War Crime Investigation in Norway
| Author | Frank Rawlings |
| Published date | 01 October 1985 |
| Date | 01 October 1985 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X8505800409 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
FRANK
RAWLINGS,
Formerly
of
the Metropolitan Police
WAR
CRIME
INVESTIGATION
IN
NORWAY
The
40th anniversary of V.E.
Day
brought
to light the interest still
alive in specific incidents which occurred during the second World
War. To some, events of
that
time might best be forgotten, but the
fact
that
during wartime, incidents of unbelievable cruelty and
horror
occur, might portray to future generations the utter futility
of
war,
and
lead to a more peaceful world.
One
such incident, given wide publicity, was the brilliantly
executed
and
successful
attack
by members of the Norwegian
armed
forces on the Heavy
Water
Plant
at Rjukan, in southern Norway,
during the occupation of
that
country
by the Germans. Little,
however, is known of a prior
attempt
to destroy this plant by British
soldiers in November, 1942, which, unfortunately, was unsuccessful
and
ended in tragedy for its participants.
As a member of the original contingent of Metropolitan Police
officers seconded into the army in 1943 for service in Allied Military
Government
of Occupied Territories, first in Sicily
and
Italy, I
subsequently served as a Public Safety Civil Affairs Officer in
Norway immediately after the liberation of
that
country,
and
was
given the task of investigating the alleged shooting by the Germans of
a
number
of British soldiers in 1942.
The
only facts made available at the time was
that
an
operation
with the code name
"Freshman"
was launched from the U.K. in
November, 1942, whose objective was the destruction of the Heavy
Water
installation at Rjukan, vital to
German
production of the
A-bomb. It was a glider-borne attack, the first of its kind in the war,
but
two of the gliders involved either crashed or made forced
landings due to adverse weather conditions. One landed in the
mountains
north
of
Egersund, a
port
in
the
south
of
Norway, and it
was alleged
that
the occupants were captured
and
shot without trial.
Evidence - local people
The
evidence obtained
during
the investigation
of
this incident
played an
important
part
in the trial
and
ultimate conviction of
Generaloberst Nikolaus
von
Falkenhorst, who was
Commander
in
Chief of the
German
Armed Forces in Norway.
Making
my way by plane from Osloto
Stavanger
and
then byjeep
kindly loaned by a British
Commando
Brigade, temporarily
stationed in Stavanger, Iarrived in Egersund.
The
first call was on
the newly appointed police chief (Politimester). He had heard
October 1985 329
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