Leif Larsen
Encyclopedia
Leif Andreas Larsen DSO
, DSC
, CGM
, DSM and Bar
(9 January 1906 – 12 October 1990), popularly known as ShetlandsLarsen, was a Norwegian
sailor and the most highly decorated allied
naval officer of World War II
. Arguably the most famous of the men who operated the Shetland bus
escape route during the war.
He participated as a volunteer on the Finnish
side during the Winter War
and was a soldier in the defence of Norway
following the German invasion
at Kongsvinger Fortress
. He had excellent leadership skills; one of the British officers at the Shetland base, David Howarth
, described him as "one of the most remarkable personalities of the entire Second World War". Larsen preferred to downplay his own role and instead named his crew as the reason for his achievements.
in February 1941 in the fishing boat MOTIG 1, a voyage he recounted in an autobiographic book. He then joined the "Norwegian Naval Independent Unit", an unwieldy cover title far better known as the Shetland Bus
. The unit for the Special Operations Executive
(SOE) and, despite its name, was initially independent of the regular Royal Norwegian Navy. He trained with the Linge Company.
He was the skipper of the fishing vessel Arthur during an attempt to sink the German battleship Tirpitz
in the Trondheimsfjord
in the fall of 1942 (Operation Title). Despite its failure, Larsen received a Conspicuous Gallantry Medal
, the first non-Briton to do so. The Admiralty
records the operation as "the achievement of penetrating to within 10 miles (16.1 km) of the berth occupied by the Tirpitz represents, on the part of the personnel and particularly that of the Norwegians, a fine example of cold-blooded courage."
Boat skippers were initially given the nominal rank of Petty Officer ('Quartermaster'), but Larsen was later, without a great deal of enthusiasm, given a formal commission as a Sub-Lieutenant (fenrik) in the Royal Norwegian Navy, hence the extremely unusual array of his British decorations.
Operations became increasingly dangerous as the war progressed and the German forces improved their air and sea defences. They began to understand the true role of fishing-boats operating far from the coast and the fishing boats were phased out in favour of three American 'sub-chasers', which were much larger, faster and better-armed, altogether better suited to the changed circumstances. The commanders of these three vessels were required to be commissioned officers and Larsen became the captain of the HNoMS Vigra. In all he made 52 trips to Norway.
With eleven distinctions he became the most highly decorated naval officer of the Second World War
— no other man, British or foreign, received the same British military honours. In addition to the unique array of British decorations, he was awarded Norway's highest decoration for military gallantry, the Krigskorset med Sverd or War Cross with sword
. He was awarded this decoration twice, in 1942 and 1943: the War Cross with two swords.
Frithjof Sælen, Norwegian author wrote in 1947 the book Shetlands-Larsen, None but the Brave in Great Britain, Mission Suicide in France.
In 1954 Leif Larsen played himself in the movie Shetlandsgjengen (aka Suicide Mission in the USA). The film was based on Frithjof Sælen's book and historian David Howarth's book The Shetland Bus.
In 2000 Bergen newspaper Bergens Tidende
named Larsen Vestlandet
's man of the century. There is a statue of him by the UNESCO
site of Bryggen
in Bergen
.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, DSC
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
, CGM
Conspicuous Gallantry Medal
The Conspicuous Gallantry Medal was, until 1993, a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Armed Forces and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for conspicuous gallantry in action against the enemy at sea...
, DSM and Bar
Distinguished Service Medal (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Royal Navy and members of the other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, up to and including the rank of Chief Petty Officer, for bravery and resourcefulness on active service...
(9 January 1906 – 12 October 1990), popularly known as ShetlandsLarsen, was a Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
sailor and the most highly decorated allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
naval officer of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Arguably the most famous of the men who operated the Shetland bus
Shetland bus
The Shetland Bus was the nickname of a clandestine special operations group that made a permanent link between Shetland, Scotland, and German-occupied Norway from 1941 until the German occupation ended on 8 May 1945. From mid-1942 the official name of the group was "Norwegian Naval Independent Unit"...
escape route during the war.
He participated as a volunteer on the Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
side during the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
and was a soldier in the defence of Norway
Norwegian Campaign
The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force...
following the German invasion
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
at Kongsvinger Fortress
Kongsvinger Fortress
Kongsvinger Fortress is located in the city and municipality of Kongsvinger in the county of Hedmark, Norway. It is situated on a hill west and north of the Glomma river, standing astride the ancient Vinger Royal Road, which connected Norway and Värmland, Sweden as well as on the north-south...
. He had excellent leadership skills; one of the British officers at the Shetland base, David Howarth
David Armine Howarth
David Howarth was a British historian and author. After graduating from the University of Cambridge, he was a radio war correspondent for the BBC at the start of World War II. Howarth joined the Navy after the fall of France...
, described him as "one of the most remarkable personalities of the entire Second World War". Larsen preferred to downplay his own role and instead named his crew as the reason for his achievements.
Shetland bus
He dramatically escaped NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in February 1941 in the fishing boat MOTIG 1, a voyage he recounted in an autobiographic book. He then joined the "Norwegian Naval Independent Unit", an unwieldy cover title far better known as the Shetland Bus
Shetland bus
The Shetland Bus was the nickname of a clandestine special operations group that made a permanent link between Shetland, Scotland, and German-occupied Norway from 1941 until the German occupation ended on 8 May 1945. From mid-1942 the official name of the group was "Norwegian Naval Independent Unit"...
. The unit for the Special Operations Executive
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
(SOE) and, despite its name, was initially independent of the regular Royal Norwegian Navy. He trained with the Linge Company.
He was the skipper of the fishing vessel Arthur during an attempt to sink the German battleship Tirpitz
German battleship Tirpitz
Tirpitz was the second of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the Imperial Navy, the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and launched two and a half years later in April...
in the Trondheimsfjord
Trondheimsfjord
The Trondheimsfjord , an inlet of the Norwegian Sea, is Norway's third longest fjord at long. It is located in the west central part of the country, and it stretches from Ørland in west to Steinkjer in north, passing the city of Trondheim on its way...
in the fall of 1942 (Operation Title). Despite its failure, Larsen received a Conspicuous Gallantry Medal
Conspicuous Gallantry Medal
The Conspicuous Gallantry Medal was, until 1993, a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Armed Forces and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for conspicuous gallantry in action against the enemy at sea...
, the first non-Briton to do so. The Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
records the operation as "the achievement of penetrating to within 10 miles (16.1 km) of the berth occupied by the Tirpitz represents, on the part of the personnel and particularly that of the Norwegians, a fine example of cold-blooded courage."
Boat skippers were initially given the nominal rank of Petty Officer ('Quartermaster'), but Larsen was later, without a great deal of enthusiasm, given a formal commission as a Sub-Lieutenant (fenrik) in the Royal Norwegian Navy, hence the extremely unusual array of his British decorations.
Operations became increasingly dangerous as the war progressed and the German forces improved their air and sea defences. They began to understand the true role of fishing-boats operating far from the coast and the fishing boats were phased out in favour of three American 'sub-chasers', which were much larger, faster and better-armed, altogether better suited to the changed circumstances. The commanders of these three vessels were required to be commissioned officers and Larsen became the captain of the HNoMS Vigra. In all he made 52 trips to Norway.
With eleven distinctions he became the most highly decorated naval officer of the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
— no other man, British or foreign, received the same British military honours. In addition to the unique array of British decorations, he was awarded Norway's highest decoration for military gallantry, the Krigskorset med Sverd or War Cross with sword
War Cross with sword
The War Cross with Sword is the highest ranking Norwegian gallantry decoration. It is awarded for extraordinary brave actions or extraordinary leadership during combat. A recipient deemed worthy of additional citations will receive up to an additional two swords on the medal ribbon in addition to...
. He was awarded this decoration twice, in 1942 and 1943: the War Cross with two swords.
Post-war
After the war Larsen had a major role in organising the naval branch of the Norwegian Home Guard.Frithjof Sælen, Norwegian author wrote in 1947 the book Shetlands-Larsen, None but the Brave in Great Britain, Mission Suicide in France.
In 1954 Leif Larsen played himself in the movie Shetlandsgjengen (aka Suicide Mission in the USA). The film was based on Frithjof Sælen's book and historian David Howarth's book The Shetland Bus.
In 2000 Bergen newspaper Bergens Tidende
Bergens Tidende
Bergens Tidende is Norway's fourth largest newspaper and largest newspaper outside Oslo, with a circulation of about 87,000 copies . Founded in 1868, it is a Norwegian-language newspaper published daily in Bergen. It reaches approximately 260,000 readers every day , mainly in the counties of...
named Larsen Vestlandet
Vestlandet
Western Norway is the region along the Atlantic coast of southern Norway. It consists of the counties Rogaland, Hordaland, Sogn og Fjordane, and Møre og Romsdal and the region has a population of approximately 1.3 million people. The largest city is Bergen, second largest is Stavanger...
's man of the century. There is a statue of him by the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
site of Bryggen
Bryggen
Bryggen , also known as Tyskebryggen is a series of Hanseatic commercial buildings lining the eastern side of the fjord coming into Bergen, Norway. Bryggen has since 1979 been on the UNESCO list for World Cultural Heritage sites. The name has the same origin as the Flemish city of Brugge.The city...
in Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
.