![]() This particular effort, however, was a complete failure. Winston Churchill had always maintained that control of the North Sea would be essential to any Allied victory. Small efforts like these, put together, made history. Baalsrud's assignment was to swim underwater and fasten some of the explosive devices – limpets, or magnetic bombs – to seaplanes in order to sink them. Their mission that March was to establish a presence near the northern port city, Tromso, where they would sabotage anything the Germans were using to fortify the Axis troops on the Russian front. He joined Linge Company, a group of young Norwegians who trained with the Allies in special ops and then sailed back on stealth missions, across the North Sea from Shetland, Scotland, and into occupied Norway, using the maze of fjords as cover. Credit: Jon Tonksīaalsrud was a 25-year-old son of an instrument maker who escaped his country after the German invasion in 1940 and returned three years later as a saboteur. ![]() Making the right choices, perseverance, determination and resilience are as important now as they were for Jan Baalsrud in the mountains of Norway.Are and Kjellaug Gronvoll outside the barn where their father's family hid Baalsrud in a loft. It is not the capriciousness of fate that will decide who survives and who succumbs the challenges of changing conditions in the years ahead. ![]() However, we do need to survive and thrive in a rapidly changing world. Most of us will not need to survive arduous journeys over enemy controlled, icy mountains. But it was inner strength, perseverance and resilience that allowed Jan Baalsrud to survive an experience that would have killed most of us. I have had some “near misses” in my life that were certainly the result of the that. I believe capriciousness of fate is only part of it. Olav medal, he did not seek publicity for his achievements and the sacrifices he made for his country.įrom the book about him “ We Die Alone: A WWII Epic of Escape and Endurance,” by David Howarth *Įven at the end, Baalsrud’s thoughts were never far from the capriciousness of fate: Who lives and who dies, who survives and who doesn’t, who is most deserving of honor and praise. He was sent back to Norway as an agent and was still on active duty at the end of the war.ĭespite being awarded the MBE and St. There he trained Norwegian resistance fighters being prepared for deployment behind enemy lines in Norway. This reference mentions that after 8 months in a Swedish hospital, he was sent to Britain. There are more details on his Wikipedia page. Others were ready to hand him over to the German occupiers. Some assisted him knowing the dangers for themselves and their families. It is also a tale of the different reactions of people when faced with adversity. It is an account of ultimate survival under conditions and in circumstances few of us can imagine. There is much more in the article, I urge you to read it. At another, he told his rescuers to abandon him. He cut off nine of his own toes to prevent gangrene spreading to his foot and killing him.Īt one point he attempted to shoot himself but the mechanism of his gun had frozen. That was the start of a 9 week, 450 mile journey on foot, by boat, skis, up and down mountains to safety at the Swedish border.Īlong the way, he was buried up to his neck in an avalanche, stranded without cover for days in freezing conditions. He did have a pistol and used it to evade capture. ![]() He lost one boot and arrived on the shore with no food, water, map or any sort of plan. ![]() Jan Baalsrud swam to shore through the icy water. To prevent the cargo being captured, the crew set fire to it. The boat was delivering explosives to local resistance units when it was attacked by German troops. Jan Baalsrud age 25, was on a small boat in a fjord in Northern Norway. The incredible story of Jan Baalsrud, a member of the Norwegian resistance during WWII is an extraordinary example of survival under harsh conditions for a lengthy period.Ī detailed account of his mental toughness, physical endurance and resilience is reported in the New York Times Magazine . Losing the instinct for survival, the will or desire to survive, can mean either a long miserable descent to a lingering end or a sudden death, depending on the circumstances. Why do some individuals survive and others succumb to different levels of hardship, adversity or danger? I wrote about one story of survival under conditions that would have killed most people in this post. Olav’s Medal with Oak Branch – Wikipedia Creative Commons Survival is one of the strongest instincts and drivers for humans, animals and any living organism. ![]()
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