A powerful tribute will light up Lerwick Town Hall this weekend, as Shetlanders lost during the Second World War are remembered through a moving projection of images marking the 80th anniversary of the war’s end.
The projection, created from the WW2 Roll of Honour, will be displayed on the north wall of Lerwick Town Hall this Friday and Saturday from 6pm to 10pm, and will be visible from the Hillhead and Aitken Place.
Drivers are being asked to take care in the area as people gather to watch and pay their respects.
The Roll of Honour, first compiled by the late Ian Jamieson in the 1980s and published by the Shetland Council of Social Service in 1991, records the names of more than 300 Shetlanders who served in the Armed Forces and Merchant Navy and who were killed or went missing in action.
It also includes civilians from Shetland, or with Shetland connections, who lost their lives as a result of enemy action during the war.
Local historian and teacher Jon Sandison has digitised the entire Roll of Honour, scanning around 160 pages into a striking slideshow that will form the basis of the Town Hall projection.
Mr Sandison said he hopes the display will offer the community a moment of reflection.
“I hope that these projections at the Town Hall help local folk to remember their relatives and others in our community who never returned from the Second World War,” he said.
“It was a special generation, and each individual story is of such interest.
“During Armistice week, we can all pause and reflect on the impact of war upon communities, not least our own.”
The tribute comes as communities across Shetland prepare to mark Remembrance Sunday, with wreaths to be laid at the County War Memorial at 11am on Sunday 9 November.
Members of the public are invited to attend, assembling at the Upper Hillhead in Lerwick from 10.40am.
Lerwick Town Hall will also be illuminated in red on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday evenings as part of the national Scottish Poppy Appeal.
Shetland played a vital role in the Second World War, with up to 20,000 servicemen stationed across the islands.
The region hosted multiple RAF bases, Home Guard units, and artillery defences, and served as a key staging ground for the famous “Shetland Bus” operation that supported the Norwegian resistance.
Andrea Manson, Convener of Shetland Islands Council, said the projections would serve as a poignant reminder of sacrifice and resilience.
“These projections on the Town Hall will be a poignant reminder of those in our community who never came home after the end of hostilities, 80 years ago this year,” she said.
“As every year, we remember the sacrifice of those who gave their lives in conflict so that we may enjoy our freedoms today.”
As the names of Shetland’s lost sons and daughters appear in light against the historic stone walls of Lerwick Town Hall, their memory continues to shine, a reminder of courage, loss, and the enduring gratitude of a community that has never forgotten.
