October 1, 1944
Jakob Hjelle and Helén Mowinckel Nilsen waited all Sunday afternoon, eager to put the next phase of the rescue operation into effect. With them was 20-year old Haldor Øvredal.
Jakob Hjelle and Helén Mowinckel Nilsen waited all Sunday afternoon, eager to put the next phase of the rescue operation into effect. With them was 20-year old Haldor Øvredal.
Haldor Øvredal
Øvredal was among the most active resistance members in Os. For most of 1941, the Communist leader, Peder Furubotn, had been in the area, first in Lønningdal and then later in the interior town of Øvredal. The light-footed Øvredal had become a trusted courier for the fiery communist. Øvredal did not know Furubotn's [26] true identity, but knew that this man he was working for was a type who gave orders, not one who took them.
Once Furubotn gave Øvredal papers that were to be delivered to someone in Bergen, and told him to make sure the papers were not lost, stolen or taken by the Germans. Øvredal asked what he should do with the papers if arrested? “Eat them, boy!”
When Peder Furubotn left the area, he went by car to Bergen to take the train, with Øvredal as his armed escort to the train station. Fortunately, there was no need to use the gun, and Øvredal heaved a sigh of relief as Furubotn disappeared into the mail car.
In autumn 1942, a member of the resistance was arrested in Bergen. In one of his pockets, a Nazi police officer found a notebook containing the real names of three contacts. One of the names was Haldor Øvredal.
Late one rainy night, two members of the Gestapo arrived in Lønningdal. There they talked with the quick-witted woman who ran the small general store. They told her that they wanted to go to Øvredal to talk with a man named Haldor. She convinced them that the narrow path to the village along the lake was not usable at night – it was so twisty and uneven that they would be risking their lives to take it. They could take the boat she and the others used to go out on the lake, but it was so leaky that no one used it except in daylight. When the Gestapo agents had wished her “Gute Nacht” and left, the woman sent her son to Øvredal with a message that Haldor needed to go into hiding.
In January, Øvredal and a friend had stolen 200 kilos of dynamite from a bunker in Åsane, a few miles north of Bergen. The stolen goods were taken by Saborg [27] to one of Peder Furubotn's farms. While Øvredal would have been happy to do things like that on a daily basis, living in hiding from day to day was difficult for a hot-blooded young man. Øvredal was excited when he learned that the Canadians would now be coming to the woods where he lived.
On their arrival at Lønningdal, Evensen told the others to wait near the boat. He went to the store where he borrowed the phone and called Magnus Hauge. “I'm here in Lønningdal with the potatoes. I did not see anybody waiting for them, and need to know who to deliver them to.”
“You were lucky to get me at home, I was thinking of going to the movies,” said Hauge playing his role well. He had to maintain their cover for anyone who might overhear the conversation. Hauge told Evensen that they could take the bags of potatoes down to a specific location and they would soon be picked up. Hauge's sister went to Mowinckel Nilsen with the message that the crew had arrived, and Mowinckel Nilsen, Hjelle and Øvredal headed down to the sea. Hjelle posted lookouts in the area.
Half an hour after leaving them, Evensen returned to the boat and gestured for the Canadians to follow him. They headed into the trees and eventually came to a small isolated fishing cabin. The place exuded peace and tranquility. After some effort, Jakobsen managed to open the door, and all went inside. The Norwegians stood in a corner of the cabin and with the dictionary in front of them and much waving of arms and gesturing, tried to explain the plan.
They then all headed out again. This time their destination was a group of three boathouses. The Norwegians opened the door to the one in the middle, which was in the best condition. Evensen explained that the Canadians had to stay in the boathouse and that others would soon come to fetch them. After Jakobsen had snapped shut the padlock on the outside of the door, he and Evensen happily set off in search of a liquor smuggler for a major purchase – their part of the rescue was over.
A ladder in the boathouse led to a ceiling hatch. The room above the hatch was a storeroom for fishing equipment and boat repair materials and smelled of tar and rope. It was large enough for all of them to fit into.
After a long day's voyage, they were too tired to think too seriously about their situation. All agreed that the best thing to do now would be to get some sleep. Five men stretched out on the floor and fell asleep in a flash, while Firestone again took the first watch.
The Germans did not have a permanent garrison in Lønningdal, but a five or six man bicycle patrol from the Haugsneset base came through the area several times per day. The resistance monitored the patrols. The Germans made it easier on the Norwegians because the patrols went out at the same time every day.
While the Canadians were hiding in the boathouse, the bike patrol was on its way down the hillside towards Lønningdal. They chatted as they slowed, stopped and got off their bikes for a rest, unaware that every move was being watched by one of Hjelle's lookouts. After five minutes, they got back on their bikes. Their next stop was at the shore, where they rested their bikes against a rock wall. For some reason, one of them fired two shots into the air, and then they all got up to go across the field and investigate the boathouses. Hjelle, Mowinckel Nilsen and Øvredal were hiding close by, each one armed with a gun.
A few minutes after Firestone had begun his watch, he heard the sound of footsteps outside the walls. The door rattled and he was able to distinguish several voices. He gently came up to Maurice Neil, who was closest. Neil opened his eyes and started to get up before Firestone held him down and signaled him to be quiet. To avoid making noise, they did not wake the rest. They heard that the language outside was German, and that one voice stood out. Eventually, the voices from outside went away and Maurice Neil was able to go to sleep again.
The trio in hiding in the bushes watched and listened to the Germans. When the cycle patrol had arrived at the three boathouses, they went into two of them and investigated. But when they were at the third, they fiddled with the “verdamte” padlock, and their leader said they should not bother with it. Mowinckel Nilsen heard the leader say that “die kerle” (“the men”) probably were not trapped in a locked boathouse. They all knew who the German was referring to.
A good while after the Germans had left, Firestone heard the door below them open and someone enter. He waited a few seconds, and then crawled on all fours to the hatch and saw a man half-way up the ladder. The figure on the ladder was Long John. He asked Firestone if they were still in good shape or if anyone needed any medical attention.
The others all awoke when they heard the conversation, and all assured him that they were still in good condition. Long John told them that he had to take care of a few things, but should be back in a few minutes and they should be ready to follow him when he got back.
Unfortunately, the nice weather had given way to rain again.
Once Furubotn gave Øvredal papers that were to be delivered to someone in Bergen, and told him to make sure the papers were not lost, stolen or taken by the Germans. Øvredal asked what he should do with the papers if arrested? “Eat them, boy!”
When Peder Furubotn left the area, he went by car to Bergen to take the train, with Øvredal as his armed escort to the train station. Fortunately, there was no need to use the gun, and Øvredal heaved a sigh of relief as Furubotn disappeared into the mail car.
In autumn 1942, a member of the resistance was arrested in Bergen. In one of his pockets, a Nazi police officer found a notebook containing the real names of three contacts. One of the names was Haldor Øvredal.
Late one rainy night, two members of the Gestapo arrived in Lønningdal. There they talked with the quick-witted woman who ran the small general store. They told her that they wanted to go to Øvredal to talk with a man named Haldor. She convinced them that the narrow path to the village along the lake was not usable at night – it was so twisty and uneven that they would be risking their lives to take it. They could take the boat she and the others used to go out on the lake, but it was so leaky that no one used it except in daylight. When the Gestapo agents had wished her “Gute Nacht” and left, the woman sent her son to Øvredal with a message that Haldor needed to go into hiding.
In January, Øvredal and a friend had stolen 200 kilos of dynamite from a bunker in Åsane, a few miles north of Bergen. The stolen goods were taken by Saborg [27] to one of Peder Furubotn's farms. While Øvredal would have been happy to do things like that on a daily basis, living in hiding from day to day was difficult for a hot-blooded young man. Øvredal was excited when he learned that the Canadians would now be coming to the woods where he lived.
On their arrival at Lønningdal, Evensen told the others to wait near the boat. He went to the store where he borrowed the phone and called Magnus Hauge. “I'm here in Lønningdal with the potatoes. I did not see anybody waiting for them, and need to know who to deliver them to.”
“You were lucky to get me at home, I was thinking of going to the movies,” said Hauge playing his role well. He had to maintain their cover for anyone who might overhear the conversation. Hauge told Evensen that they could take the bags of potatoes down to a specific location and they would soon be picked up. Hauge's sister went to Mowinckel Nilsen with the message that the crew had arrived, and Mowinckel Nilsen, Hjelle and Øvredal headed down to the sea. Hjelle posted lookouts in the area.
Half an hour after leaving them, Evensen returned to the boat and gestured for the Canadians to follow him. They headed into the trees and eventually came to a small isolated fishing cabin. The place exuded peace and tranquility. After some effort, Jakobsen managed to open the door, and all went inside. The Norwegians stood in a corner of the cabin and with the dictionary in front of them and much waving of arms and gesturing, tried to explain the plan.
They then all headed out again. This time their destination was a group of three boathouses. The Norwegians opened the door to the one in the middle, which was in the best condition. Evensen explained that the Canadians had to stay in the boathouse and that others would soon come to fetch them. After Jakobsen had snapped shut the padlock on the outside of the door, he and Evensen happily set off in search of a liquor smuggler for a major purchase – their part of the rescue was over.
A ladder in the boathouse led to a ceiling hatch. The room above the hatch was a storeroom for fishing equipment and boat repair materials and smelled of tar and rope. It was large enough for all of them to fit into.
After a long day's voyage, they were too tired to think too seriously about their situation. All agreed that the best thing to do now would be to get some sleep. Five men stretched out on the floor and fell asleep in a flash, while Firestone again took the first watch.
The Germans did not have a permanent garrison in Lønningdal, but a five or six man bicycle patrol from the Haugsneset base came through the area several times per day. The resistance monitored the patrols. The Germans made it easier on the Norwegians because the patrols went out at the same time every day.
While the Canadians were hiding in the boathouse, the bike patrol was on its way down the hillside towards Lønningdal. They chatted as they slowed, stopped and got off their bikes for a rest, unaware that every move was being watched by one of Hjelle's lookouts. After five minutes, they got back on their bikes. Their next stop was at the shore, where they rested their bikes against a rock wall. For some reason, one of them fired two shots into the air, and then they all got up to go across the field and investigate the boathouses. Hjelle, Mowinckel Nilsen and Øvredal were hiding close by, each one armed with a gun.
A few minutes after Firestone had begun his watch, he heard the sound of footsteps outside the walls. The door rattled and he was able to distinguish several voices. He gently came up to Maurice Neil, who was closest. Neil opened his eyes and started to get up before Firestone held him down and signaled him to be quiet. To avoid making noise, they did not wake the rest. They heard that the language outside was German, and that one voice stood out. Eventually, the voices from outside went away and Maurice Neil was able to go to sleep again.
The trio in hiding in the bushes watched and listened to the Germans. When the cycle patrol had arrived at the three boathouses, they went into two of them and investigated. But when they were at the third, they fiddled with the “verdamte” padlock, and their leader said they should not bother with it. Mowinckel Nilsen heard the leader say that “die kerle” (“the men”) probably were not trapped in a locked boathouse. They all knew who the German was referring to.
A good while after the Germans had left, Firestone heard the door below them open and someone enter. He waited a few seconds, and then crawled on all fours to the hatch and saw a man half-way up the ladder. The figure on the ladder was Long John. He asked Firestone if they were still in good shape or if anyone needed any medical attention.
The others all awoke when they heard the conversation, and all assured him that they were still in good condition. Long John told them that he had to take care of a few things, but should be back in a few minutes and they should be ready to follow him when he got back.
Unfortunately, the nice weather had given way to rain again.