Harry Walker & Norwegian Certificate.

[janrm]

They were given to everyone who was in Norway on the 8th May 1945 - the entire 1st Airborne Div; Paras. 1st Air Landing Brigade - 1st Border Regt; 1st South Staffs Regt and 10th Kings Own Scottish Borderers to the best of my knowledge  plus of course all the other attached units. We provided the Guard of Honour for King Haakon's return to Bergen.
George. Ex - Harry Lauders. (Dragons to the Fore !!)

Interesting "Frustrated Iban"!

(Didn' t understand your last line though...)

I know my late mother & uncle were in contact with some British soldiers in Oslo in 1945, have unidentified pictures!
In the meantime, there is one newpaper clipping here I would like to share with the forum:

The winter 1942 was very cold in Norway and newspapers were used as insulation, during restoration work a few years ago this Waffen SS propaganda ad was found. It reads "Fight for Norway, sign up at Storgt. 12". May have had something to do with the fact that Quisling promised Hitler 10,000 Norwegian troops to the eastern front.

...but history turned & ended with "Uncle Harry & his mates"...

J

[Spatts]

Hi Jan,

Thanks for the last post, it would be interesting to see the unidentified pictures, just to see if Uncle Harry is on any of them. I tried zooming in on Harry's picture to see if I could make out the cap badge but, didn't have any luck, it would take someone with more experience than myself.

Paradata have replied & said they would be in touch in a couple of weeks, so I'm eagerly awaiting their next reply. I was wondering if there is any links to records of men signing up for the British forces prior & during WW2 or if a 100 years has to lapse like census records?

I will PM you my e-mail address Jan, if you are willing to let me see the pictures, appreciate your interest in my post.

Regards,

Spatts.

[Iban Kepala]

Ha- Ha Jan ,
The 'Harry Lauders' was the army-slang name for the 1st Bn The Border Regiment.
Our Regimental Flag carried the Green Dragon (a Battle honour from China - The Boxer Rebellions) our charging war cry was 'Dragons to the Fore'
Or as we used to say to other units - "Get out of the way we're coming through."
George.

[janrm]

Thanks both of you for replies & message!

No surprise I was lost, Iban! (Reminds me of the Finns in the Winter War:
 "Hogg inn, hogg inn, Nordens menn!" (Translates loosely to "Chop down, chop down, nordic men!)

I'll post my Army pictures here or under "World War II" when I get them out!

J

[janrm]

Hi again!

Clearly this is not uncle Harry, but is he British...?

[Iban Kepala]

Hi again Jan,
A great photograph but I doubt very much if he is British Forces. At first sight I thought possibly R.A.F. as they were the only ones who wore metal buttons with Battledress; but then I noted that the shirt is white which is the wrong colour for RAF - they wore Blue shirts with black tie - and the buttons on the forage cap are definitely not RAF ones, they appear to be black rosettes or similar - more like Norwegian Forces in uniforms similar to to our battledress.
There were Free Norwegian Forces working with us in those days  that I do remember, we had a few with us in the 1st Air Landing Brigade.
Sorry I cannot be any more specific Jan, it is a long time time ago now - some 66 years if my maths are correct.
We left Norway in the October/November 1945  to return to the UK landing at Leith in Scotland if I remember rightly then by train down to the East Anglian area, a camp near to Boston, Lincolnshire I believe where we stood down from being Airborne and became normal Infantry once again and were in the Occupation Forces in Germany by the end of November 1945, a place called Hannoversch Munden close to the Russian Sector.
Strange as it may seem the picture of Harry Walker looks somewhat familiar to me but lets face it in those days we all looked similar BUT is is one taken after the end of the war as he is wearing a tie and is beginning to scrub the lapels of his BD jacket as became the fashion by about early 1946.
George (Iban)


 

[Iban Kepala]

Hi yet again Jan,
Missed out the PS.
Harry Walker was Royal Artillery - as is indicated by his rank of Bombardier. (Bdr.)
George

[janrm]

Hi again Iban!

Sorry for not replying sooner, but I got tied up in another topic!

I think you are right, this is probably one of the free Norwegian forces, he does not look particularly British, eh?

However nice "talking" to someone who came to liberate us in 1945!

Although I am second generation I've been told a lot of stories from the occupation, the unexpected attack, the caotic attempt to defend the country, the occupation horror, rationing, sensorship etc.

I think the situation was quite tense in Norway in May 1945?

The Germans had 350,000 troops in the country, how where they going to act...?

What's your experience of that?

Jan

[Iban Kepala]

Hi yet again Jan,
I hit a wrong key there and lost all that I had written - from what I remeber it definitely was a very tense period for the first few weeks; many of the German Special Units were reluctant to surrender their weapons but eventually acceoted the fact and complied.
We made many friend amongst your people and many parties were held whenever possible. By the time we left we felt that we had done a good job and that the  appreciation for that was genuine.
I for one was very sorry when the time came for us to leave, there was so much to see and do, however Orders were Orders and that was it.

I hve enjoyed our little chats and will try to help if ever I can with your queries.
Take care, warmest regards,
Iban, George.