As Chairman in the Democracy that was commissioned to draw up an evacuation plan for Namsos, a tribunal which also came to conduct the evacuation – and later as acting police agents in Namdalskysten, I had the best opportunity follow events closely. Mostly I know why their own experience, but I have also extensively taken with things that are narrated me of my staff in evakueringsnemden, police and others.
When a pure case I pledged Tuesday morning on April 9 radio on Oslo at half 8 o’clock and heard to my surprise break signal, which otherwise was not hearing before after noon. 8. That something significant was recall was clear, yet was the notification of the German attack on Norway initially completely paralyzed. I hear yet announcer voice on the message from. commanding admiral, “In fierce struggle with the Oslo Fjords fortifications – Kristiansand, Bergen, Narvik and Trondheim, reputedly also possessed”.
My first road , after I had apprised my closest, went to police chief and mayor and the conference resulted in the same morning was held presidency meeting and appointed a evakueringsnevnd. It seemed quite clear that the Namsos, after it was passed, was at risk. Every moment could English and French naval forces get into Namsos harbor and at the same moment the German bombers be there. A wooden buildings city Namsos seemed to have little chance to avoid total destruction.
In the evakueringsnemd as the Presidency appointed I was chairman of Johs. Dahl and Erling Thun as members. Chairmanship appealed simultaneously to supply Democracy to take the precautions that the situation may require.
Evakueringsnevnda began its work at. 15 on April 9 and pulled immediately up lines for their work. As a main line was constantly followed immediately to prepare a plan that would serve as an emergency measure. As the deadline for implementation was lengthened could then refine the plan further. Man had knowledge there during planning of an evacuation of Finnmark population of the inner districts of Namdalskysten was obtained tasks in Overhalla Highlands and Grong over the anta11 evacuating one where could accept. These tasks were given one immediately obtain and it turned out that these were divided by constituency for all men Childers concerned. It was decided therefore to begin by taking aim at evacuation to these three sir you. However, also note that as war situation was set could an evacuation to these districts become impossible and the Tribunal sat therefore immediately in connection with the sheriff in Fosnes to similar tasks from OTTERØY and Fosnes, as Vemundvik chairmanship sat in business to few tasks from this parish. The city was divided into 23 said electrodes and there was appointed rode men who were assigned to ascertain the extent to which city residents themselves would make evacuation. It was decided to initially take aim at an evacuation plan for old, sick and children under 15 years of mothers. Work was already Wednesday night come say far that they had a list of the people who you had to evacuate. During all this was the voluntary evacuation gone quickly forward. It was under his hand addressed incitement to those whose presence in the city was not necessary with respect to employment and who had places a trip, to leave the city.
Thursday morning began so plan the evacuation. Man distributed the various electrodes in the town on the different circuits in the evacuation area, preferably Overhalla and highlands. It concerned the choosing the nærrneste districts of respect to transport and Vemundvik proved already promptly little usable for an evacuation plan because of the widespread voluntary evacuation of this parish. While this work was in progress received one Thursday morning notification from district command through superintendent that evacuation due to war situation should not happen to Grong and Overhalla. Watching had not yet received assignments from new districts went one started to plan evacuation exclusively to the highlands. However got in today run task from OTTERØY and the evacuees were divided into these two sir you.
Thursday afternoon However occurred an event that brake considerably interference in the work. At 19 o’clock in the afternoon race where into port 2 British destroyers. The emergence of destroyers created panic in the city. When notification came to Namsos Atenæum where evakueringsnemden had just meet, was the venue plot momentum and it succeeded only partially summoning rode men again in the evening.
People escaped out of town haste and a large part of the voluntary evacuation was conducted in the evening and the following day. Watching met the next morning it was well understood that the tasks they had significantly was disturbed by a large part of the population was already moved (fled?) Out of town and it was necessary to let rode men take up new tasks over the remaining . This work was end thereof during the Friday and Saturday morning could send one of Namdalske boats OTTERØY with evacuees and a special train to Skogmo station. The number was, however, then dwindled so strongly that there was only approximately 100 people with the boat and a slightly smaller number of train. Many were however promoted pr. car in the current run. During Saturday continued evacuation so where the evening this day was conducted completely evacuation of old, sick and children under 15 years. Old home was evacuated to Vemundvik old home and Heivik school. It was in Vemundvik aligned infirmary and refuges for pregnant women. A number of adult persons whose stay in the city was not strictly necessary was also raised and it could also noted that several whose presence was highly desirable had left town hurriedly flee. In extensively searched the remaining population of the town in the evening and to return to his work in the morning.
Sunday dinner on April 14 went a large English fly down on Namsos harbor. After a brief conference between the British officers, Police, Harbour Master and a few present Norwegian officers were all telegraph and telephone connection and traffic out of town closed. The first British troop transport (from? – Indistinct) Namsos would take place on the very same night.
Politikammerets strength consisted at the time of Police, a female office catering and 4-5 police officers and constables. Following a request from the chief assisted I from Sunday night with work at the police station and was from 16.sm constituted by the County that police representative, a position I had to 30th sept. 1940.
I go over to the important era that began with the French troops landing in Namsos, wild it might be appropriate to include some more details from the first moving days of the war.
Folks reaction opposite situation is very different and shifted from panic to the most obvious contempt for the measures that were taken. Some went fully into the tasks that situation demanded with an interest and sacrifice that had to delight any iakktager while others nor in such a situation could refrain let personal interests and attention to their own safety and wellbeing go ahead common interests. It was also clear that the measures which are taken largely crossed the individual wishes and special purposes and there was nothing to be expected that there might arise misunderstandings and assert themselves crical on some, but mostly it can be said that the evacuation and they work as the necessary did was done in the very best cooperate and with interest, help and support from all quarters. It was not difficult to obtain people to work evacuation office to perform and office staff and rode men worked day and night in the 4-5 days that went evacuation was completed. The office held in the first days to Namsos Athenæum. April 13 Saturday night and early Sunday was there in Athens saddle prepared a evakueringskartotek with the assistance of 22 office ladies and clerks and Sunday morning phone book finished and could be brought to safety outside the city limits. After Englishmen were indented Athenæets premises office was moved to People bathroom where it was in business until Friday.
One of the biggest difficulties one had to contend with during the evacuation was the wretched condition ditriktets roads were in. After the long and extraordinary hard winter roads were in mid-April was still snow covered and spring thaw began said slowly during transport of the evacuees. This particularly applied the new way to Vemundvik between Hals and Bækken for the first time could be used this spring. However, it did also here to get there required volunteer crews and crews from Namsos was sent beyond to make road condition.
One chapter deals with was vehicle materials. The predominant part of the evacuation took place pr. car, partly by car owners who had voluntarily pledged cars available and partly using cars as they requisitioned for purposes. “Requisitions” was the also a chapter for both during the evacuation and in time under the English and French troops stay here. There existed a statutory basis for the requisition of horses and motor vehicles, but with an elastic analogical interpretations of the law extended one authority to encompass everything from house to housekeepers and from “Akkevit” (for English officers) to female interpreters.
For evacuation days in the first week of the war also hear the sad chapter on the mobilization of Norwegian troops. After a portion obscurity had done prevails war first day eventually came mobilization posters up and Wednesday morning could wait the first transports of Norwegian soldiers southward. Wednesday morning at 6 – 1/27 time I remember that I made a round through the city and support everywhere on young boys with backpack and skis. They wandered around the streets and gathered droves on street corners and was obviously completely disoriented about what they should undertake further themselves. Mobilization posters had the announcement that there would be pledged up extra trains and the local boats would go mobilization routes.
On Namsos station however was all quiet and Dampskibsselskap had no notification embark on setting their mobilization routes. A telephone inquiry from the chief of Namdal to regiment office in Steinkjer gave the result that the boys were told (?) To stay in Namsos and await further orders. After this order wandered then Wednesday and Thursday throughout a number of them around town and waiting for this further orders. Some traveled to Steinkjer and others went home. In the days beyond it began to get soldiers back from Steinkjer, they had registered themselves but had to reply that it was not needed. As can reasonably be had give grounds for believing that it is also within 5.divisjon were people who had parrert demobilization order from Quisling. Nor should contribute to help the mood in the population that the first and only call that was sent from the commander of the 5th Division was a warning to the civilian population against to arms. It was under these circumstances gratifying to see the boys reaction not to be taken into the ranks. There was barely nothing missing on belligerence and good soldatånd in the privates. It was despairing and resentful people who returned after following mobilization order and it was not as few as anew made the trip south to come by.
From Sunday afternoon when it British aircraft had gone down in Namsos harbor and the connection with the outside world were cut off completely, it was clear to us that Namsos suddenly become one of the central points in the world war. On the western front, it was at this point, that from the beginning of the war, pretty quiet. War in Poland were closed and it was the military operations in Norway the world’s attention was directed toward. It would have been interesting to know what preparations there was hit by Norwegian and allied military authorities for land sentence of troops began in Namsos and Åndalsnes. There is reason to believe that the preparations here were equally deficient as other military sites. The ratio was the Namsos’ him that here, where the significant help from Western powers to Norway should be inserted; there were not a military administration that could stand in connection with the foreign troops and guide them during land sentence and the further transport until the front . What you had was a naval officer (Schroder-Nilsen (note in the margin) that randomly came to Namsos after his vessel was trapped by the Germans in one of Trøndelags fjords, and moreover a lieutenant who was not equipped with any other help than phone guard and a driver. Under these conditions had a significant part of the work that otherwise clearly constitutes should have lain under the military administration fall on the civil administration and it then became the police station as widely to assist the foreign troops.
It concerned primarily accommodation of soldiers and it came provision of the bilmateriellsom was required for transport. In that city was cordoned off, it was necessary to conduct a civil officer on duty. There was placed guards at all roads and recreation at the city limits in general. On Sunday night, no one could get out of town for after noon. 19, and later on was there established a pass scheme that provided police headquarters a significant work. That evening came the first English troop transport.
Countries statement was reportedly made by a plan that was laid by Captain Schroder-Nilsen. Transport vessels should enter Namsos after darkest outcropping in 21 o’clock at night and unloading should be avsluttett at 3 o’clock in the morning so that the transport ships could be off the coast when it was light. The visit that town had German observasjonsfly had regularly taken place first 4-5 o’clock in the morning and this continued in the week Englishmen had transportation of Namsos. What the Germans had knowledge of, one could not know, but the English staff were certainly of the opinion as late as Friday 19de that transports was pursued without the Germans had knowledge of them. All material was brought into the storehouse and soldiers who were accommodated in schools and in various other hall around town remained all day indoors. It was therefore hardly any change in the cityscape to look for the German observasjonsfly. The only change to be the air raids entailed. Flyvarslingstjeneste had been established from the war beginning. From notification records on the coast and in the inland districts and from Bjørumsklompen rapportertes the aircraft turned around in the districts. Mandatory service worked constantly impeccable. From Bjørumsklompen was laid direct line to the police station and from the police station was the line to the alarm guard who lived in the backyard of Marie Hansen farm, near the church. The alarm was ringing with church bells, while signal “danger over”, was released with chime. It turned out that the reports did excellent and it took 40 sec. from the alarm signal was given from the police station to the first clock squeezed sounded. Alert was not, however, given the first week of the war. As long as it was not military installations or troops in Namsos one found it unnecessary to give alert. In this, however, a change from Monday morning and the 15th April at. 4.50, the first alert in Namsos. It was followed by many. The English troops had around in the vicinity arranged with air defense. Something greater extent had this antiaircraft not. It supposedly confined to a few antiaircraft guns and part machine guns.
It was originally reviewed the French troops land set Thursday night. By one reason or another were transport postponed until Friday and this day went so the remaining part of the British troops out of Namsos, most were raised in past week and night to 20 April was there in Namsos countries set 3500 French soldiers and unloaded amounts of food and ammunition. The cars that were disposable were inserted to bring troops and supplies southward but bilmateriellet was obviously inadequate and when morning dawned on April 20 and the first German observasjonsfly again circled over Namsos they found a city where quantities of French soldiers wandering in streets and in the city’s vicinity, where the docks were full stacked materials and where it lay ammunition boxes around the park and open spaces.
The first aircraft that proved – a little earlier than usual – in 4- time was met with mitraljøseild from French soldiers up by Namsbrua and in the hours that came crackling it against planes from the docks and the city region. The day before they had English troops dismantled their antiaircraft and dragged southward with it, and all that the French had to meet the bombers with was mitrailleuses. (In the margin: Friday overcalling British broadcasting that British troops were landed in Brasov).
I had Friday night slept a few hours after a couple vigils at the police station and was awakened by 7-time of a French officer who wanted accommodation rooms for 2,000 troops. I had two days before together with an English officer, taken out shelter 2,000 French soldiers who were reviewed. The shelter that was taken out was not satisfactory for the French, who would accommodate soldiers at some distance from the docks and railway station hereto came that there was land set 1500soldater more than reviewed and the consequence of this was then that its biggest part of the troops had to stay outdoors in the open. It was especially barns close to town Frenchmen wanted and we went around the Bjørums- and Høknes farms where we found space for a significant portion of the force. The rest could then be placed in certain premises in the city. However, it was already clear then that the cooperation between the British and French forces had to be very simple. Some of the premises were taken out two days before the French had no knowledge and I got the impression that in all had been no contact between the English staff officers, who would arrange accommodation of the French and the French officers. At 9 o’clock we came back to town and having obtained shelter for some French medical officers, I went home to myself in Kirkegaten to eat breakfast.
I’m getting from the window note a trawler which is at the railway pier and after air raid sirens had gone slams the first cannon shots from the trawler. As far as I understand this was the prelude to the bombardment of Namsos. A moment after the high sounds exploding bombs and what we later called the first bomb attack was in full swing.
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