The Royal Norwegian Navy Band made a special visit to Lunenburg this week, performing a public concert and taking part in commemorative events that honoured the deep historical ties between the town and Norway.
The band was in Nova Scotia for their debut performance at the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo in Halifax.
While here, they arranged a full-day trip to Lunenburg to recognize the town’s significance to Norwegian forces during the Second World War.
The Royal Norweigan Naval Band and local dignitaries visit Camp Norway which housed displaced Norwegian sailors during WWII. Photo: Town of Lunenburg.
“It was the 80th anniversary of the end of the war, and this place means a lot to them,” said Gale Fullerton, who helped coordinate the visit. “When the Nazis invaded Norway, many sailors and merchant mariners were displaced. They landed in Halifax and then were dispatched to Lunenburg, where Camp Norway was set up.”
Camp Norway operated in Lunenburg between 1940 and 1945. Norwegian sailors trained there, built their own barracks, and became a visible part of the community.
“They marched to church every Sunday morning as part of their training,” Fullerton said. “That’s why today’s concert at Zion Lutheran Church was so meaningful. It’s the same church they attended while stationed here.”
The Royal Norwegian Naval Band marching through Lunenburg. Photo: Town of Lunenburg.
The band’s visit began with a commemoration at the former site of Camp Norway, followed by a parade to the Norwegian monument at the cenotaph. They also paid their respects at Hillcrest Cemetery, where several Norwegians from the wartime period are buried.
The day concluded with a free concert at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church.
“There are still subtle signs of Norway around Lunenburg,” Fullerton said. “But today really brought that history to the surface.”
