RETURN TO NORWAY
Harry Pitman (No.1 Commando and No. 2 Independent Company) and John Wall (No. 5 Commando and No. 4 Independent Company) returned to Norway in May as the guests of the Norwegian No.14 Infantry Regiment to attend a ceremony in the Saltdal area, and a historical seminar. At the ceremony 30 Norwegian veterans received war medals for the service they gave throughout the war. This was followed by a lecture on the events in Saltdal in 1940.

 

Later, Harry and John dined with Rear Admiral Thommessen, Deputy Chief of North Norway and Commander of the Naval Forces in North Norway, before joining a small group to take part in a historical seminar at a typical Norwegian wooden house behind a white water river in a snow capped mountainous area. Various defensive sites of the 1940 battles were visited and many local inhabitants turned up to add their versions of what happenned.

 

At one defensive site - Pothus - Harry was able to describe his activities during those days. A local farmer produced a Lee Enfield rifle that his father had recovered from the scene, and Harry and John were able to determine from the Regimental brass disc, still attached to the butt, that the rifle (No.160) had belonged to a member of the 6th Batt. Royal Welsh Fusiliers !

A visit was paid to the military section of the cemetery in Rognan where Harry laid a wreath at the memorial stone. This moving ceremony was attended by many Norwegians. A particularly memorable time for Harry and John was when they were taken along the Junkers Valley up to the Swedish frontier post and shown the last part of the route that was taken by two members of the successful Glomfjiord raiding party in their escape into Sweden (Operation Musketoon).

On the return to Bodo through Fauske, Harry and John were taken to the Fauske Radio Station (minus its large tower) where John remained behind in 1940 for a short time to direct stragglers towards Bodo. A set of webbing equipment (1940 vintage) was presented to the military museum in Bodo and the Curator said how appreciative he was for the gift.

Harry and John are loud in their praise for the hospitality they received and the unexpected VIP treatment when flying to and from Bodo by Army charter planes from and to Oslo.