Our Escape fromOur Escape fromNazi-Occupied NorwayNazi-Occupied Norway

Oct 27, 1941 ~ Jan 27, Oct 27, 1941 ~ Jan 27, 19421942

Mother: Harriet Terdal

Sons: Roy, age 8 Leif, age 4 Edward, age18 months

Nazi-Occupation of Nazi-Occupation of NorwayNorway

As seen by four year old Leif:� German soldiers searching our house� The fright of a bombing raid� German soldiers marching in front of our house

As seen by Mother:� Basic freedoms violated� Norwegian leaders required to sign an oath of support of Nazi-occupation:

� 699 Lutheran ministers� 12,000 school teachers� All physicians and health care workers

� All Norwegians required to turn in radios� Norwegians required to identify Jewish neighbors

WhyWhy did Germany attack Norway?did Germany attack Norway?

1. To provide absolute protection for the harbor at Narvik and thus insure access to Swedish steel.

2. To obtain excellent protection for German warships within the fjords and harbors of Norway.

3. To use the long coastline of Norway as a base to attack North Atlantic convoy traffic.

4. German military leaders anticipated that Norway could be the site of massive allied counter offensive against Germany.

Rubbestadneset, Bømlo, Norway

Rubbestadneset, Bømlo, Norway

Rubbestadneset, Bømlo, Norway

Hidden (and missed) signals prior to the powerful German military attack on Norway.

1. Kristallnacht (Nov. 9-10, 1938). The horrific assault on the Jewish community in Germany was met with no protest from either the Protestant or Catholic Church in Germany.

2. Three military leaders urge Hitler to attack Norway: a. Grand Admiral Erich Raeder b. Alfred Rosenberg – Chief of Foreign Policy Office c. Vidkun Quisling (Norwegian who met Hitler Dec. 14, 1939)

3. The Altmark ‘incident’ Feb. 14, 1940. Two British destroyers attack and disable a German vessel in neutral Norwegian waters and free 299 British sailors who were held as prisoners.

4. April 5, 1940. Norwegian Foreign Office invited by German minister to view a ‘Peace Film.’ The film showed the bombing and destruction of Warsaw, Poland.

Norwegian Resistance Fighters critical to our escape

Dr. Sigurd HusOla Olsen

Nils Nesse

Captian Brevik

Agents and coordinators of Norwegian Resistance

Crew member or Siglaos

S/S Brant County, a Norwegian freighter that was part of a 40 ship convoy from London to St. John’s, New Brunswick (Jan. 1942).

‘Shetland Bus’ and its functions:

1.Established regular communications between Norway and the United Kingdom

2.Supplied substantial arms and instructors to Norway from U.K.

3.Radio stations were established

4.Couriers were ferried to and fro

5. Enabled numerous acts of sabotage to be carried out in Norway.

• Examples: - Destruction of heavy water plant at Rjukan in Southern Norway.- Contributed to the sinking of German war ships, notably the Tirpitz, a Bismarck class battleship.

‘Shetland Bus’ and dangers:

1. Some carefully organized resistance groups were infiltrated by pro-Nazis and their members arrested

2. Some boats were attacked by German fighter planes, including our escape boat -- Siglaos.

3. The route to the Shetland Islands required a hazardous ocean crossing.

Factors leading to the success of the ‘Shetland Bus’

1. The Norwegian coast line (12,500 miles) was impossible for the Germans to effectively monitor

2. Norwegian wooden fishing vessels were well built and seaworthy

3. Norwegian fisherman and sea captains were experienced and competent

Terdal family farm, near Flora, Norway

Text

Nidaros Cathedral (Nidarosdomens)

Norwegian Merchant Marine fleet and its role in World War

II

1. Norway had the 4th largest fleet in the world

2. Most were at sea at the outbreak of WWII and went to Britain

3. Most were employed in the North Atlantic convoy system

4. Over 500 of these Norwegian ships were sunk by German U-boats

5. 3,500 Norwegian seamen lost their lives

King Harald V & Queen Sonja being blessed by Bishop Finn Wagle in Nidaros Cathedral in

Trondheim, 23 June 1991.

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Sigurd Olsen

Brother Roy learns of Anti-Semitism within Christendom while attending St. Olaf College in

Northfield, Minnesota.

Factors suggesting Anti-Semitism among church leadership:

A.Lack of speaking against extreme violence against Jews in Europe by church leaders.B. Participation in Anti-Semitic actions by Christians.C.A thousand year tradition of Anti-Semitism by the Church, e.g.,

a) Pope Urban in 1095 urges a crusade to liberate Jerusalem. One outcome is the first Pogrom against Jews in Europe.

b) Spain in 1492 orders all Jews and Muslims to leave Spain or convert.

c) Martin Luther publishes On the Jews and their lies (1524) and calls for utter degradation and suppression of the Jews, so that “we may be free of this insufferable devilish burden– the Jews.”

Captain Norvald Brevik

Vessel: D/S Brant County of the Norwegian Merchant Fleet, 1939-1945

First Convoy Service: May-1940 convoy HX 42. Additional successful convoy service; HX 64, HX 87, HX 149, HX 162, HX 175, HX 186, and HX 145.

Final Fate: March 11, 1943. Brant County was torpedoed by a German U-boat (U-757). Casualties: Captain Brevik plus 28 crew and 8 passengers.

Childhood home in Norway

Photo of three Terdal brothers shortly before their escape:

Leif, Edward and Roy

Mr. Olsen: Parents- Harriet & Alf Terdal: Children from left: Leif, Edward & Roy.

Terdal Family meets with Resistance Fighter Ola Olsen at St. Olaf College. Mr. Olsen was captured by the Germans in 1942 and tortured during his imprisonment

Parents Harriet & Alf Terdal with Ola Olsen at gravesite of Dr. Sigurd Hus who was brutally tortured while in captivity in a Nazi concentration camp

in Poland.

Leif, wife Marge and cousin Leif Helland having lunch at the Televaag Resistance Museum.

Bethelship Norwegian Methodist Church, Brooklyn, NY

Together at last…

Happy smiles after our escape