Leif Larsen

Who was Leif Larsen?

Leif Andreas Larsen DSO, DSC, CGM, DSM and Bar, popularly known as "Shetlands" Larsen, 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.