You may be familiar with the song “Run Rabbit Run” but you might not be aware of the Shetland connection. This story on the BBC news site tells of how the song was popularised by a rabbit in Shetland after a German bombing raid on Sullom Voe.
A few years ago a small cartoon entered the collection via an auction. The pen and ink piece is of a funeral procession of, you guessed it, rabbits! The cortege comprises the victim on a stretcher being carried by two pall-bearers, and three mourners following, one closing the widow, and another in bow tie behind. The signature and dedication is unreadable but the caption below the image reads:
“Bear up dear, think what a glorious end. 12 500lb bombs for him alone. The widow.”
The piece was in its original glass mounting with black tape edging. The glass was cracked and the paper was discoloured and dusty. Having taken it in to the local framer, it has returned pristine. Now gleaming in its new frame the cartoon will live on and eventually will find its way back to Shetland, where it truly belongs.
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