It was early in the morning on 26/09 1944 just before 08.00 hours, I was sitting at the breakfast table in my home at Björnaroy, looking through the window. It was a grey morning in the autumn with a fairly good visibility. I was studying the set up for the day or, more correctly for the evening and the night. The reason for this "thinking activity" was that the Mil.Org. group which I led at Lepsoy had important tasks to execute. This referred especially to a weapon transport from Austevoll to Os.
The plane is being spotted
My thoughts were quickly interrupted.
There were planes in the air, and from the sound I heard that they were not German. Consequently, they had to be - yes - no doubt about it, it must be our friends from the West who wanted to give us a handshake to show that they were, after all, not very distant.
These thoughts ran through my head while I hurried into the yard to see and follow this unexpected morning visit.
As I stood in the yard, I quickly spotted the plane. It was a twin-screwed bomber coming in from the West at low altitude. But to me it seemed as if something was wrong. What mattered was the speed. Tardy as a heavy-pulled barge, it passed over me and headed for Os and then turned towards Haugland. Shortly afterwards it went down and landed. To me it seemed as if it hit the ground close to the youngsters' dance hall.
That it was a damaged plane with friends onboard that had to make an emergency landing was instantly obvious to me. The question was only whether the landing had been successful, or the crew had perished.
As far as I could see from where I stood the plane had landed about 1.5 kilometers from the quay at Halhjem. Here the ground was very uneven and the chances for a successful outcome were indeed small. If, nevertheless they should have survived the Germans had a strong guard on the quay at Halhjem, likewise a force at Os only 7 km. away and Ulven which formed the main military quarter was only 12 to 14 km away.
As circumstances were, it was most likely that, if any or the airman were alive, they would have been surrounded and apprehended already at the landing. It must here be added that the chief pilot must have been a very efficient and calculating man who miraculously managed to bring down the plane without hurting any of the crew.
What has here been said was confirmed during the following sta1 and during the transportation which the airmen later on had to endure.
The escape from the plane
As I have already mentioned there was a guard at Halhjem only 1.5 km. away. Luckily a replacement of the watch guard was taking place at the moment and therefore the reaction there was equal to nil. As the Germans arrived at the landing area, they were so late that Magnus Askvik who was the first to gain contact with the airmen had been able to lead them away from the plane without meeting the Germans. The place called Björnen is a peninsula leading away from Os towards the Björnefjord. From the landing area and to the furthermost point of Björnen there is an air-line distance of only 3 to 5 km. Here at Björnen there lived 5 families and here the airmen came into contact with Hans and Ingeborg Björnen (father and daughter). Ingeborg who mastered the English language was thereby of great help.
The plane is being spotted
My thoughts were quickly interrupted.
There were planes in the air, and from the sound I heard that they were not German. Consequently, they had to be - yes - no doubt about it, it must be our friends from the West who wanted to give us a handshake to show that they were, after all, not very distant.
These thoughts ran through my head while I hurried into the yard to see and follow this unexpected morning visit.
As I stood in the yard, I quickly spotted the plane. It was a twin-screwed bomber coming in from the West at low altitude. But to me it seemed as if something was wrong. What mattered was the speed. Tardy as a heavy-pulled barge, it passed over me and headed for Os and then turned towards Haugland. Shortly afterwards it went down and landed. To me it seemed as if it hit the ground close to the youngsters' dance hall.
That it was a damaged plane with friends onboard that had to make an emergency landing was instantly obvious to me. The question was only whether the landing had been successful, or the crew had perished.
As far as I could see from where I stood the plane had landed about 1.5 kilometers from the quay at Halhjem. Here the ground was very uneven and the chances for a successful outcome were indeed small. If, nevertheless they should have survived the Germans had a strong guard on the quay at Halhjem, likewise a force at Os only 7 km. away and Ulven which formed the main military quarter was only 12 to 14 km away.
As circumstances were, it was most likely that, if any or the airman were alive, they would have been surrounded and apprehended already at the landing. It must here be added that the chief pilot must have been a very efficient and calculating man who miraculously managed to bring down the plane without hurting any of the crew.
What has here been said was confirmed during the following sta1 and during the transportation which the airmen later on had to endure.
The escape from the plane
As I have already mentioned there was a guard at Halhjem only 1.5 km. away. Luckily a replacement of the watch guard was taking place at the moment and therefore the reaction there was equal to nil. As the Germans arrived at the landing area, they were so late that Magnus Askvik who was the first to gain contact with the airmen had been able to lead them away from the plane without meeting the Germans. The place called Björnen is a peninsula leading away from Os towards the Björnefjord. From the landing area and to the furthermost point of Björnen there is an air-line distance of only 3 to 5 km. Here at Björnen there lived 5 families and here the airmen came into contact with Hans and Ingeborg Björnen (father and daughter). Ingeborg who mastered the English language was thereby of great help.