Sign in
☰
People MPsHouse of LordsGovernmentOppositionPartiesCommittees Votes Commons votesLords votesVotes by issueTopicsStats & rankingsParliament in numbers Legislation BillsEarly day motionsPetitions Elections Election resultsConstituenciesWho is my MP? Scotland OverviewMSPsScottish GovernmentVotesBillsMotionsCommitteesConstituencies & regionsElections Search Sign in

Motion · S6M-16656 · 3 Mar 2025

80th Anniversary of Operation Open Door

Lodged by Paul O'Kane Standard Motion 19 supporters

The motion

That the Parliament commemorates the 80th anniversary of Operation Open Door, when the Royal Navy and Norwegian service personnel rescued 502 civilian refugees from the Nazi-occupied Island of Soroya, Norway; notes the bravery of the people of Soroya in the face of Nazi brutality; celebrates the heroism of all those who took part in the rescue raid and the merchant seamen who helped take the civilians to sanctuary in Scotland; commends the 27 members of the crew and Naval Armed Guard of the Liberty ship, the SS Henry Bacon, who sacrificed their own lives to save those of refugees; understands that the SS Henry Bacon was the last Allied ship sunk by the Luftwaffe in the Second World War; congratulates the village of Neilston in East Renfrewshire for providing a warm welcome and a happy home to these refugees; commends the work of Matt Drennan and the Neilston War Memorial Association for developing and maintaining a memorial and information board at Kingston Park where the refugees were housed, including 27 trees planted to commemorate the lost sailors; understands that a commemorative bench is also placed at this site facing northwards, the twin of a bench that faces southwards in Hasvik Kommune, Soroya, and the product of a visit by the Mayor and representatives of the Kommune in 2020 to Neilston and the strong link established with the War Memorial Association, and resolves to live up to the lessons of heroism and humanity offered by the story of those involved in Operation Open Door.

Supporters (19)

Source: the Scottish Parliament motions and amendments record.