D/S Hestmanden

Currently in Leith Docks D/S Hestmanden was built in Bergen in 1911 and has a long history of working during peacetime and especially in both world wars and is the only surviving ship of 1000 from the national fleet that sailed during WW II. She is moored directly in front of Britannia, as seen from the stern.

We were particularly interested as it was one of the ships used in the Shetland Bus, a clandestine Special Operations Group, which ran between Shetland and German-occupied Norway, carrying arms, supplies and personnel. We had visited Lunna, from where the  Group was organised and ships were based before moving to larger facilities in Scalloway.

The crew were very friendly and happy to answer questions as we poked about the ship, reading the information boards. Mr Flum was impressed by the engine room, I in watching a kit being used to test a sample of water for salinity.

We escaped before the next rain shower, back to the car parked in Ocean Terminal.