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The 12th Man: A WWII Epic of Escape and Endurance
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The 12th Man: A WWII Epic of Escape and Endurance
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It's a little startling to realise within the first few sentences of the introduction that one has begun reading, not merely a tale of daring and more, but a part of history that involves a crucial time of WWII and is very intricately connected to the very survivalof the planet and of human civilisation. For nazi ideology was intent on destroying the civilisation and enslaving the globe to enable Germany to reproduce as it spread over the earth and was enabled by slave labour of the rest to occupy, own and enjoy the earth, and if Germany had been able to own the Norwegian heavy water plant stock, they might have succeeded in annihilation of any part of the earth. Their ideology certainly did not limit them in this except as it might affect Germany, and perhaps not even that, for at the end Hitler issued instructions of destroying everything as allied advanced into Germany - an order sent out explicitly everywhere, and countermanded only with great difficulty by personal efforts of Speer arguing with various officials high and low about future well being of people of Germany.
So this story about Norwegian underground is all the more evidently a crucial part of history that future of humanity depended on, whether they knew it or not, and chances are, they did, whoever risked and often lost their lives opposing the nazis.
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Quoted from Foreword by Harald Zwart -
"TROMS, WAY above the Arctic Circle in northern Norway. Snow-capped mountains pierce the horizon and valleys open up to glaciers. It is March, 1943, and the dramatic landscape is slowly waking up from the third long, dark winter under Nazi rule. In this spectacular landscape, one of the most amazing stories of World War II is about take place.
"Twelve Norwegians have boarded a small fishing boat in Scotland. They have crossed the treacherous North Sea to get to their beloved country in order to fight the German invaders. It is not to be. Norwegian collaborators give them away. The boat is attacked and sunk with an explosion of eight tons of dynamite. Eleven of the twelve men are captured and eventually killed by the Germans, most of them after enduring horrific torture.
"But one man escapes. The one who gets away is the twenty-five-year-old Jan Baalsrud. All Jan has to rely on is his moral fiber, his incredible strength—and eventually dozens of Norwegians willing to risk their lives to help him.
"With a head start of only a hundred meters, shot in the foot and leaving a trail of blood in the snow, Jan embarks on one of the most legendary escapes of World War II. With the Gestapo on his heels, in storms and freezing cold, he swims across sounds, walks across mountains on foot, and skis to try to get to neutral Sweden. Along his route, he is housed, fed, and hidden from the Nazis by locals who know that the punishment for helping a fugitive is death.
"As a Norwegian, I grew up with the story of Jan Baalsrud. When we were out cross-country skiing and fatigue got the better of us, we were always reminded of a man who never stopped and never gave up."
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" ... How far can a man go to stay alive? How much can he take before he gives in? My generation has never come near the fear and terror our parents and grandparents experienced during World War II; we have not experienced war and have never been tested like they were.
" ... How far can a man go to stay alive? How much can he take before he gives in? My generation has never come near the fear and terror our parents and grandparents experienced during World War II; we have not experienced war and have never been tested like they were.
"My father was a prisoner in the Japanese concentration camps in Indonesia. The Dutch had colonized the country and when the Japanese moved in, those they did not kill, they threw into camps. My father has had a hard time telling me about it, but I understand that this was a defining period for him.
"My grandfather was a Norwegian captain on a ship that sailed in allied convoys in German submarine-infested waters. He too was traumatized, although I’ve only realized this in recent years.
"The stories of the men and women who made great sacrifices during all wars need to be told. We need to tell them to our children, and they need to tell them to theirs. But some stories resonate deeper than others--they speak to us on a profound level. Jan Baalsrud’s story is in a class of its own."
"Jan’s story has been told many times, but never with the painstaking accuracy of this book. The authors manage not only to tell one hero’s story, but also that of the many who helped Jan and became heroes themselves. Unsung heroes—until this book."
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"Jan’s story has been told many times, but never with the painstaking accuracy of this book. The authors manage not only to tell one hero’s story, but also that of the many who helped Jan and became heroes themselves. Unsung heroes—until this book."
"I never met Jan Baalsrud personally, but I did meet many of those who helped him. When they me told about those days when they risked their lives to keep Jan Baalsrud alive, something happened in their eyes. Just like for my father and grandfather, these are not stories they visit without pain."
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"If there is anyone who still wonders why this war is being fought – let him look to Norway.
"If there is anyone who has any delusions that this war could have been averted – let him look to Norway.
"And, if there is anyone who doubts of the democratic will to win, again I say, let him look to Norway.
"Franklin D. Roosevelt,
President of the United States of America,
"September 16, 1942"
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When German occupying forces came sniffing around, seven of the men of the village, where most had helped Norwegian underground fighters to escape the Germans, decided to steal a ship and escape. They succeeded partly due to German planes expecting them to steer to Shetland while they steered North and then Northwest to Iceland, and partly due to sheer luck of fog protecting them as they heard the plane.
"The men’s and Brattholm’s relentless struggle ended when they reached Rejkjavik, Iceland’s capital, five days later. They were welcomed by both Norwegian and English authorities, who had received advance notice of their arrival. The young men had planned to earn a living by fishing while in Iceland, but instead the boat was taken over by Nortraship and rented out to the British Navy Sea Transport. On November 18, the resistance workers were ordered to sail to Seydesfjord, on Iceland’s east coast. For two years, the cutter carried English troops and supplies to and from the outposts in the Icelandic fjords.
"In November 1942, Brattholm was recalled to Reykjavik. She and her crew were ordered to the Shetland Islands. Two armed whaleboats escorted them to Lerwich, in the Shetland Islands, without mishap. Brattholm was put into secret service between the Shetland Islands and Norway against the Germans. The seven Norwegian underground workers were sent on to London where some ended up in the Norwegian Merchant Marine and others in the Navy."
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"FEBRUARY 2, 1942: A gruesome battle over Stalingrad in the Soviet Union took place between the Germans and the Russians. Germany lost the battle against the Russians but not before leaving the city in ashes. It would have been an impossible victory for the Soviet Union without the huge weapon supplies delivered from the United States and England.
"FEBRUARY 2, 1942: A gruesome battle over Stalingrad in the Soviet Union took place between the Germans and the Russians. Germany lost the battle against the Russians but not before leaving the city in ashes. It would have been an impossible victory for the Soviet Union without the huge weapon supplies delivered from the United States and England.
"When Denmark was attacked and invaded by the German Army in 1940, England occupied Iceland with the consensus of her people. Iceland was strategically located in the North Atlantic.
"Convoys to the Soviet Union with war materials and other provisions were sent from the West via Iceland, the shortest and the safest route at the time. They sailed through the Arctic Ocean a few hundred nautical miles above the North Cape, the northern tip of Norway, and on to Murmansk and Archangel in the Soviet Union.
"The plan worked well, with most ships bearing the desperately needed materials reaching their destination. The convoys only lost one ship, but after the first few months, the situation changed drastically.
"Arctic pack ice forced the convoys within 300 nautical miles of the Norwegian coast.
"To pinpoint the convoys’ position, German reconnaissance planes were sent out from Bardufoss Airport in the Troms District, as well as seaplanes from Skatøyra seaplane-harbor close to the city of Tromsø, in the same district.
"As summer had returned and the midnight sun did not set, it was easy for the German pilots to detect the convoys. The information from these sorties was forwarded to the German High Command.
"June 27, 1942: Convoy P.Q.17 left Iceland for Archangel with 34 ships. German spy planes spotted them, and soon the German bombers and U-boats were on their way. They sank 23 ships and several hundred men went down.
"Due to the terrible loss of lives and ships, the convoys were briefly halted. This caused large weapon supplies to accumulate in the West. In this serious situation the Allies had to find a way to stop German planes from flying out of northern Norway.
"Early in the War, England had established an organization, Special Operations Executive (S.O.E.). Its purpose was to organize secret operations in countries occupied by the Germans. The Norwegian branch of the S.O.E. and the British had, for some time, planned sabotage activities against the German reconnaissance operations originating from the northern Norwegian airports. The military strategists felt these efforts, along with Russian participation in the defense of the convoys and strengthening Allied escorts, would make it reasonably safe for the convoys to resume.
"The four saboteurs’ assigned work placed them at the heart of the war. The importance of the men’s success was beyond measure. A successful outcome of their actions could possibly shorten the war - though their lives were at risk.
"Their most daring assignments, and crucial to the mission’s success, was to detonate the air tower at Bardufoss Airport located 50 miles southeast of the city of Tromsø and to sink the seaplanes at the seaplane harbor in Tromsø. Jan Baalsrud, an expert swimmer, was charged with the perilous responsibility of affixing the explosives to the seaplanes’ pontoons beneath the water."
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Dr. Sigurd Eskelund was in charge of Brattholm, and Jan Baalsrud was second.
"The Swedes wanted to make use of his talent as an instrument maker, but Jan wanted to use his energies to help Norway. The Norwegian Embassy in Stockholm advised him to contact the British Embassy, who recruited him as a secret agent. In that capacity he made three trips to Norway from Sweden. During the hours of darkness Jan slipped across the border, and hid during the days. When able, he visited Gardemoen Airport and made rough drawings of the German fortifications and their ongoing construction, which he forwarded to England.
"On Jan’s third return trip to Sweden, the Swedish police arrested him. Tried in a Stockholm court, Jan was charged with espionage for a foreign country against a foreign country, and received a six-month jail term. After three months he was transferred to Varmland where his cellmate was the son of a ship owner. While in prison, his cellmate learned he had inherited a great deal of money from an aunt. The prison officials’ attitudes changed toward the rich ship owner and his friend, and soon they were set free. They were ordered out of Sweden – a difficult situation for Jan, who was condemned to die by the Germans in Norway, and now had but two weeks to leave Sweden.
"A few years earlier Madam Kollantay, a close friend of Stalin, had served as the Russian Ambassador to Norway. While serving in that position, she had become a warm friend of the Norwegian people. Presently she was the Russian Ambassador to Sweden, and she learned of Jan Baalsrud’s plight. She arranged a visa for him enabling him to travel to Leningrad in the Soviet Union and continue on to Odessa on the Black Sea.
"From Odessa, Jan traveled via Turkey on to Bombay, India. During his two-month stay in Bombay he met another Norwegian fugitive, Per Blindheim, and the two young men developed a deep friendship.
"They traveled on to Aden, Mozambique, Durban, Cape Town, Brazil, Trinidad, the USA and Canada, and eventually London. In the spring of 1942, their six-month long journey ended when they arrived in Scotland and joined the Linge Company."
Jan Baalsrud, like Dr. Sigurd Eskelund and other Norwegians who returned to fight for Norway and for humanity, had a million chances to save their own lives by staying away, especially across the Atlantic. But Jan Baalsrud did not stop in U.S. or Canada, just as, despite being well settled in Argentina, Dr. Sigurd Eskelund had returned after Norway was occupied. Other saboteurs in the group too had similarly returned to fight for Norway and against the nazis. They were trained in England and Scotland by SOE.
"Highly qualified, with unique talents and strengths, these saboteurs from Company Linge, the Norwegian branch of the British Special Operation Executive (S.O.E.,) were among the best men Norway had to offer in the fight against Hitler.
"Upon their arrival in Norway, their first task was to find a safe hiding place ashore for the explosives and the other provisions. The most daring assignment of their mission was to detonate the air tower at the Bardufoss Airport in the district of Troms. In addition they were to destroy German communication lines, disrupt anything they could, and blow up ferries. They were to slow down and halt, if possible, German troop movements. Lastly, they would organize and train small units of Norwegians in all types of sabotage work."
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"The instructions were, when they reached Senja, to draw as near the mouth of Malangenfjord as possible. From there, Lieutenant Eskeland and Reichelt were to take the cutter’s small boat and row up Malangenfjord 18 miles to Tromsø. The plan was thwarted when a German patrol boat shooed Brattholm away from the entrance to the fjord (the Germans did not wish to be disturbed during their pursuit of a Norwegian suspected of illegally listening to a radio). Eskeland and Captain Kvernhellen decided to go further north rather than risk contact. Happy to leave unscathed, the men were puzzled at the presence of the patrol boat. They had not been forewarned to expect any German patrols in this particular area, although information from northern Norway to England was scarcer than that from southern Norway."
They went on north and found refuge behind Rebennes at Toftefjord, and were surprised to see a cottage, inhabited by a family.
"On leaving the Shetland Islands, the plan had been to contact a person in southern Troms, known to be quite reliable, and in whom the expedition leaders in England had great faith. Even so, when in their attempt to dock on the island of Senja they were forced out to sea by the German patrol boat, they had chosen Toftefjord because of its remote location, and the convenience of being fairly close to several other trustworthy contacts.
"The next person they hoped to reach after their frustrated attempt at Senja was a merchant in Mikkelvik, a few miles from where they had anchored. Subsequent to their visit with the merchant, they intended to visit underground leaders Kaare Moursund and Tore Knudsen in Tromsø."
But their contact was dead and by the time they realised it wasn't who they spoke to, it was too late. Haakon Sorensen was uncertain if they really were who they said, or German spies. He reported.
"In 1941 Sheriff Hoel joined the National Samling, (NS), National Unification Party, a political party founded in Norway in 1933 to support the Nazi movement. He joined as a result of a directive that had gone out from the ministry. All government workers had been warned that unless they joined NS, their jobs would be terminated. The cost of joining was 76 kroner, approximately $10 by today’s exchange. In 1943 Sheriff Hoel had held the position as sheriff of Karlsøy municipality for 17 years. He was 56 years old.
"Haakon Sørensen’s early morning phone call and the story of the three men and their fishing cutter puzzled Hoel. He wondered why they would offer 5000 kroner for a 30-mile boat ride to Tromsø to pick up a spare part. Though he wasn’t a Nazi, Hoel was terrified of the reprisal the Germans would inflict on him for not doing his job as sheriff. He immediately called the police station in Tromsø.
"Police officers Edwin Wikan and Einar Kjeldsen were on watch that evening between March 30 - 31, 1943. It was early morning when Sheriff Hoel came on the line. He instructed Wikan to call the Gestapo and to let him know the results.
"Edwin Wikan was a police officer who refused to conform to Nazi orders. He tried to sabotage the call from Sheriff Hoel by not sending the message out. He hoped that by doing so, should the men in Toftefjord be patriots, they would have time to get away."
Hoel called again, so Wikan could no longer delay, but Hoel had already called Gestapo himself.
"Gestapo would dispatch a boat with about 20 or 30 men aboard and that Hoel himself was to be on board to pilot them.
"Obersturmbandführer Stage was in charge of the operation. He sent the largest and fastest boat available in Tromsø, a high-speed minesweeper from five minesweeper flotillas. Aboard were Adwehr soldiers, sailors and Gestapo folk (SIPO). Grau was also aboard and they picked up Sheriff Hoel en route."
Brattholm men set fuses and left in rowboat when Germans arrived.
"MARCH 30, 1943: A thunderous boom filled the fjord. People from neighboring islands stopped their labors and turned toward Rebbenes Island as the roar reached them. The men in the sinking dory were hurled backwards and thrown on top of each other.
"The eight tons of explosives in Brattholm’s hull had ignited. Voluminous masses of water surrounding the cutter were thrust aside, and a huge forty-foot crater formed at the bottom of the fjord. Seconds later, the water plunged into the hole and out gushed a colossal tidal wave that rolled on to the shore. Brattholm’s masts were broken into short stubs, and whirled through the air like matchsticks. Pieces of engine, wheelhouse, lantern glass, metal and hatch covers flew over the five men. Burning oil barrels cut through the air, like torches and with big thuds, crashed into granite boulders far up the mountainside behind them."
The saboteurs swam after the rowboat was shot to pieces, and managed to reach an island. Jan saw others shot dead, and was perused, but escaped despite one bare foot. He kept climbing up the mountain despite snow, was shot in foot and kept going. He crested the plateau, crossed and descended to other side, but kep going away from the village, and swam to an island. He rested awhile and had to continue.
"His only hope now was to reach the larger island, VÅrøya. Jan believed it was the island straight ahead, if he remembered the map right. If he was unable to reach it, the current would force him down to Bromnes and toward Ringvassøy Island, which would mean certain death. He would rather drown than fall into German hands."
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When Brattholm was being approached by the Germans, children playing outside the cottage saw, and they ran in to their mother. She ran out at the back with them up the mountain behind, as Brattholm was attacked. They saw it explode before they went over down to the other side and arrived at her sister's place.
When Brattholm was being approached by the Germans, children playing outside the cottage saw, and they ran in to their mother. She ran out at the back with them up the mountain behind, as Brattholm was attacked. They saw it explode before they went over down to the other side and arrived at her sister's place.
"Between sobs, Haldis and the children told of the happenings in Toftefjord. Anna Pedersen sickened as the story unfolded. Such horror was not known here among these peaceful islands. Though they were aware a war was raging in their country, up to now they had mostly been left untouched by it. Ingvald became anxious to get the whole story and rowed over to Bromnes to learn about the happenings of the last few days. He tied his boat to the dock in Bromnes. There he learned the fishermen aboard Brattholm had been betrayed by the merchant in Bromnes and reported to the sheriff at Karlsøy. Ivanna Pedersen, Anaton Pedersen’s widow, the man the saboteurs were supposed to have met up with, was furious. She said that had she known that these men would be informed on, she would have cut the telephone wire for Haakon Sørensen."
Here Jan was rowed over by children after dark.
"Hersøy, March 30, 1943: Jan helped the girls secure the boat. “You’re so wet and cold. You’ve got to come home with us!” Dina pointed to the house Jan had seen from VÅrøya Island. “That’s my home.”
"Anna Pedersen and Haldis Idrupsen were horrified when they saw who the girls brought home.
"There were no questions. The women immediately knew where this man had come from. Like mothers know so well to do, they saw a need and went to work. A kettle of water was put on the stove to heat. Off came Jan’s navy uniform and the underwear. On went warm wool undergarments belonging to Anna’s husband. While Haldis rinsed Jan’s clothes out in water to get rid of the salt, Anna stoked the range with wood the children had brought. Soon the little kitchen heated up until it was nearly impossible to remain inside. The women massaged Jan’s arms and legs to start circulation, and then they cleaned and bandaged his foot.
"The women gave Jan a blanket to wrap around himself and hung his clothes to dry over the range. Jan recovered quickly and a spirited conversation ensued. He explained the fate of his comrades and the subsequent events. Children and adults listened horror-struck. The event could not be hidden from the children; they had heard the explosion and their cousins’ and aunt Haldis’ explanation."
Ingvald returned and Jan understood why Germans had attacked Brattholm. After he was helped with necessities including map and contacts, Jan was rowed across fjord by Ingvald and Idruptsen family returned home, where they were subjected by Germans to questions about the escaped man and more. They denied knowing anything.
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"THE NORWEGIAN Navy had worked to build up intelligence services along the coast in northern Norway as early as the summer of 1940. Editor Oscar Larsen in the newspaper Tromsø had heard rumors about this. He realized the importance of building an intelligence service before the Gestapo was able to infiltrate the population.
"One day in the late summer of 1940, Larsen gathered several prominent persons in Tromsø to a secret meeting in his home. Eight men were present including Larsen, editorial secretary Tor Knudsen and department head Kaare Moursund."
They built a resistance network and had a radio transmitter too.
"One evening in the late fall of 1942, a man rang Kaare Moursund’s doorbell. The man introduced himself as Erik Reichelt. He said he had just arrived from London. Moursund’s wife and medical student Sverre Sandmo were present at the time, and Tor Knudsen had dropped in for a cup of coffee.
"Reichelt was originally from the Skien district, and he had come to Tromsø to gather information. He was interested in what the people in the area felt about the occupation authorities, and what the mood was among the Norwegians in the Troms District. He was particularly interested in learning about the mine fields in Kvalsund, Langsund and Malangen. These were the most important gateways to Tromsø. Moursund promised Reichelt he’d contact the pilots aboard the local boats to learn more about the mine fields. The discussions lasted about two hours before everyone went his own way. Reichelt never mentioned a word about the planned Brattholm expedition that would arrive only four months later."
Reichelt and Eskeland were taken on ambulances on stretchers when the German warship arrived back at Tromsø, and rest were taken to Gestapo headquarters at Tromsø.
"Two of the Gestapo agents at the headquarters were more feared and detested than all the rest. One, a short, slight man named Kneiser, was known to be extremely cunning in his interrogation of the prisoners, constantly laying shrewd traps.
"The other Gestapo agent’s name was Adam Schmidt. A man of a totally different sort, stocky and only about five feet tall, Schmidt’s lopsided flat face was framed by thick dark blond hair. Some said his face reminded them of a flounder. He was an uncouth boor who took pleasure in torturing prisoners. No method was too grisly for Schmidt, the most hated of all Gestapo agents in Tromsø."
Brattholm men were tortured at the Gestapo headquarters. At the hospital, the doctor ordered them out, since Reichelt was serious.
"The Gestapo had knowledge of Erik Reichelt’s contacts with the resistance leaders on his earlier trips to Tromsø. Because of this, his treatment was more vicious than what the other Brattholm men received. The Gestapo agents put him through barbarous torture hoping he would reveal secrets to them."
Men who'd informed Germans about Brattholm were called by Gestapo.
"After Sørensen and Sheriff Hoel explained the happenings to the Gestapo, they were told they were to stay until the following day. The Gestapo summoned them once again. As a reward for work well done, each one was given a large crate of food, 30 packages of cigarettes, cured sausages, coffee, butter and ten bottles of hard liquor. In addition, Sheriff Hoel received 500 kroner and Sørensen was rewarded with 5000 kroner.
"Sørensen felt uneasy about taking the gifts. He was told that refusal would be understood as a demonstration. He took the gifts."
"St. Elizabeth Hospital, Tromsø, April 1, 1943: Schmidt and his men returned to the hospital. A terrified hush filled the hospital corridors as personnel and guards were rushed off the floor. The Gestapo interrogated Sigurd in the bathroom, but Erik, too ill to be moved, was interrogated in bed. A short, suspense-filled time passed, then Erik’s spine-chilling screams pierced through bone and marrow of all who heard them. He had nothing to tell the Gestapo despite their inhumane torture.
"Reichelt’s heart-wrenching outcry and suffering meant nothing to Schmidt and his agents as they tormented him for several hours without compassion. They had only one mission: gathering information. Since the Germans had for some time been convinced that the Allied invasion would happen in northern Norway, Adam Schmidt believed that the Brattholm men might hold the key that would unlock some of the enemy’s ambitions. Therefore, no punishment was too brutal or too drawn out - no sacrifice too exacting to get the information he desired.
"When the Gestapo agents left the hospital, the nurses rushed to Erik’s side. They found him, lying on bed linens soaked with blood. His face was swollen and misshapen. He had received several blows to his face and thick needles had been forced underneath his fingernails, leaving deep bloody grooves that had turned purplish-black."
Prisoners were used for digging a grave for Brattholm men before they were executed on the spot.
"On May 8, 1945, the war ended and Norway was liberated. The Gestapo officers in Tromsø were taken prisoner, and in the late summer of 1945, they were ordered to GrønnÅsen Rifle Range to unearth the executed Brattholm men. When they neared the victims as they dug, the Gestapo officers were forced to lay down their shovels and use their bare hands so as not to damage the bodies. Before the Norwegians were placed in their caskets, they were cleaned by the Gestapos."
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Unfortunately, blowing up Brattholm had not been as successful as necessary, and Germans had found the attache case with documents, apart from weapons.
Unfortunately, blowing up Brattholm had not been as successful as necessary, and Germans had found the attache case with documents, apart from weapons.
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Jan Baalsrud had been taken across the fjord and shown where to go. Jacoba Jensen helped him with food and further directions, but Jan insisted he couldn't endanger them by staying. He managed to reach the next place of refuge by morning and was able to sleep for the day, in the barn at his own insistence. Next two days he battled with snow and gales while climbing up and down mountains and finally reached Karanes.
"The news of Toftefjord had preceded Jan. The Hansens believed his story in spite of the account that all the men of Brattholm had been killed. Seeing his sad condition, they offered to share all they had. If they worried about the Germans and the personal risk they were taking, they never let Jan know. Their concern was for this brave Norwegian soldier and how best they could help him to safety.
"Jan was calm, but always on guard with his pistol nearby. He was anxious to get away from Ringvassøy Island as quickly as possible and on to Sweden.
"The Hansens cleaned and bandaged Jan’s wounded foot. They hung his clothes to dry on a line over the wood stove, and they shared with him the best food they had. Both Ragnhild and Morten enjoyed visiting with Jan and hearing his stories of England and his travels. Jan appreciated their kindness."
He rested well, and they helped with map and contacts. Back to trudging up mountains in snow, even as other Brattholm men were being executed in Tromsø.
"Just after five in the morning Jan reached the village of DÅfjordbotn."
Olsen family helped with food and directions, and information.
"“There was a rumor among the people that one man had escaped. But since we did not hear any more, we thought the man had succumbed. Besides, we did not believe anyone could make it in this frigid weather.”
They told him about the executions when he asked if they'd heard anything.
"Again, Jan chose a mountain path hoping to reach Bjørnskar on the south end of Langsund Sound."
He chose to walk through mountains so he wouldn't be seen.
"Step by step, hour after hour, by pure will, Jan forced himself onward against the strong wind and mist that surrounded him. The boots hurt him, and his toes throbbed."
He arrived at the Heika homestead farm where they took care of him.
"“Einar Sørensen in Bjørnskar is your best bet to help get you to the mainland,” said Håkon. “He is a courageous and dependable man.”"
It was a seven mile walk along beach.
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"IN THEIR efforts to win the war, the Germans infiltrated and made close contact with several Norwegians in the Troms District. Abwehr, a German spy organization, hired about two hundred of them outright. The secret to Abwehr’s success was that they gave each agent a cover name. Many operated so unobtrusively that even their family and neighbors had no idea of their involvement with the enemy. These spies were diligent and were a great help to the Germans. One of the key assignments for some of them on the outermost islands was to keep a close watch on all ship traffic in the ocean and to faithfully report all sightings of boats and convoys to the German Headquarters in Tromsø. This was an easy task, because many were fishermen and no suspicion was attached to them when their fishing vessels sailed out. They were equipped with two-way radios the Germans had given them and taught them to operate.
"One such agent was paid 1000 kroner (about one hundred and fifteen dollars today) a month during busy periods when his fishing vessel was in service; in less busy seasons he was paid 800 kroner per month. It was a goodly sum of additional income for a young man fighting poverty in the Northland in the 1940’s. This agent’s reason for joining was the promise that his father’s fishing vessel would not be confiscated.
"This dangerous man lived less than a mile from the Heika family. Being a close neighbor, he knew them well and often dropped in on them unannounced. Kopparelv was sparsely populated and the few homes were spread out. All the same, people knew each other and were always ready to help when a need arose. Abwehr recruited this spy in February of 1942. Even though Abwehr spies worked in secret, knowledge, or at least suspicions of this spy’s involvement with the enemy had come to light, and most everyone in the area was afraid of him. The word had quickly spread and a warning to beware of this man was sent out.
"To their horror, the Heika family and Jan saw him walking briskly toward the house. Jan leaped to his feet, bolted up the staircase to the second floor and closed the door. The spy had been in Tromsø and the Germans had assigned him the task of inquiring round about in the hamlets and villages about anyone or anything suspicious."
The spy insisted his host go with him for collecting driftwood, which activity he used as a cover for spying. Jan was spared being discovered, and spent several hours before they sent him with food, information and instructions about safety.
"In isolated areas like these, any exception to the daily routine raises the curiosity level, and particularly so during wartime. The questions might be innocent, without malice, but in the end they would have the same devastating result. Jan’s flight would be in the open, and it would only be a matter of time until the Germans learned of it.
"“As soon as you notice the snowdrift clearing, drop down and curl up behind a rock if possible, or prostrate yourself flat on the beach and do not move a muscle until the snow starts up again,” warned Håkon."
He followed the instructions and walked along the beach, exhausted.
"He had been told that there were no houses between Kopparelv and Bjørnskar. Bjørnskar consisted only of three houses belonging to the same family. In the southernmost house lived Bernhard Sørensen and his wife. Close by in the middle house lived his son, Einar Sørensen, and his family. Einar was the man so many had suggested that Jan should contact."
As he approached, they were talking of Brattholm, and expecting his arrival. But they were surprised at his being there already. They discussed Tromsø and warning the resistance.
"“If we can get you to the mainland on the other side of Grøtsundet Sound, you will be closer to Sweden without risking your life going into Tromsø,” said Einar. Both men were aware that Jan’s flight was extremely dangerous both for his helpers and for himself.
"They decided to leave around two in the morning, the darkest time of the night. Einar would take Jan across the fjord in his rowboat. Jan would be set ashore close to some friends of Einar’s, a family where he knew Jan could safely get some rest."
They gave Jan proper ski boots that fit snugly, with dry socks and skis, and packaged sandwiches. Einar had his father come with them, since another hand was needed for rowing.
"A thick fog surrounded them when they left. The men were a little concerned about the unstable weather conditions. The wind blew a strong gale and they were surrounded by a thick whiteout. The Sørensens knew the rough seas would increase as they went further south, where the prevailing winds came screaming down the shipping lanes from the Arctic Ocean. There was a limit as to what a small rowboat with three men aboard could handle, but on the other hand, the Sørensen men were used to rough seas and wind, and they knew the seas had to be quite high before the rowboat would capsize. The thick snow reduced their visibility, so much so that all land vanished from sight, but they had learned to navigate by the directions of the waves. The blinding snow, though limiting, was also a good camouflage from the patrol boat.
"The patrol boat chugged past Nipøya and the three men watched intently as the lanterns disappeared in the soupy gray-white mixture of heavy fog and snow. As soon as the boat vanished in the darkness, they started out on the remaining four miles across Grøtsundet Sound. With the wind to their back, they made good headway. Though Jan had rested, he did not have much strength left. He was still very tired, so much so that he was grateful when they did not ask him to row. If they had, he was sure they would have had a hard time believing he was a Navy man.
"Often when the men dipped the oars into the white-capped waves and pulled them out again they were splashed with seawater, but beyond that, they reached the other shore safely without any major mishaps.
"With warm handshakes and well wishes, Jan was put ashore just north of the headland at Lyngnes. From there it was only a few hundred yards to the nearest farm. The Sørensen men, Jan learned later, had an extremely tough return trip. They fought a roaring northwesterly headwind and did not arrive home until the morning hours. Luckily no one had seen Jan, no one discovered that the men had been rowing most of the night – and no one knew they returned with one less man."
................................................................................................
Lockertsen had a hard time believing Jan was who he said he was, but he saw the state he was in and invited him in to rest. In the early hours he looked in.
" ... He had scarcely poked his head in the kitchen door when Jan flung himself about to a half kneeling position while at the same time grabbing his pistol and pointed it point blank at Alfred. In that moment Alfred was convinced Jan was no provocateur. This was the action of a desperate man."
Lockertsen had a hard time believing Jan was who he said he was, but he saw the state he was in and invited him in to rest. In the early hours he looked in.
" ... He had scarcely poked his head in the kitchen door when Jan flung himself about to a half kneeling position while at the same time grabbing his pistol and pointed it point blank at Alfred. In that moment Alfred was convinced Jan was no provocateur. This was the action of a desperate man."
Alfred Lockertsen had Jan eat and rest for a couple of days; he asked his friend Peder to come earlier than planned, and asked him if he'd join in helping Jan further. They were to take their small dory out to set up fishing nets, and would set out earlier taking Jan. Peder agreed instantly.
"Later that afternoon the weather changed and strong wind gusts brought snow showers and awful visibility. In reality, the weather was in their favor since they had to travel across Grøtsundet Sound in the channel where the German patrol boat traveled. Between four and five p.m. they made ready. Jan wore his uniform and he was wearing a thick, Russian style leather cap. A few days earlier Alvin had found it on the beach. It had been washed and dried, and he gave it to Jan.
"Jan was eager to leave, knowing he would soon be able to try out the skis and ski boots he had received at Bjørnskar. Peder noticed the boots were just a smidgen too small, and he was concerned the cold would harm Jan’s already disfigured foot. He cut soles to fit inside the boots made from cellulose. Cellulose was a material easily obtainable during the war and used for many purposes; it is the chief substance composing the cell walls of fibers of all plant tissue. He stuffed the soles into Jan’s boots. Though they crowded Jan’s feet, Peder hoped they would prevent the cold from penetrating the bottom of his boots. Anatona readied several small food packs and Jan put them in every pocket of his uniform. He accepted a small knapsack this time. It was filled with a change of clothing and extra food."
They brought him safely, Peder carrying him and his ski equipment ashore after he'd brought him close in a dinghy.
................................................................................................
"Jan remembered Peder’s words: “You must stay off the road going east toward Lyngseidet, Jan. You will be safer back up in the hillsides.”
"“I’m sure you are right about that,” Jan had agreed.
"“German soldiers as well as the Norwegians will find it peculiar to meet a skier on the road during the night hours. And be aware that in Kjosen there is a road barrier. To pass it, people have to call the guard, a German soldier. He is up at a nearby house. He comes down to check the person’s identification card to see if all is in order before they are allowed to enter the village. You know what you have to do, Jan,” Peder had warned.
"Jan passed through the barrier unnoticed.
"During the nearly two miles between Kjosen and Lyngseidet Village, Jan climbed the incline hidden away from the built-up areas on several occasions.
"As Jan neared Lyngseidet, one of his ski bindings snapped. Although it took him a while to fix it, his watch showed the time to be 4:30 a.m. Jan felt confident he could get through Lyngseidet before people began to stir. But his confidence was misplaced. The watch had been along on three swims in salt water and through many wet storms. Jan neared Lyngseidet center with a marvelous elongated downhill road enabling him to click along at a good speed. Suddenly, two-dozen rowdy German soldiers poured out of a school and swarmed into the road blocking it. The soldiers carried plates and utensils instead of grenades and guns – they were heading for breakfast.
"Jan couldn’t stop abruptly without having the whole troop pounce on him. Having no where else to go, he did what all Norwegians do when skiing and they meet up against people. He kept up his speed and shouted, “Tracks! Tracks!” The soldiers did not move fast enough and Jan was right on top of them. He pushed his way through them shouting “Tracks! Tracks.” trying his best not to act flustered.
"The soldiers must have been half asleep. They neither resisted nor tried to stop him. Jan was amazed they didn’t notice he was wearing a Norwegian Navy uniform with “NAVY” and “NORWAY” insignias emblazoned on his shoulder. It all happened so fast that they, like Jan, probably had no time to react.
"Immediately after skiing through the troop, Jan neared an even steeper downhill road a few hundred yards ahead. The road approached a crossroad down by the fjord. Jan saw another barrier in the middle of the crossroads with only a narrow passageway open on the left. Three German soldiers were inspecting identification cards of Norwegian civilians.
"Jan butted his skis to slow down and veered slightly off the road, coming almost to a standstill. A few yards ahead, he saw a narrow road turning to the right in the direction of a small cottage not far from the barrier. Jan seized the narrow road with his skis, moving as naturally as possible so as not to show the fear of a hunted man. He forced himself to appear relaxed, as if he was going about insignificant business.
"This little side road and his quick decision to take it saved Jan. He continued to move away from the main road and the German guards, and worked his way up the mountain slope. ... "
He could no longer keep to the original plan of skiing along the road, even in dark.
"He had decided to take the Sami summer road toward Lyngsdalen Valley and Furuflaten."
................................................................................................
Crossing up and down mountains Jan was caught in an Arctic gale of snow and wind, with danger of being thrown off precipitous inclines or cliffs due to lack of visibility. Then he was caught in an avalanche. He woke finding himself hurt and freezing, but got up and kept walking until he stumbled into a home, where they were horrified to see the condition he was in, and shocked to know he was the Brattholm survivor. They tended to his body, in serious need of care.
Crossing up and down mountains Jan was caught in an Arctic gale of snow and wind, with danger of being thrown off precipitous inclines or cliffs due to lack of visibility. Then he was caught in an avalanche. He woke finding himself hurt and freezing, but got up and kept walking until he stumbled into a home, where they were horrified to see the condition he was in, and shocked to know he was the Brattholm survivor. They tended to his body, in serious need of care.
"The situation was extremely tense at the Grønvoll farm. Many Germans were quartered at Solhov School in Lyngseidet, the German headquarters for the whole Eastern Front, and only nine miles away. And down in Furuflaten, close to the fjord, the Germans had confiscated the local school, which was now being used for a German billet. The soldiers, when not busy, milled around Furuflaten, and it was not unusual for them to come unannounced to the farm to purchase eggs and milk. The Grønvolls tried to avoid selling to their enemy, but most often the choice was not theirs."
"Marius, Hanna and the two girls counseled together and made the decision to give their all to help Jan to freedom. The safest place to hide him was in the barn, up in the hayloft where there was presently an abundance of hay. No one but the family was to know about this; not even their nearest neighbor could know they were hiding and aiding a fugitive."
"His general condition was so poor and his pain so insufferable that he was totally helpless, unable to stand on his own legs. The situation looked bleak. Even after all the Grønvolls’ efforts, Jan’s atrocious suffering in the mountains had taken its toll."
................................................................................................
"After the Toftefjord tragedy, the Germans had been around the district arresting people, looking for radios. They imprisoned family members of young men who had been able to escape to Sweden.
"After the Toftefjord tragedy, the Germans had been around the district arresting people, looking for radios. They imprisoned family members of young men who had been able to escape to Sweden.
"German Schnell boats patrolled the fjord often around the inlets of Furuflaten. It was risky for Jan to remain in the barn for long. Sooner or later the rumor mill would begin to buzz. Even if the Germans didn’t figure out that the elusive Jan was in their midst, Marius’ neighbors would soon begin to wonder about all the trips to the barn.
"One could not expect everyone to be tight-lipped – that would be a fatal mistake."
One day two German soldiers arrived, for inspection of the barn in case they had hidden a radio. They didn't find Jan, but it couldn't be delayed any more, Jan had to be helped on his way. His eyes were damaged by reflected ultraviolet rays from snow, and he was unable to stand on his feet, so he couldn't just be off walking or skiing as he'd been before.
"Their plan was to remove Jan from the barn during the darkest of night, pull him on a sled down the valley to the fjord, then row him diagonally across the Lyngenfjord toward the northeast, a little over six miles."
Plan was to hide him in a lonely cottage up in Revdal, and have a group of resistance men take him to Sweden.
"THE RESISTANCE group in Furuflaten received an important assignment. Many men were needed and all had to be tight-lipped. Marius realized how essential it was to find the right people."
................................................................................................
"Monday, 12 April 1943: The plan was to remove Jan from the barn during the night. The next phase of his flight to freedom was risky but necessary. He had felt safe at the Grønvoll farm, hidden behind the hay up in the barn, and strong ties had formed between Jan and the Grønvolls.
"Monday, 12 April 1943: The plan was to remove Jan from the barn during the night. The next phase of his flight to freedom was risky but necessary. He had felt safe at the Grønvoll farm, hidden behind the hay up in the barn, and strong ties had formed between Jan and the Grønvolls.
"The leave-taking disheartened Jan. The success of the transfer rested on Marius’ shoulders. He came to the barn to wash Jan up. Gudrun and Ingeborg heated water on the wood-burning stove and carried it up to him. Jan would leave with new undergarments, hand knit of pure wool. Jan tried hard to act upbeat and uncomplaining, but Marius sensed his low spirits.
"“I am also despairing, Jan. I would have liked for you to stay on,” said Marius.
"“Don’t worry, I’ll do fine. And I am impatient to get closer to Sweden.”"
................................................................................................
They brought him safely into the log cabin and left him with food within reach of the hay and plank bed, and visited in a few days. But he discovered gangrene and couldn't wait longer, and used a knife and alcohol to perform the necessary surgery.
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They brought him safely into the log cabin and left him with food within reach of the hay and plank bed, and visited in a few days. But he discovered gangrene and couldn't wait longer, and used a knife and alcohol to perform the necessary surgery.
"WHILE JAN languished in the log hut at Revdal, Marius constantly devised ideas on how to best transport him to Sweden. It was an overwhelming challenge. Jan was extremely ill, and Marius knew that the most comfortable way for Jan to be transported would be by car or truck, along the main road. Even before completing the thought, Marius knew they would not be able to pass the German border guards leaving Norway, nor cross the northwest corner of occupied Finland without being discovered. It was useless to think he would ever reach Sweden by that route."
They had to involve resistance men from other places around, and went to talk to them personally, using their fishing boats.
"Marius now had a well-defined plan. The men from Furuflaten would bring Jan, tied to a sled, up the Revdal Mountains in back of the little log hut. At a designated spot up on the mountain plateau, they would deliver him to the more rested and vigorous Manndalen men, who would come up on skis from the opposite side of the mountains. The Manndalen men would be responsible for Jan’s safe passage to Sweden. The plan would be put into action as soon as it was practical and the weather was accommodating. They had to move swiftly. Marius set the day for April 24 and they were to meet at midnight. A message was sent via teacher Leigland at Lyngseidet on to Peder Bergmo in Olderdalen. Jan’s life hung in the balance. He was in desperate need of proper medical treatment."
"Furuflaten 23 April 1943: Marius decided it was the right time to carry out the well-laid plans to begin Jan’s transfer to Sweden. The weather, something that always had to be considered in the North, was good. The wind was calm and it was not too cold - and all the men were ready. On that day, Marius sent a message via Lyngseidet to Peder Bergmo in Olderdalen. It read, “He will be delivered to the Manndalen men early Saturday, April 25, between two and four in the morning.”"
Marius and other Furuflaten men took Jan on a ski sled up the mountain after cleaning and feeding him. After several hours of strenuous and dangerous climb, they arrived at the designated spot, but Manndalen men were unable to keep the appointment and Furuflaten men were not prepared to go further. They had to leave him there.
It was five days before two Manndalen men found him, alive and lucid but food all gone. Marius had checked on him in between, bringing food. They had to return but planned to come next night as a team of four to take him to Sweden. Their plans had to be postponed however, for several days, due to severe gales, although they kept trying despite the weather but were forced back by the wind each time.
"Jan lay in his snow-covered bed, listening to the storm; it raged on for four days. He realized he was being buried alive as the wind forced the snowdrift around him up against the boulder. He could not distinguish day from night any longer and the storm became muted. At long last a disquieting stillness settled in. The only sound was his breathing.
"The icy cold forced him to keep turning within the sleeping bag so as not to freeze to death. Because of this shifting, painful blisters and raw sores developed on his body. His feet were aching, his toes infected. His body went from shivering to overheating with intermittent fever attacks and sweating, back to freezing. The cold was agonizing. Sleep was impossible. During these fitful days, superficial, shallow periods of sleep for ten to fifteen minutes at a time were his only relief. They recurred when he was too fatigued to fight any longer.
"Jan’s sufferings continued for three days. Foods and liquids were gone. The men had planned to return within twenty-four hours and Jan had been well supplied for that period. No one had imagined a spring storm of this magnitude. In his wretchedness he was sapped of physical strength and mental fortitude. Rapidly losing weight, an overriding helplessness engulfed him."
He was there for nine days before Manndalen men were able to take him out and be on their way to Sweden.
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They were almost discovered when, lost in a snowstorm, they left him so they could find their way, and when back, saw ski trails not their own.
They were almost discovered when, lost in a snowstorm, they left him so they could find their way, and when back, saw ski trails not their own.
"Neither Jan nor the men knew at the time that the Germans had increased their patrols and fortified their forces within the inner Troms District and along the Swedish border. For some time the Germans had had indications that someone in the area was trying to escape. The document case retrieved from the waters in Toftefjord contained several papers which revealed certain escape routes toward Sweden. The Germans were convinced it would be in the area of Troms. For that reason, orders had been sent down from German High Command to fortify and intensify the patrols and to be vigilant at all times."
Nigo decided he'd get help from Sami to get reindeer sled, and he skied off. Rest pushed on in dangerous terrain until they found a safe place to leave Jan, sheltered by tall cliffs on a ledge.
" ... Jan was rapidly deteriorating.
"Thursday, May 7, 1943: Peder had been up for a couple of hours when he heard the sound of rushing skis in the snow outside his home. As it was mid-morning, Peder assumed it was drunken Germans on their way back to their quarters after an all night brawl. Peder was wrong. It was Nigo returning from his thirty hour, 85-mile trip to Sweden. He had met with his Sami friends, who gave him some food and coffee, but that was all he had eaten since he had left his friends.
"Fifty hours of skiing with only a short break in Sweden – Nigo was unbeatable! But even after all his struggles, his Sami friends could not promise him help. The Germans had fortified their borders along the road to Finland and it was the only way into Sweden. The Samis found it too dangerous to transport Jan past the German guards under the circumstances."
................................................................................................
"IN THE village of Birtavärre, brothers Leif and Rolf Bjørn were the contact persons for the resistance. The brothers had several business interests including a large lumber business, which supplied several areas in the Troms District. In addition, they were shipping agents and had many local contacts. Organizing the escape routes into Sweden from Kåfjorddalen Valley, four miles from Birtavärre, fell to them.
"During the war, the Bjørn brothers and Hjalmar Steinnes, a thirty-year-old bachelor in Kåfjorddalen, had developed a close working relationship. Their mutual goal was to defeat Germany. At the time of the German invasion of Norway, Hjalmar was working at Spitsbergen in the Svalbard Islands, a Norwegian possession in the Arctic Ocean. The islands lie about midway between Nordkapp, the northern tip of Norway, and the North Pole."
Hjalmar returned from Svalbard as war came to Norway.
"Following the outbreak of the war in northern Norway, a steady stream of refugees crossed the border to Sweden. Hjalmar guided many of them. Kåfjorddalen was isolated but the distance to the Swedish border was only 45 miles. Conversely, precipitous mountains bordered Kåfjorddalen. Refugees had to climb these mountains before reaching the plateau and setting out for Sweden. Kåfjorddalen Valley became one of the main refugee routes across the Norwegian and Finnish wilderness into Sweden.
"Border patrols were usually stationed some distance apart and it was not too dangerous to cross. In the early war years, the German soldiers seldom came to Kåfjorddalen Valley. This changed after the Germans confiscated the document case in the battle of Toftefjord and learned that sabotage work was planned against them. Almost immediately, they increased and strengthened their border patrols. After that time the fugitives had to be extremely cautious."
"Birtavärre: Hjalmar and the Bjørn brothers had learned of Jan Baalsrud soon after his arrival in Furuflaten. Messages had been exchanged between established contacts. The Bjørn brothers asked Hjalmar to assist them in securing Sami reindeer transport for the soldier when the time was right."
Hjalmar tried to locate Jan, but had to give up due to extremely harsh weather.
There was a misunderstanding about the place where Jan was, and after messages between Manndalen and Birtavärre, at the appointed time they were at the other end of the valley. Manndalen men found Jan deteriorating, and tried to make him feel better, telling him Sami were arriving.
................................................................................................
"Kåfjorddalen, Monday, May 10, 1943: Hjalmar continued on his way homeward and arrived early the following morning. As soon as he had eaten and changed clothes, he set off toward the Bjørn brothers in Birtavärre. He told his fatiguing, discouraging story. They fell silent at the news. At the same time they knew the Manndalen men had gone up in the mountains to meet them, also in vain. Hjalmar was irritated and frustrated with the miscommunication. He was convinced that the place he and Nils had searched was not the correct one. As usual, the Bjørn brothers remained calm and said they would get to the bottom of it all. He would hear from them."
"Manndalen, May 10, 1943: In the lower part of Manndalen, a side valley from where Jan was lying in the open air, the men knew of a cave in the mountain wall from earlier times, located nearly 200 feet up a steep incline from the Manndalen River. Jan’s helpers had decided to bring him here until they could arrange the final transport to Sweden."
"The five hour descent from Avzevaggi to the cave in Skaidijonni was torturous for both Jan and the Manndalen men. His painful feet, made worse when the sleigh hung almost vertically downward, were unbearable. He was frozen and hungry but unable to eat. And the Manndalen men were tested to the limit as they inched their way down over the craggy, slippery outcrops struggling to handle Jan and the sled with care to minimize his pain and discomfort."
"Kåfjorddalen, Monday, May 10, 1943: Hjalmar continued on his way homeward and arrived early the following morning. As soon as he had eaten and changed clothes, he set off toward the Bjørn brothers in Birtavärre. He told his fatiguing, discouraging story. They fell silent at the news. At the same time they knew the Manndalen men had gone up in the mountains to meet them, also in vain. Hjalmar was irritated and frustrated with the miscommunication. He was convinced that the place he and Nils had searched was not the correct one. As usual, the Bjørn brothers remained calm and said they would get to the bottom of it all. He would hear from them."
"Manndalen, May 10, 1943: In the lower part of Manndalen, a side valley from where Jan was lying in the open air, the men knew of a cave in the mountain wall from earlier times, located nearly 200 feet up a steep incline from the Manndalen River. Jan’s helpers had decided to bring him here until they could arrange the final transport to Sweden."
"The five hour descent from Avzevaggi to the cave in Skaidijonni was torturous for both Jan and the Manndalen men. His painful feet, made worse when the sleigh hung almost vertically downward, were unbearable. He was frozen and hungry but unable to eat. And the Manndalen men were tested to the limit as they inched their way down over the craggy, slippery outcrops struggling to handle Jan and the sled with care to minimize his pain and discomfort."
................................................................................................
They visited him regularly with food, reading material and so on. Jan began to hope.
"The Germans had an inkling that secret activities were taking place in the inner Troms District, but they had never been able to pin them down. Periodically they sat for hours in secluded areas with their binoculars, scouting for fugitives on their way to Sweden."
They visited a house and questioned children, who pretended to not understand.
"Olav’s father, Ole, was visiting the Brustrøm farm. In the confusion, he slipped away unnoticed on horseback. He galloped along the river until he reached the valley floor where he knew Nils and Olaf would be returning. On a piece of birch bark he wrote, either in Sami or Finnish, a warning that the Germans were approaching. Nils and Olav discovered the bark and hid in the thick forest. A short while later they heard the Germans as they passed them on the way up the valley. The Germans never returned to look for Nils."
They organised so visitors were never same, to avoid suspicion. Women helped, by cooking, bringing food to the one who made final preparations for meals for Jan, and more. One had woven his coverlets. Another who ran the grocery store made certain of provisions.
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The news of this seeped out, and one day there was a letter to the sheriff mailed from the ferry. He was Nazi, but happened to be out. His assistants were suspicious, so they opened it, and burnt it after reading.
"The spontaneous, daring decision made by the two patriotic men, Halvard Halden and Hans Larsen, saved Jan Baalsrud and many men and women in Manndalen from certain death. Since so many in Manndalen were involved, many people would have been executed and most likely the village would have been burned to the ground.
The news of this seeped out, and one day there was a letter to the sheriff mailed from the ferry. He was Nazi, but happened to be out. His assistants were suspicious, so they opened it, and burnt it after reading.
"The spontaneous, daring decision made by the two patriotic men, Halvard Halden and Hans Larsen, saved Jan Baalsrud and many men and women in Manndalen from certain death. Since so many in Manndalen were involved, many people would have been executed and most likely the village would have been burned to the ground.
"Ironically, in the fall of 1944 when the Germans retreated from the Troms District, they followed a “scorched earth” policy. Tore Hauge says in his book, They Burned Our Homes, “No one believed that Manndalen would be burned and it came as a shock to all. But the Germans systematically went to work with their gas cans and matches! Within a few days Manndalen was no more.”
"The one thing the people of Manndalen could be grateful for, despite the suffering and heartache the people endured, was that no lives were lost. And they had the inner satisfaction of having played a major role in Norway’s longest escape story from World War II.
"None of Jan’s benefactors in Manndalen knew anything about the letter. But they were concerned about people noticing the many trips the helpers made up into the mountains, always with filled knapsacks."
Sheriff of Birtavärre heard rumours, and sent Hans Larsen to inquire.
"Hans Larsen came to Peder’s home. “Do you know Aslak Fossvoll, Peder Isaksen?”
"“Yes, I know Aslak, at least well enough so that when we meet, we visit for a minute or two.”
"“I have heard that the two of you go into the mountains from time to time. I am not sure what you do up in the mountains, but I assume that you are hunting for the mentally ill man that disappears in the mountains from time to time? Is that right?”
"Hans Larsen was a good man and did not want Peder to get in any trouble. Hans was suspicious that Peder was involved in something top-secret, but he tried to help him out of the tough spot by planting another thought in his mind.
"“You are right,” Peder said. “We continually have to go hunting for the deranged man that disappears all the time.”"
................................................................................................
"The village buzzed with whispered rumors. Some guessed some things were going on, others knew. The situation worsened when two quislings from Lyngseidet arrived a couple of days after the sheriff’s assistant had been in Manndalen. They came hunting fugitives. They requisitioned a horse down in the valley and started on their way.
"What could have been a bad day for Manndalen gave the village people a story to chuckle over for some time.
"A young girl was coming down the road, and the quislings asked her for directions to one of the people they planned to interrogate.
"“Don’t ask me. I don’t know anything. I am just a child,” the girl said and skipped away.
"Next they met an elderly lady on her way to the store. They stopped her and asked if she knew an Olav Olsen. He had escaped from a German camp in Skibotn.
"“No. I have lived in this village all my life, but I am not familiar with that name.”
"The woman was Olav Olsen’s mother.
"The men continued upwards into the valley and came to a small farm where a man was sawing wood. On one of his feet he had a boot and on the other a kommag, a soft boot made of reindeer hide and worn by the Sami. The man was known in the village as a man who was a little confused and muddled.
"“We understand you have several sons. Where are they?” the quislings asked.
"“Ja, I have five sons, and they have all escaped to Sweden. Soon I will follow them.” The man was a bachelor and did not have any children.
"The men continued up into the valley to find the man who was the easy talker (the same man whom Ludvik Nilsen had visited with a warning). The man himself was not home, but his wife was. The quislings asked when she expected him home.
"“That man is crazy, and there is no reason to question him,” she said. “He just talks nonsense, and he can be real dangerous if he is pressed. If you’re wise you will think twice before you interrogate him,” she continued.
"The quislings decided to call it a day. They returned the horse to the owner and they confided to him that they thought most of the people in Manndalen were screwballs."
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It was May, Jan had to be moved soon. Hjalmer got a message from Manndalen that Jan had to be moved, and he made arrangements with his Sami contacts; before they left, Hjalmer barely escaped the Germans who came and searched his house. Ut when he arrived at the plateau, they saw another Sami party with reindeer flock leaving, and when they asked, were told it was Jan. The Sami contacted by Nigo had found a way to do it and come to transport Jan.
It was May, Jan had to be moved soon. Hjalmer got a message from Manndalen that Jan had to be moved, and he made arrangements with his Sami contacts; before they left, Hjalmer barely escaped the Germans who came and searched his house. Ut when he arrived at the plateau, they saw another Sami party with reindeer flock leaving, and when they asked, were told it was Jan. The Sami contacted by Nigo had found a way to do it and come to transport Jan.
"May 29, 1943: Jan remained in the mountains with Aslak Baal, Nils Brustrøm and Nigo Nilsen. Per Thomas went to gather the reindeer flock. The reindeer would follow Jan all the way to the border. Jan would be hidden in the midst of them and the animals would be his shield and erase the tracks from his pulk."
"Around 2 a.m. on May 31, the men placed Jan, too ill to manage a pulk by himself, with Per Thomas. The men left their encampment and headed south. At this time of the night the snow was at its firmest and they could make better time. The midnight sun had returned to northern Norway on May 21 and would not set again until July. There was no darkness."
Aslak suddenly went snow blind and was in intense pain. They had to leave him behind.
"June 1, 1943: The next morning at two, Jan and Per Thomas readied to leave. The snow conditions were holding good and the wind was tolerable. This close to the Finnish border they were nearing the danger zone. The German patrols were stationed within close vicinity of each other and they were on the alert for fugitives."
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Jan and his rescue team raced across the border over lake into Sweden with Germans shooting at them. Jan was taken by riverboat and seaplane, after resting in another home, to a hospital. They tended to his arms and legs, in bad condition with frostbite. He was saved.
He returned to Shetland to join training others, and returned to Norway after the war, joining in honouring Brattholm colleagues. He needed a warmer climate and eventually settled in Tenerife, but was interred with his friends in Troms as per his wishes.
Those responsible for Brattholm disaster were prosecuted and punished.
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May 24, 2020 -
May 24, 2020 -
November 18, 2020 -
November 27, 2020 - December 02, 2020.
Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-1863-0
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-1872-2
Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-1863-0
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-1872-2
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