By William Hakvaag/LofotenWar Memorial Museum.
The fishing fleet, large and small, was worn out. A skiff from Henningsvær desperately needed a new mizzen, but it was impossible to get hold of material to make it from. As you know, a mizzen is the sail at the back of a sailing boat or small skate.
In the absence of anything better, the fisherman made a new mizzen from empty German Wehrmacht flour sacks. These were made from a thick and strong cotton fabric. This should do the trick, the fisherman thought, and set to work making the sail.
It’s true that the bags were stamped with different stamps and writings, but as times were hard, it had to be that way with the piety…
The mizzen was installed in the boat and used for a while, but eventually other fishermen reacted to the boat fishing carelessly around Hølla with German eagles and swastikas on the aft mast.
It all ended with so much commotion that the mizzen was taken down and carried up to the attic on the jetty in the hope that the resistance would subside when they got further away from the war.
It remained there until it was found a few years ago and donated to the Lofoten War Memorial Museum.
It’s safe to assume that this must have been quite a sight out at sea!
