Posted by MURIEL KEDDY muriel.keddy@ns.sympatico.ca on July 07, 2001.
Hi!
I am wondering if anyone knows of the "Ghost Ship" or the "Devil of the North Sea"
My mother in law lived in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia during WWII and knew several Norweigan officers who trained at Camp Norway. This was a training center set up in Lunenburg during the war when Hitler invaded Norway. One such officer's name was Einar Aas. She has several leters and in them it mentiones the Ghost ship. Apparently as the story goes, "After Hitler invaded a certain part of Norway, a captain and his whaling ship returned to find his village and family destroyed and dead, all except his sis year old son. As Hitler took over plants in Norway to further the German cause, this captain would sail into port at night and destroy the plants, leaving a note defying Hitler to catch him. Knowing the fjords of his homeland ports, he was able to elude the Nazis throughout the war, despite the price Hitler placed on the captain and his crew. Frances reports that after living in Lunenburg for some time, Einar received a scholarship to the British Navy Academy. Frances reads from her letters where it says Einar abandoned the British Navy for a more noble cause. He wrote on the back of one picutre he sent to her "The rig )uniform) is different now, but I'm doing moe now than ever before, M.N. (merchant Navy) for me. Gold and Stars is not for all". In another letter Einar provides the proof in his own words when he writes in broken English, "On board the Devil of the North Sea. Hm! I don't like this hunting so well. Now I am on board the well knows ship and now there are a price on my head today, and also for the ship. The german have set up a price to that ship which can get ridd of us. Hm! I am afraid it is a hard jobb!".
Well, I am wondering if anyone knows anything about this or Camp Norway.
Muriel Keddy

RESPONSES:

Posted by Erik E eettrup@c2i.net on July 16.

Hello
The ship you are talking about is probably one of the "Shetland-busses.
In the summer of 1940 the first fishing boats with refugees came to Shetland
Many of them decided to go back. later in 1940 this "routes" were organized on behalf of SOE & SIS. In 1942, The "Shetland-Gang" was formed as "the Norwegian Naval Independent Unit". At this time 14 vessels were involved in this transport
In october 1943 they also got 3 American destroyers (Hessa, Hitra & Vigra).
During the war they carried out 94 crossings with
fishing vessels and 109 with destroyers.
Each time they came to Norway they brougth weapons,secret agents and other supplies with them.They were also laying mines and in some occations they attacked German merchantships.
When they went back to Shetland, they had Norwegian refugees, who in most cases voluntered
for the British army. Camp Norway were one of these training grounds..
By the way the most famous boat was K/V Andholmen
This boat is being restored these days and will
some day become a travelling museum.

There are loads of info on Camp Norway on the web!

try for example this:
[www.dnd.ca]

Hope this gives you some answers.....

Erik E
Stavanger, Norway
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Another query by Muriel Keddy on the same subject:
Posted on July 13, 2001.

Hi
Does anyone have any information on the ship Sleipner. It was mentioned in a Lunenburg Nova Scotia Newspaper dated approximately 1941. According to this newspaper clipping, it was also named "Devil of the North Sea" and was a Norweigan Merchant Marine vessel used during WWII. Also, does anyone recognize the name Einar Aas? He was supposedly on this ship during WWII?
Please contact me if you have any information.
Thanks
Muriel Keddy
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Posted by Emily Wilson starwilson@worldnet.att.net on August 21.

My grandfather served on a Norwegeian gunboat called the Sleipner (Sleipner was a horse in Norse Mythology). I believe it was eventually sunk by German uboats. There were other Sleipners, including one that provided passenger service between Quebec and Bergen in the 1860s. What time frame are you looking for? I have more info on gunboat if you are interested.


NOTE:
Muriel's mystery has since been solved. The daughter of Einar Aas, who is researching her father's war history and was looking for information, saw Muriel's first posting on this forum, and they are now in touch.

Siri