Leif Larsen

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Leif Andreas Larsen

9 January 1906 - 12 October 1990

Nickname

Shetlands-Larsen

Place of birth

Norway

Allegiance

Norway

Rank

Kapteinløytnant
(Lieutenant Commander)

Unit

Shetland Bus

Commands held

MV Arthur
MV Bergholm
SC Vigra
Other small vessels

Awards

Incomplete list.

	War Cross with two Swords
	St. Olav Medal with oak branch
	Norwegian War Medal with tree stars
	Participation (in WWII) Medal
	King Haakon VII's 70th anniversary Medal
	Conspicuous Gallantry Medal
	Distinguished Service Medal and Bar
	Distinguished Service Cross
	Distinguished Service Order
	Participation in the Winter War Medal

Leif Andreas Larsen DSO, DSC, CGM, DSM and Bar (9 January 1906 - 12 October 1990), popularly known as Shetlands-Larsen, was probably the most famous of the men who operated the Shetland bus escape route during World War II. 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.

1 Shetland bus
2 Post-war
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Shetland bus

He dramatically escaped Norway in February 1941 in the fishing boat MOTIG 1, a voyage he recounted in an autobiographic book. He trained with the Linge Company, and was elected the first skipper operating the Shetland route.

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 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."

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.

[edit] Post-war

In 1954 he played himself in the movie Shetlandsgjengen^[1] (aka. Suicide Mission in the USA).

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.