A Story from the World War 1940 - 1945

I will tell you a story from the last world war. I recalled a lot of memories when I looked at a television program yesterday. It was about a Lancaster airplane/bomber which crashed over Bergen, Norway in autumn 1944. Yesterday (8 May 2000) they had a ceremony in Bergen and unveiled a monument with the young pilot's name and that of his crew inscribed on it. All of the crew in this Lancaster airplane died in the crash including the one who jumped out of the plane in a parachute - but it did not open and the pilot died.

I lived in Bergen in the war and we had air raid warnings several times. If I was at home we went to the cellar together with two other women who lived in the same house. I had two brothers and we were the only children in the house. If I was in school when air raid warnings came, we would go to the air raid shelter in the cellar. I remember three times when we really had hard days in the war. One time was an explosion of a boat which was anchored in the harbor in the center of Bergen when the cargo, which were explosives, set the ship on fire. The resulting force of the explosion caused a large jet of water which together with much debris of all type wreaked havoc. Ships were found on land - houses blown up, Some one hundred people died and over four thousand were hurt in the center of Bergen. They searched the whole day to find people in the ruins of the destroyed houses. Those who lived were brought to hospitals. I remember a school that was also turned into a hospital this day. All this happened on Hitler's birthday, 20 April 1944. This time I was going to the school, where I got my education; I was 10 years old.

A second time when we went to our cellar, Holen Childschool took a direct hit. It was located in nearby Laksevaag in an area where the Germans had built a shelter for their submarine. This time 60 pupils and 2 teachers were killed in the Holen School, as well as 129 people in the neighborhood. When they found the children in one of the classrooms it seemed as though they were sleeping. It was really a tragedy. Today the same school is called, the Hstein School. This happened 4 October 1944.

And so, this was the time I remembered so well, when I looked at the program yesterday evening that I will tell you more about it. We were outside Bergen in a house with all the family there including my father. I remember it was night and we saw airplanes over Bergen, the city. Together were 237 bombers over Bergen this night and one of them was hit. It crashed in the water in the center of the town. I don't now how many airplanes dropped their cargo. The bombs dropped over the center of the town killing 52 and wounding 60.

We were staying outside our house - with our distance there was no danger. Sometimes we saw planes far away and we also saw some shooting by the Germans. There was a mountain between us and we saw that the sky over Bergen looked as though the whole city was burning. It looked frightening - but it was something else which made me afraid, it was my father who was so scared about his mother, who was still in the city. I do not forget him this night - he was driven to despair. I remember neighbors coming to us because all of us were thinking how it looks like in Bergen just now. My granny who lived on the outskirts of the town luckily came away from this night without being hurt. But I remember this night and my dad very well. This, what I tell, is nothing, compared with what we are looking at; the cruelty of human beings in war as seen on television.

Therefore I will say: "To forget memories from a war is not easy." The US had its war in Viet Nam and lost many young men. Many others came home hurt and many of them are hurt in their soul - it is not easy. (Of course I know about other wars where the US Army has been involved). But I think all of them, Norwegian and American did not forget their memories so easily.

These people must have other people who are fond of them and love them - if not, just some of these persons will have problems for the rest of their life. We know nothing about the other person's reactions therefore it is so important to say some good words to our neighbors. But to talk and write about this subject is easier than to do it in practice.

Aud Sognnes © 9 May 2000