war-sailor, Roy Elwood, who served on the Royal Navy Arctic Convoys out of Murmansk. Despite his age he was determined to get onboard and did so very well. Both BBC and ITV News held interviews with the war-sailor, the Captain of S/S Hestmanden and myself. The rest of the day was open ship.
The hundred year old Royal Navy Veteran, Roy Elwood
Thursday 5th June saw the departure from Newcastle and return to Norway for S/S Hestmanden.
Around 25,000 people visited S/S Hestmanden and the other Boats during their stay in British waters. The Liberation Convoy has been well worth doing and I am very proud of having been a part of it.
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