Norwegian Preparations
After leaving us Ingeborg Bjørnen hastened to one Harald Lunde's home. She believed that he was an active member of the resistance, and therefore might be able to help us, but he was not at home. Disappointed, she returned to her home to find her father, Hans Bjørnen, there. She told him where we were and after a short consultation, they decided that they would approach an acquaintance, one Mr. Kristian Evensen, to see if he would allow us the use of his boat in order to cross the North Sea. Ingeborg then went to a trusted friend Mr. Johannes Ferstadvoll, to persuade him to accompany her father to Mr. Evensen's home at Bjornaroy some distance away. He readily agreed and shortly the two men were on their way.
On her way back home from Mr. Ferstadvoll, Ingeborg found the route teeming with German soldiers who were looking for us. She scurried on home ahead of the searching soldiers. Hurriedly she filled a small container with milk, dashed out and eluding the Germans once again, came to us in the early afternoon. She reported that her father was attempting to get help to us; she could not impart other news as she had no knowledge of what was in the offing. She explained that the Germans were in the area in great numbers and that our position was very grave. In her words, "the danger of you being arrested is very great." She then informed us that the berries were edible, and she left us with little hope that we would see her again.
Ingeborg arrived back home to find that the Germans had taken over the homes on the cove, hers of course included. She was immediately questioned but she disclaimed any knowledge of our whereabouts. The officer in charge of the group informed her that he knew we were hiding somewhere on the mountain nearby. He declared that we were British commandos and very heavily armed. He imparted the information that we were cut off on the peninsula, that the whole area was surrounded and that our capture was imminent. He let it be known that he had no intention of risking the lives of his men by approaching us in the dark, that they would make camp there overnight, and flush us out in the morning.
On the pretext that she was going to pick berries for the Germans' breakfast, Ingeborg was able to come to us in the late evening. The news she had was grave. We were trapped. We were to be picked up by the Germans in the morning unless in some manner we could get off the peninsula.
During the early hours of that morning Einar Evensen, a group leader of the 2nd company of the Milorg (Norwegian Resistance} in Lepsoy, was at breakfast at his home in Bjørnaroy when his attention was drawn by the noise of our aircraft's approach. He ran out into his yard and quickly realized that the aircraft was in trouble and he watched as it passed overhead at a very low altitude, saw it tum toward Haugland, and realized that it was going to attempt an emergency landing. He knew that the terrain was very bad and that the chance of survival of any of the crew members were slim. He felt that if anyone had survived the crash, they most likely would be apprehended by the Germans. He nonetheless decided that if there were any survivors, he would do whatever possible to help them if the opportunity presented itself. With this in mind he hurried to make enquiries and much to his surprise learned that the crew had hurried from the crash scene in the direction of Bjørnen. He sought information as to our possible fate and whereabouts without any success until after 1:00 in the afternoon and then being hungry, returned home for some nourishment.
On his arrival home he found his father in the living room in serious discussion with Hans Bjørnen and Johannes Ferstadvoll. Einar realized that his morning search for the crew did not have to be continued into the afternoon when he heard Hans Bjørnen ask his father to allow him the use of his 30-foot motor boat in order for us to try to cross the North Sea to the Shetland Islands.
Kristian Evensen, Einar's father, was more than willing to let his boat be used, but argued that due to the bad condition of the motor it would not be wise to attempt a trip across the North Sea. Hans Bjørnen expressed his disappointment and told Einar that he wanted to do whatever possible to prevent the crew being captured by the Germans. They all readily agreed that the crew had to be taken off the peninsula that very night or, if not, capture was inevitable. The only way that this could possibly be done was by rowboat and that meant to enlist the help of others. Einar accepted the responsibility to enlist help and to find shelter and a secure hiding place for us if it were possible. Hans and Johannes agreed to see to it that the crew would be brought over to Trynevika, a small cove on Bjørnetrynet, that evening. Einar would arrange for the manpower and the boats to be at the rendezvous point. They then separated, each hurrying to carry out the tasks they had undertaken.
Einar set about enlisting men for the arduous and most dangerous job of manning the two rowboats that were to be used. Five men were selected, Einar being one. Torvald Jakobson, Magnus K. Rottingen, and Hans Holmefjord were three very strong and capable rowers and knew the waters well, Nils Rottingen, being a strong rower, known for his ardent opposition to the German occupation, who also spoke English having lived in the United States for some time, was the other man to be asked. They all very eagerly volunteered when they were asked to participate.
While all this activity was going on, Johan Viken and Jacob Hjelle, who were both active in the Milorg at Os, Jacob Hjelle being the leader, discussed the downed aircraft at Haugland. They had heard that the crew had been able to take to the hills and knew by all the German activity that up to that point in time the airmen had evaded capture. Jacob suggested to Johan, that he would not be surprised if their group would be contacted, as they were involved in hiding wanted people from the Germans, and their activity was known to some of the resistance groups in the area.
After their discussion Johan Viken contacted Magnus Hauge, who was the leader of the 2nd company of the Milorg in Os, by telephone, and in code asked if Magnus had heard of our whereabouts. Magnus, not knowing, replied that there was a shortage of potatoes nowadays, but he would try to see if he could manage to supply some in the next short while. Some time later the phone in Magnus's home rang once again. Einar Evensen was on the line wanting to arrange a meeting with Magnus for the following day in Lepsoy.
On Strono, a large island some five kilometres from the rendezvous point, the Milorg had been using a boathouse as a meeting place. It had been occupied earlier in the summer by the Germans but was considered to be a relatively safe place to hide us for a short period even though the German garrison at Rottingen was just across the water less than a quarter of a mile away and the trip to Strono would be very hazardous, passing many German sentry points along the way. The thought was that we were to stay in the boathouse during the hours of darkness, leave before daylight, climb up into the thickly wooded hills nearby and to remain hidden there during daylight hours, returning to the boathouse under cover of darkness in the late evening.
Early that evening the five men assembled and checked their equipment, muffled the oarlocks as best they could with pieces of rag, and assured themselves that all was in readiness for the journey to Bjornatrynet to pick us up. The men were silently grateful for the heavy clouds that had descended. At approximately eight o'clock, with relatively calm seas and a heavy drizzling rain, under cover of darkness they eagerly, yet nervously, got into their boats and rowed out, hugging the shoreline and hoping they would not be seen. Bjornafjord is roughly four kilometres wide at the point they entered it on their way to meet with us.
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After leaving us Ingeborg Bjørnen hastened to one Harald Lunde's home. She believed that he was an active member of the resistance, and therefore might be able to help us, but he was not at home. Disappointed, she returned to her home to find her father, Hans Bjørnen, there. She told him where we were and after a short consultation, they decided that they would approach an acquaintance, one Mr. Kristian Evensen, to see if he would allow us the use of his boat in order to cross the North Sea. Ingeborg then went to a trusted friend Mr. Johannes Ferstadvoll, to persuade him to accompany her father to Mr. Evensen's home at Bjornaroy some distance away. He readily agreed and shortly the two men were on their way.
On her way back home from Mr. Ferstadvoll, Ingeborg found the route teeming with German soldiers who were looking for us. She scurried on home ahead of the searching soldiers. Hurriedly she filled a small container with milk, dashed out and eluding the Germans once again, came to us in the early afternoon. She reported that her father was attempting to get help to us; she could not impart other news as she had no knowledge of what was in the offing. She explained that the Germans were in the area in great numbers and that our position was very grave. In her words, "the danger of you being arrested is very great." She then informed us that the berries were edible, and she left us with little hope that we would see her again.
Ingeborg arrived back home to find that the Germans had taken over the homes on the cove, hers of course included. She was immediately questioned but she disclaimed any knowledge of our whereabouts. The officer in charge of the group informed her that he knew we were hiding somewhere on the mountain nearby. He declared that we were British commandos and very heavily armed. He imparted the information that we were cut off on the peninsula, that the whole area was surrounded and that our capture was imminent. He let it be known that he had no intention of risking the lives of his men by approaching us in the dark, that they would make camp there overnight, and flush us out in the morning.
On the pretext that she was going to pick berries for the Germans' breakfast, Ingeborg was able to come to us in the late evening. The news she had was grave. We were trapped. We were to be picked up by the Germans in the morning unless in some manner we could get off the peninsula.
During the early hours of that morning Einar Evensen, a group leader of the 2nd company of the Milorg (Norwegian Resistance} in Lepsoy, was at breakfast at his home in Bjørnaroy when his attention was drawn by the noise of our aircraft's approach. He ran out into his yard and quickly realized that the aircraft was in trouble and he watched as it passed overhead at a very low altitude, saw it tum toward Haugland, and realized that it was going to attempt an emergency landing. He knew that the terrain was very bad and that the chance of survival of any of the crew members were slim. He felt that if anyone had survived the crash, they most likely would be apprehended by the Germans. He nonetheless decided that if there were any survivors, he would do whatever possible to help them if the opportunity presented itself. With this in mind he hurried to make enquiries and much to his surprise learned that the crew had hurried from the crash scene in the direction of Bjørnen. He sought information as to our possible fate and whereabouts without any success until after 1:00 in the afternoon and then being hungry, returned home for some nourishment.
On his arrival home he found his father in the living room in serious discussion with Hans Bjørnen and Johannes Ferstadvoll. Einar realized that his morning search for the crew did not have to be continued into the afternoon when he heard Hans Bjørnen ask his father to allow him the use of his 30-foot motor boat in order for us to try to cross the North Sea to the Shetland Islands.
Kristian Evensen, Einar's father, was more than willing to let his boat be used, but argued that due to the bad condition of the motor it would not be wise to attempt a trip across the North Sea. Hans Bjørnen expressed his disappointment and told Einar that he wanted to do whatever possible to prevent the crew being captured by the Germans. They all readily agreed that the crew had to be taken off the peninsula that very night or, if not, capture was inevitable. The only way that this could possibly be done was by rowboat and that meant to enlist the help of others. Einar accepted the responsibility to enlist help and to find shelter and a secure hiding place for us if it were possible. Hans and Johannes agreed to see to it that the crew would be brought over to Trynevika, a small cove on Bjørnetrynet, that evening. Einar would arrange for the manpower and the boats to be at the rendezvous point. They then separated, each hurrying to carry out the tasks they had undertaken.
Einar set about enlisting men for the arduous and most dangerous job of manning the two rowboats that were to be used. Five men were selected, Einar being one. Torvald Jakobson, Magnus K. Rottingen, and Hans Holmefjord were three very strong and capable rowers and knew the waters well, Nils Rottingen, being a strong rower, known for his ardent opposition to the German occupation, who also spoke English having lived in the United States for some time, was the other man to be asked. They all very eagerly volunteered when they were asked to participate.
While all this activity was going on, Johan Viken and Jacob Hjelle, who were both active in the Milorg at Os, Jacob Hjelle being the leader, discussed the downed aircraft at Haugland. They had heard that the crew had been able to take to the hills and knew by all the German activity that up to that point in time the airmen had evaded capture. Jacob suggested to Johan, that he would not be surprised if their group would be contacted, as they were involved in hiding wanted people from the Germans, and their activity was known to some of the resistance groups in the area.
After their discussion Johan Viken contacted Magnus Hauge, who was the leader of the 2nd company of the Milorg in Os, by telephone, and in code asked if Magnus had heard of our whereabouts. Magnus, not knowing, replied that there was a shortage of potatoes nowadays, but he would try to see if he could manage to supply some in the next short while. Some time later the phone in Magnus's home rang once again. Einar Evensen was on the line wanting to arrange a meeting with Magnus for the following day in Lepsoy.
On Strono, a large island some five kilometres from the rendezvous point, the Milorg had been using a boathouse as a meeting place. It had been occupied earlier in the summer by the Germans but was considered to be a relatively safe place to hide us for a short period even though the German garrison at Rottingen was just across the water less than a quarter of a mile away and the trip to Strono would be very hazardous, passing many German sentry points along the way. The thought was that we were to stay in the boathouse during the hours of darkness, leave before daylight, climb up into the thickly wooded hills nearby and to remain hidden there during daylight hours, returning to the boathouse under cover of darkness in the late evening.
Early that evening the five men assembled and checked their equipment, muffled the oarlocks as best they could with pieces of rag, and assured themselves that all was in readiness for the journey to Bjornatrynet to pick us up. The men were silently grateful for the heavy clouds that had descended. At approximately eight o'clock, with relatively calm seas and a heavy drizzling rain, under cover of darkness they eagerly, yet nervously, got into their boats and rowed out, hugging the shoreline and hoping they would not be seen. Bjornafjord is roughly four kilometres wide at the point they entered it on their way to meet with us.
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