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Battery Park Memorials | Misc. Other Memorials & War Graves
Norwegian War Graves:
Norwegians Seamen buried at Saranac Lake | Norwegians buried at Mid Yell, Shetlands | Other Norwegian Wargraves
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Battery Park, New York
These pictures were taken on a visit to New York. The first group shows the American Merchant Marine Memorial in Battery Park (sculpture by Marisol), inspired by a photograph of survivors of a U-boat attack (they later perished - see text below), and dedicated Oct. 8-1991. It is by far the most powerful memorial I've ever seen! The water splashed up against the side, and every time it receded the head and shoulders of the man in the water came into view.
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After the war, he took this page to as many of the oil tanker companies as he could find in New York. No one could identify the seven men. From time to time he published it in books he had written. Again there was no response. Eventually, in the early '80s, forty years after he had saved the page, a break occurred when Captain Arthur Moore contacted him and told him he was writing a history of the United States Merchant Marine in WW II (this book is entitled "A Careless Word, A Needless Sinking" - my Books page has information on how it can be obtained). Captain Duffy sent the page to him, and he, in turn, took it to the F.B.I. which enhanced the photo of the men and was able to read the ship's name stencilled on one of the life jackets, S.S. Muskogee. Captain Moore's records disclosed the Muskogee had been lost with all hands. Captain Duffy says in his message: "ALL HANDS! And for all those years I had been searching for living survivors!" He continues, "A photo-journalist on board Hardegen's U-123 on its second war patrol to the east coast of the United States had taken the pictures, and the submarine left the scene. No one ever saw the seven men again. The well known writer and historian Charles Dana Gibson has written of the photo of the seven men, '(it) is the starkest portrayal ever caught on film depicting the toll the sea can extract from a ship's company. It is a circumstance that spans the ages'". At the unveiling of the Memorial on October 8, 1991, Captain Duffy was privileged to be the first individual to take his place on the base of the monument, standing next to the figure of the man with his hands cupped to his mouth. There used to be a webpage entitled "A Tribute to Anthony G. Sousa", which I found when running a search for Muskogee, but it looks like it has now been taken down. It had a picture of the 7 men on the raft (one of whom was Sousa, the fellow with his hands to his mouth), and I later learnt that this was, in fact, the very picture Captain Duffy kept with him all those years (the marks from the folds in the paper were clearly visible). The picture is also included in Captain Moore's book, with the names of 4 of the men on the raft. Captain Duffy has told me that the information on Muskogee in the first edition of the book contained an error with regard to the position of the sinking. He says it happened about 450 miles north-northeast of Bermuda, and she did NOT burn as some claim; that was just German propaganda. Later editions of the book carried corrections. (Uboat.net has some information on the sinking, with a map showing the approximate location - external link).
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 Another Norwegian memorial, also at Battery Park, New York.
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Norwegian War Graves Norwegian seamen buried at Saranac Lake, New York: During the war, the American Tuberculosis sanatorium in Adirondack, NY treated a few Norwegians who were sick or injured. 16 of them died and were buried at Pine Ridge Cemetery, Saranac, NY, about 6 hours' drive north of New York City. From early on the graves were tended by Norwegian seamen who settled in the area until the place was restored at some point in the early 1980's (?). Funds have since been supplied to keep it seen to on a regular basis. See also this message in my Guestbook. The inscription on the memorial stone says:
More details on the above seamen: Alfred Thorvald Abrahamsen sailed as steward in allied service on several ships (not named) until he came down with tuberculosis at the end of 1943. Died Sept. 13-1945. Olav Bernhard Berge had been in the Merchant Marines for 10 years when he became ill (tuberculosis) and died at Saranac Lake on Febr. 2-1945. Ship(s) not named, though it states that he had previously survived a sinking. It further states that his brother Anders was killed in 1942. This may have been the Anders Berge who was killed when Sama was sunk. Rasmus Meidel Brakstad, able seaman, in allied service on several ships, his last ship being Gansfjord, until he contracted tuberculosis and was taken ashore. Died on Jan. 9-1943. Harry John Reinholdt Bøhler went to sea in 1939 as oiler and sailed in allied service until he became ill and had to pay off. Died on Oct. 15-1944 at "a hospital in New York". Haakon Andreas Engh, carpenter, injured after 3 torpedoeings of Alar and admitted to Gabriel Sanatorium in Halifax(? - this must be an error, should probably be New York) where he died on July 17-1945. His birthdate is given as Oct. 31-1914 in this book. However, I have no information that Alar was ever torpedoed, but there's an able seaman by this name in the crew list for Høegh Giant. Additionally there's a cook named Haakon Engh in the crew list for Gro. Otto Wilhelm Eriksen, electrician, was torpedoed and contracted tuberculosis. Died at Stanley Vold Hospital, Canada in 1942. This book gives his birthdate as Sept. 25-1906, adding that he's buried in Canada(?). Ship's name is given as Rio, while the article in "Krigsseileren" mentioned above gives the ship as Rio Branco. Again, I have no information that this ship was torpedoed. Karl Eugen Forsberg, steward, had been a whale catcher since the age of 15. Sailed in allied service until he became ill and died on May 25-1944 (ship not named in this book). Anker Emil Halvorsen, able seaman and gunner, went to sea in the summer of 1939, became ill and died at Spears Sanatorium, Saranac Lake on March 6-1944, after having been sick for a year and a half. (Ship not named). Elias Harkestad escaped to England on Sept. 29-1941, served in the Merchant Marines both before and during the war. Became ill and died at a hospital in the U.S. on March 18-1945 (ship not named). His brother Anton, who had also escaped to England and later joined the navy, had died in England on Apr. 7-1944. I found them both as taking part in the escape on board M/B Fred / Fri. (On board was also a Paul Harkestad, whom I believe is identical to the Paul Harkestad who was killed when D/S Victo was sunk. Additionally, there's a Nils A. E. K. Harkestad who took part in the same escape. "Våre falne" states he was killed when Sneland I was sunk on May 7-1945, listed as Nils A Konradsen in my crew list for that ship - his father's name was Konrad, hence the Konradsen. Vilhelm Harkestad, who also took part in the escape, may be identical to the able seaman by that name who survived the sinking of Ruth I in 1944. They were all from Herdla, and probably related). Trygve Magnussen served as cook on Brimanger until he became ill and had to pay off on June 13-1944. Died on July 25-1945 at Gabriels Sanatorium, New York. According to a message in my Guestbook, Gabriels is a tiny town seven miles north of Saranac Lake. The sanitorium was founded and run by the Catholic "Sisters of Mercy" and was named for a Catholic leader, Bishop Gabriels. The building still stands. John Nyborg is not listed in these books, nor can I find Hildur Aass. Birger Kornelius Olsen, motorman, in allied service, his last ship being Topdalsfjord. The book states that after having been torpedoed he drifted around in a lifeboat for 8 days in the winter of 1941. Later became ill and died in New York on Nov. 18-1942. Again, I can't get this to fit with the facts; I have no information that Topdalsfjord was ever torpedoed. William Paulsen, motorman, served on various ships in allied service until he became ill in the fall of 1943. Died in New York on Jan. 5-1945. Torvald Rognved is not listed in the book, however, John Otto Svendsen is listed as Ordinary Seaman on Margrethe Bakke until he contracted tuberculosis in the winter of 1942 and was sent to a sanatorium. Died at Saranac Lake on Febr. 4-1943. The book also lists a stoker named Arnulf Forsberg who served on D/T Marit (since 1939) when he became ill, and died in New York on March 28-1941. Buried at Evergreen Cemetery in New York. |
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In Febr.-1941, 9 young men escaped from Haugesund in an attempt to get to Shetland. They almost made it. They had departed Haugesund in the 28 ft Kantonella, never to be seen again. Possibly lost during a hurricane off Shetland. 2 bodies drifted ashore at Yell, and the wreck of a small motorboat was also found. A week later 4 more bodies drifted ashore. They were all buried at Mid Yell Churchyard. |
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| In 1980 a memorial stone was erected for them. The picture below was received from (and taken by) David W. Earl (who runs this website). I've been trying to decipher the inscription at the bottom of the stone, and it looks like it says the following:
Reist 17. mai 1980 til minne om ni unge menn som 20. febr. 1941 flyktet fra Haugesund - Norge med motorskøyta Kantonella. Alle omkom da båten (then comes an illegible word) ble knust mot land på Mid Yell - then another illegible word - then to 27. febr. 1941. In English, the above means: May 17 is Norway's Constitution Day. David also sent me some pictures of the "Shetland Bus" memorial at Scalloway - they have been added to the Shetland Bus section and can be viewed on this page. |
These names can be found on the stone:
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Falne fra Sem og Slagen under 2. verdenskrig - This is a Norwegian website, which lists the names of those who are commemorated on "Minnesmerke ved Valløy Kirke" - to find the names, scroll down on the page until picture of the memorial stone appears (text is in Norwegian). Deaths of Norwegians registered by the minister of the Norwegian Seamen's Church in Liverpool between 1919 and 1954. This is linked to page 1; click "neste" to see other pages - the site is searchable, and the name of the ship is given in some cases. The text here is also in Norwegian (National Archives of Norway website), but I'd be glad to translate the various terms. The site also has Deaths registered at the Seamen's church in Buenos Aires, as well as Deaths in Durban 1923-1948, Deaths in Shanghai 1934-1947, etc. etc. All these links go the the first page of each section, clicking on "neste" will take you to the next page. - Here's an overview of what's available. |
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