Actually we were supposed to leave quietly, but whoever had written the letter in English had whispered to his friend, who had whispered to their friend and so on, and by the time we left in the afternoon half the entourage was standing, waving watching us leave. Probably most of them never expected to see us again. It was difficult to understand why the Germans with their meticulous patrolling of the skies, were not interested in attacking fishing vessels, which were heading north.
We headed out to sea and rounded the southern tip of Frøya and then headed northwest. When we were so far out it was advisable for us to turn northeast and then run parallel with the coast. In the morning we turned southeastwards again and around 5–6pm we came back to Sauøy in Froan, which was our assigned meeting place. It was a brilliant trip with a flat sea and the sun setting into the ocean, but we didn’t even see a hint of smoke from British warships.
Meanwhile, whilst Gleditsch and Grieg were at sea searching for the Royal Navy a memo had been dispatched to the Bank of England from the Admiralty discussing the whereabouts of the remaining bullion. Officials in the UK had absolutely no idea where it was. One consignment was safe in the vaults of the Bank of England and the other was inbound to the UK aboard HMS Glasgow, but a further consignment was still unaccounted for. The following memo gives an insight on the confusion:
Military Branch,
Admiralty, S.W.1.
2nd May, 1940
M.07972/40
SECRET.
Dear Bolton,
We have heard that one of H.M. Ships has onboard about 23 tons of Norwegian gold and will probably bring it to the Clyde within the next few days. I will phone exact details when known, and no doubt you will tell us how to dispose of it.
We do not yet know where the remaining gold is. Apparently there are some 11 tons more to trace.
Meanwhile, whilst concerns were being raised in the UK, Haslund took the opportunity to contact various officials to discuss the best possible route to get the bullion northwards and away from the Germans. If Gleditsch and Grieg failed in their attempt to find an allied ship then he reasoned that it would be wise to have a back-up plan of some sort. As a result the Mayor of Sør-Frøya and the local police chief were located and invited to discussions with Haslund and his boat skippers to thrash out some sort of plan. Haslund’s report goes on:169
After several discussions with the skippers of the puffers and the local authorities I decided to split the expedition in two, one for the gold and one for the passengers. If it was the case that the Germans had been informed about the transport then there was the possibility of loss of life especially since the expedition consisted of 70–80 people. Besides, experience had told us that it was difficult to find places to stay and food to eat for all these people at the places we arrived at.
The decision to split the transport in two was a judicious one. In an effort to reduce the numbers of travellers further, Haslund, via Major Sunde, dismissed the military guard and saw to it that the men were paid off properly ensuring that they were rewarded for their service and had enough cash to enable them travel back to their homes. Before they took their leave the final duty of the soldiers was to load the two fishing boats with the bullion.
Constant loading and unloading of the bullion had been a backbreaking affair yet the soldiers shouldered their fiscal freight without complaint. They had completed their duty for Norway, but a number of years would pass before their part in the transport would be fully recognised.
Some soldiers wanted to continue the journey north hoping to meet up with the remains of the Norwegian army and carry on the fight against the Germans. Sergeant Alf Pahlow Andresen was one such soldier and he recounts his feelings and observations at that time:170
It was an untenable situation for the gold. We kept looking for the British, but they were not looking for us. The journey continued from Titran and Frøya. Every hour was valuable. Haslund and Gerhardsen agreed that the gold and the people should be split up. At Titran we said goodbye to Nordahl Grieg – the strangest, happiest, eager soldier you have ever known and the most useful. The last image I have of him was with his arms full of signal flags and heading down for a boat to look for the Royal Navy. Throughout the whole journey, independent of miserable conditions, there had been a wealth of humour and uncompromising optimism. The soldiers from Gudbrandsdal adored him and they all lit up when he came and they missed him when he left. The transport of personnel now separate from the gold, Gerhardsen gave a masterly speech considering the dangers of travelling northwards. After the speech most people preferred to go back to Oslo or wherever they came from in the east. There were 16 of us left to travel to Tromsø and we just about filled up the boat. At the same time the guard troop that was dismissed were each given 100 Krone from one of the large boxes as a thank you for the job. That must be quite below the going rate for the job. I myself received 200 Krone since I was an officer. Most of the money I spent on buying some decent boots and therefore could look forward to continuing the journey with dry feet. I had almost forgotten what it was like to be dry and warm around my feet.
With the dismissal of the majority of the military guard the passenger numbers had now been reduced somewhat. Also, others had decided to either return to Oslo or make for elsewhere other than north, which enabled Haslund to work out how much sea-transport was required to carry the bullion and remaining passengers northwards.
It was envisaged that three large boats were needed. At this point Haslund called upon the local Lensmann, Hans Ruø, who assisted by using his influence to secure vessels. A plan was discussed and it was decided that two of the fishing boats, Alfhild II and the Stølvåg would take the bullion, around 9–10 tons each. Alfhild II was approximately 20 metres in length (65ft) with the Stølvåg being slightly shorter. The third vessel, a passenger boat named as the Snorre had been detailed to carry the travellers and this particular vessel was commanded by Einar Gerhardsen, who had requisitioned some cash from Haslund so that he could secure equipment as well as purchase food for the journey.
Having being driven to the meeting point by car the entourage boarded the boat and they sailed forth to Tromsø in favourable weather arriving on May 10th. Gerhardsen and his motley bunch of passengers had made it safely and without incident.
Haslund’s thinking was once again proved right. He removed various risks such as the passengers and the dismissal of the guard soldiers, but he also ordered the telephone lines to be cut, temporarily at least, until the bullion had been embarked and the boats sailed for Sauøy. Rumours of Germans close by, traitors and Fifth columnists abounded with despairing regularity and Haslund had to ensure that the bullion sailed without it becoming known immediately to the enemy.171 Radio broadcasts were unreliable, as was word of mouth and it was plain to Haslund, and others, that the situation in Norway was virtually unsustainable. He had to play it his way. As an engineer he knew there could be no half measures: it was either success or failure.
With the return of Gleditsch and Grieg, Haslund went about securing food, clothes and equipment. It was agreed that the skipper of the Roald, Alf Larsen, could depart with his boat and scout for any enemy activity and to report back at once if he spotted anything unusual or hostile. The remaining puffers, once provisioned, could leave at two-hour intervals, but then meet up later at Langsundet near Vikna. The initial passage would be between the islands and skerries, which would afford a little protection from German eyes and then on to the Langsundet.
Stølvåg’s commander was to be Haslund with Grieg as his second officer, whilst on Alfhild II Gleditsch was in charge with the lawyer, Aake Ording as his No 2 and Nini Gleditsch, who was responsible for the food. It’s worth pointing out that Nordahl Grieg was now the only soldier to accompany the gold.
With Alf Larsen of the Roald reporting back that the way was clear for the boats Haslund gave the orders to leave port and on the evening of May 4th the boats set out from Sauøy maintaining their discreet distances between each ot
her. No incidents of note occurred and once again, fortune smiled graciously upon Haslund and his band of gold smugglers as they reached Viknasundet on Sunday May 5th. Alf Larsen, skipper of the Roald was now paid off and he duly returned to Frøya with his boat.
Despite their successes Haslund now had a problem that was beyond even his control – daylight. The month of May was well into her stride and the long winter nights had been replaced by fine spring weather and pleasant days. In Norway as summer approaches the hours of darkness become much shorter with each passing day and mid-summer was but a few short weeks away making it more and more difficult for the boats to hide away from the prowling Luftwaffe. Haslund decided to chance his luck and ordered the boats to push on and make for Bjørn On Dønna arriving there on May 6th.
With no radio to contact the authorities to determine the current situation Haslund was left with no alternative but to risk his security, and that of the transport, by stepping ashore to investigate whether any households possessed a telephone that he could borrow. Again, fortune smiled and Haslund, persuading a house owner to lend him their telephone, managed to make a call to the Police in Sandessjøen. As a consequence of that call Haslund travelled to the village whereupon he was informed of the desperate situation Norway was in, but that the north was still free. Reports indicated that the government was at Tromsø – as was the Royal Navy and that meant that to protect the north from the Kriegsmarine there would be mines and understandably, no one had considered the needs of a small flotilla of fishing vessels carrying gold bullion puffing its way up the west coast.
Haslund returned to his fishing vessel and immediately ordered the boats to split up, but to meet at Vågsøyan, a small port just north of Bodø. On Tuesday May 7th the two fishing vessels rendezvoused as arranged at the port; Haslund stepped ashore alone. Managing to secure the services of a car he took a short ride to Bodø to seek out the military commander for the area, Captain Gløersen. Haslund needed to know exactly what minefields the British had lain at Vestfjord and whether he could get through with his two fishing vessels. Once again security and safety was uppermost for Haslund. It would have been easier for the flotilla to have sailed for Bodø in the first place, acquire provisions and then make ready for passage north again, but Haslund didn’t want to court unnecessary attention and have to answer awkward questions. He just could not take that chance. It would have only taken one call to the Germans from a sympathiser to have totally ruined the operation.
Having acquired the information he was seeking, as well as enough provisions for the journey, Haslund returned to the boats. The flotilla moved off on the night of May 8th crossing Vestfjord and arriving at Svolvær whereupon they established contact with a Norwegian guard ship and its commanding officer, Captain Myrseth. At this point Haslund was completely exhausted. He was desperate for a pilot to guide them through the final phase of the journey. To his huge relief, Myrseth stepped into the breach and a short while later Haslund had his pilot onboard steering the small flotilla safely through the waterways and sounds towards Tromsø. The journey passed without incident…well, almost. The fishing vessel Stølvåg, whilst crossing Andfjorden, found itself following in the wake of a submarine periscope. Understandably, this caused some alarm on the boat, but the sub appeared not to have seen the fishing vessel and it took no action against it. Haslund later wrote:172
As we crossed the fjord we spotted a submarine in front of us, about 20–30 metres away. It paid no attention to us and we assumed that we had not been spotted. We crossed to land and reported what we had seen to the authorities via telephone. An hour or so later we saw an aircraft approaching. We also signaled a British destroyer that picked up speed and headed straight for the position we had given them. After a while we believed we could hear some distant explosions from depth charges.
Stølvåg and Alfhild II, with their precious cargo intact, arrived safely together at Tromsø. It was May 9th. Haslund’s task was almost over.
14
Welcome Arrivals
Just seven weeks earlier, Oscar Torp, the Finance Minister had been searching for a leader to take on the task of denying the Germans 50 tons of Norwegian gold. His ‘job description’ demanded someone with qualities of honesty, leadership, vision, and a resolve to successfully complete the job whatever the conditions. Given the need for urgency, Torp’s choice of Haslund had been a remarkable one.
The mission was almost over, but there was still the issue of transporting the gold back to the UK before Norway was completely over-run. The emotions of those involved with the final phase of the transport have not been recorded so one can only speculate upon the utter relief that must have been felt by all. Haslund, having completed his task with getting the gold away to safety, considered his duty was now almost over. Little did he know at that time that his services would soon once again be in demand.
Torp was already at Tromsø when the bullion flotilla arrived. His faith in Fredrik Haslund and his ability to come through had been unshakeable, but even Torp’s sighs of relief must have been audible to those near him. The following day, May 10th, Haslund met with Torp to verbally deliver his report concerning the transport. Discussions naturally ensued on what to do with the gold. The decision was made to keep the bullion on the fishing vessels for now, but it was agreed that the cash would be handed over to the Tromsø branch of Norges Bank, and this was done the next day. Norges Bank had now been re-organised and Tromsø was regarded as the Main Office with Arnold Ræstad head of Norges Bank. With the cash handed over, Torp took the opportunity to visit the two fishing boats, at that point anchored in Telegraph Bay. The skippers and crews were gathered together and were thanked profusely for their endeavours on behalf of the Norwegian Government, but Torp had something else to say and he chose the occasion to inform Haslund and Grieg that they would be staying with the gold and would escort it to the UK on a British warship.
For the next few days the gold bullion resided in the hold of the Alfhild II anchored in Telegraph Bay. To move the bullion shore side was seen as unnecessary as events in Norway were deteriorating by the day and there could be a need to move out at short notice. Furthermore, it was deemed that the bullion was just as safe on the boats as it was on shore – perhaps more so. There was simply no need to take risks at this stage. Meanwhile, some of those who had assisted in the transport now sought jobs elsewhere, desperate to help out where possible. Norges Bank in Tromsø took on Ording, whilst Kristian Gleditsch became a translator for the French at Harstad. Nini Gleditsch took employment with the Ministry of Trade. Nordahl Grieg, despite being placed on readiness to sail with the bullion back to England, occupied himself with what he was best at – inspired and imaginative prose; born from that dark, sombre and chaotic period was a poem so beautifully written that when Grieg later read it out in person over the radio it reduced many Norwegians to tears. The poem, titled ‘Today the Flagpole is Naked’ is regarded by many as a classic of its time.
NB Nini Gleditsch was not the only woman onboard the puffers as they made their way to Tromsø. Kari Berggrav, an assistant with the Norwegian Information Office, took part in the operation. She was working as a photographer and had taken many pictures of the war in Southern Norway. Unfortunately, these images were later lost in a fire.
With the remaining gold safe at Tromsø, word had been received in the UK that the bullion had been located and was safe, but that transport to a safe haven in the UK was required quickly. The Admiralty, in accordance with its promise to keep the Bank of England informed dispatched the following signal to Mr Bolton.
Military Branch
Admiralty, S.W.1.
12th May, 1940
M.07972/40
SECRET AND PERSONAL
Dear Bolton,
We are informed that the remaining Norwegian gold – about 20 tons – has been located in Northern Norway, and the Norwegian Government would like it removed to the United Kingdom as soon as possible.
We have given instructions a
ccordingly to the Naval Authorities.
I will let you know of its arrival in due course.
Yours sincerely,
G. F Bolton, Esq.,
Bank of England
Threadneedle Street,
E.C.3.
During the night of May 19th and the early hours of the 20th the authorities decided, for operational reasons, that the bullion from the fishing vessel Stølvåg should be transferred with immediate effect to Alfhild 11, which with the extra weight left her understandably low in the water. Astonishingly, not all the gold was transferred and it wasn’t until the crew of the Stølvåg checked the manifesto that they found around 20kg of gold had been left behind in the hold. The matter was reported to Gleditsch and the situation quickly remedied.
Transferring the bullion freed the Stølvåg for use by the Norwegian authorities for other missions and a little later she slipped out of port. Interestingly, Alfhild 11 did not remain at anchor in Telegraph Bay, but went to sea with the other local fishing boats as if she was also fishing. This ruse prevented any suspicion as to why the same fishing boat was not acting normally.
On May 21st, Captain Kjær and Consular Cumming ordered Haslund to take Alfhild 11 out into Tromsø Sound and to lie up beside HMS Enterprise so that the bullion could be transferred. That night Alfhild 11 left her moorings and took up position beside the cruiser on the stern port quarter at 00:45 on May 22nd. Already onboard was the British Consul to oversee matters. Strangely, the loading of the gold, according to the ship’s log did not commence until 04:00, but was rapidly completed within half an hour with the cruiser making full use of her crane to load the bullion safely and quickly. At 04:40 the British Consul left, having seen the gold safely embarked without mishap.
Gold Run: The Rescue of Norway’s Gold Bullion from the Nazis, 1940 Page 21
