Lars Orrebakken was an important part of Milorg's supply system in western Norway. He had frequently used his boat to ferry men, weapons and supplies. Orrebakken had agreed to take the pilots to Austevoll and had over fifty liters of diesel fuel that had been liberated from the sheriff's supply. Shortly before the scheduled rendezvous, Orrebakken was out on the bay in his boat, the “Snøgg.” It was powered by a type of engine known as a “semi-diesel,” known in Norwegian as an “oppfyringsmotor.” [32]
The Restored Snogg in 2004
Heggland reported from the potato field that the German bike patrol was on its way into Lønningdal. Hjelle and Mowinckel Nilsen had hoped to get the flight crew out before they patrol arrived, but they decided that the best approach would be to wait until they passed.
Fortunately, Orrebakken saw the German patrol up in the hills, so he changed course and kept his boat out on the water.
The soldiers stopped in the road overlooking the boathouse where the Canadians were hidden and took a break from their beat. They were obviously having a competition to see who could walk the farthest along a beam. They had to do something to amuse themselves in a place where so little happened. They told jokes and laughed before climbing back on their bikes. Both the Canadians and the Norwegians watched them through cracks in the walls. Several of them were sweating with tension.
Once the patrol was out of sight, Snøgg headed into the dock. Øvredal was assigned to continue to accompany the Canadians on the Snøgg. Hjelle equipped him with a Sten-gun with five ammunition clips. They were going to have to communicate with hand signs and gestures because neither Orrebakken nor Øvredal knew English.
Before the boat headed back out, the aircrew thanked Hjelle for everything he had done for them. They hoped to meet again in more peaceful times The Canadians did not know Hjelle's role in the hierarchy of the underground, but it was clear that this quiet and even taciturn man's word was law. Mowinckel Nilsen's parting words were that he wanted to visit Canada after the war and climb to the top of Mount Logan with all of them.
On board the Snøgg, only skipper Orrebakken and Øvredal were above deck, the Canadians stayed down below deck. As they headed out towards Bjørnafjord, they could count nearly 20 warships, most of them surface ships. As they passed them, sometimes as close as a half cable-length away, they would wave and the German sailors waved back.
When they passed by the u-boat base, Øvredal had Gordon Biddle take a look because the pilot wanted to memorize the landmarks there in the event that he would one day return in a new bomber.
Orrebakken did not set a direct course to Austevoll, which would have seemed suspicious, even now two weeks after the crash-landing. Besides which, he had lots of time. He swung Snøgg to the south of an island near Tysnes to a hidden cove and waited for a couple of hours.
When Orrebakken started up again, the passengers were surprised to see him light a lantern and place it sizzling on top of the boat's engine. When it became red hot, he pulled the flywheel of the engine as hard as he could. The engine came to life with a cough, and when it was running steadily, he put out the lamp.
The Canadians had never seen anyone start a semi-diesel before. Their facial expressions made it obvious that they were wondering if they would survive the experience. But Snøgg, undamaged, headed out over the fjord and made its way to tiny Ospøy far to the east in Austevoll. The aircrew went ashore there, and the two boat crew-members bade them farewell and headed home, still in broad daylight.
The Canadians scrambled inland over the rocks so that they could not be seen by passing boats. To their great surprise saw a tall and extremely thin man with a package under his arm. On his head was a fishing cap that resembled a sailors uniform hat. He spoke to them in a mixture of Portuguese and Norwegian, with a dash of German and an occasional English word thrown in for good measure. He made it clear that he would join them on their trip west. Since he was alone and apparently unarmed, they did not perceive him as a threat. He was Johannes Jakobsen, the brother of Torvald Jakobsen, who had helped them earlier.
The Canadians had not waited long before they saw a fishing boat heading towards them with two men on board. The Canadians hid so that they could not be seen from the boat, but Johannes Jakobsen got up and motioned for the Canadians to follow him. They went down to the boat and were waved on board. As soon as the last man was on deck, the boat headed back out onto the fjord. The boat was longer and wider than any of the others the Canadians had been on.
Sverre Østervoll
The fishing boat's captain was Sverre Østervoll, who was the primary contact for the Shetland boat operations in Austevoll. He was the intermediary between Shetland and the various underground groups in western Norway. His contact in Bergen was Edvard Navdahl, who supplied Østervoll with provisions and equipment for his boat.
With its peeling paint and brown tattered sails rolling around the boom, the boat looked like an old-fashioned smuggling vessel, and in fact, it was used for smuggling, albeit smuggling in the service of the King of Norway. In recent years the boat had carried agents and weapons into the country, smuggling them past the Germans.
Østervoll pointed both with his head and one hand that they should go below deck, where they gathered in a narrow cabin, while Østervoll's mate, Sverre Monsen, took the wheel. Østervoll asked them if they wanted to smoke. When several of them nodded eagerly, he gave them a small tin of tobacco and papers so they could roll their own. The mood had improved considerably in the last few minutes and rose another notch when they saw that the tobacco container proclaimed that its contents were exclusive to the Royal Navy. When they took off the lid, they found fresh fine-cut tobacco. The aroma told them that this was something totally different from the homegrown they had been offered in Norway.
Even at this stage there had been some lingering doubt in the Canadians' minds. They found it hard to believe that they could have avoided capture in the middle of such a heavily fortified district. But the British tobacco was a reassuring indication that they were with people who had contact with Allied naval units.
Two of the Canadians went up with Østervoll in the wheelhouse. His English was not perfect, but he was easy to understand, especially with all the gestures, and let them know that they had to go below deck again if Germans appeared. The boat had gone a couple of nautical miles when another boat rounded a cape and came up alongside them. The Canadians were worried at first, but they soon recognized both the boat and the man on it. It was Einar Evensen, who had came to say good bye. He saluted them and wished them good luck. He waved and bowed. Evensen was in the area because he had brought Johannes Jakobsen to the rendezvous point in Ospøy.
As they continued heading west among the islands and rocks, the Canadians began to hope that sooner or later when they looked up, they would see Britain. But instead of King George's islands, they got a glimpse of one of King Haakon's windswept islands, Kjøpmannsholmen, which was very close to the shipping channel and to the place where the aircrew were to be picked up for the last leg of their journey. [A]
With its peeling paint and brown tattered sails rolling around the boom, the boat looked like an old-fashioned smuggling vessel, and in fact, it was used for smuggling, albeit smuggling in the service of the King of Norway. In recent years the boat had carried agents and weapons into the country, smuggling them past the Germans.
Østervoll pointed both with his head and one hand that they should go below deck, where they gathered in a narrow cabin, while Østervoll's mate, Sverre Monsen, took the wheel. Østervoll asked them if they wanted to smoke. When several of them nodded eagerly, he gave them a small tin of tobacco and papers so they could roll their own. The mood had improved considerably in the last few minutes and rose another notch when they saw that the tobacco container proclaimed that its contents were exclusive to the Royal Navy. When they took off the lid, they found fresh fine-cut tobacco. The aroma told them that this was something totally different from the homegrown they had been offered in Norway.
Even at this stage there had been some lingering doubt in the Canadians' minds. They found it hard to believe that they could have avoided capture in the middle of such a heavily fortified district. But the British tobacco was a reassuring indication that they were with people who had contact with Allied naval units.
Two of the Canadians went up with Østervoll in the wheelhouse. His English was not perfect, but he was easy to understand, especially with all the gestures, and let them know that they had to go below deck again if Germans appeared. The boat had gone a couple of nautical miles when another boat rounded a cape and came up alongside them. The Canadians were worried at first, but they soon recognized both the boat and the man on it. It was Einar Evensen, who had came to say good bye. He saluted them and wished them good luck. He waved and bowed. Evensen was in the area because he had brought Johannes Jakobsen to the rendezvous point in Ospøy.
As they continued heading west among the islands and rocks, the Canadians began to hope that sooner or later when they looked up, they would see Britain. But instead of King George's islands, they got a glimpse of one of King Haakon's windswept islands, Kjøpmannsholmen, which was very close to the shipping channel and to the place where the aircrew were to be picked up for the last leg of their journey. [A]