Jan Baalsrud and World War II's Greatest Escape (Part Two)

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Welcome to some very famous people you've never really heard
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of Bite Sized Biographies of the famous, the infamous and
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the quirky in less than an hour. My name is
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Philip D. Gibbons, and there is more information about me
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this podcast and a bibliography at bite sized biographies dot com.
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There are also photographs of many of the individuals and
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items mentioned in this podcast. At the conclusion of part
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two of this presentation, there will be additional suggestions concerning
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further information about today's subject, Jon Baalsrude and World War
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Two's Greatest Escape. If you have enjoyed this presentation, please
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like us at our Facebook page bite Sized Biographies, subscribe
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that all of bite Sized Biographies are now available on
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Spotify and tell a friend about bite Sized Biographies. Meanwhile,
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in the Darkness, Baltroot and seventeen year old Ingvald Peterson
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were able to successfully traverse the waterway between Hersoy Island
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and Mickelvick, a village on the large island of Ringvasoi.
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Although moonlight allowed Ingvold to find his way, it also
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was a problem if any patrol boats were on the water.
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Looking for them, but they encountered no one. Upon arrival
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in the vicinity of the Jensen home again, another small
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cottage in a fairly remote area along the shoreline. Ingvall
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presumed that Jan would want him to personally introduce the
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commando to the Jensen family, but Yan refused used, telling
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ingvol that his part was finished and the Ensign should
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have no idea how he arrived in the event anyone
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was ever arrested and interrogated, He gave his benefactor a
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hearty handshake, got out of the dinghy, and headed towards
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the jensgn home. Despite his early morning arrival, Yan figured
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that the cover of darkness was a benefit, not knowing
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who or what might be able to observe the Jensen
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cottage during daylight. He was immediately taken aback when a
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woman came to the door, Jakoba Jensen, not only the
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matriarch of the household, but a midwife running a birthing
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operation out of the second floor of her house. Jakoba
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quickly invited Jan in after hearing of his plight, but
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ushered him into the small back kitchen area, explaining that
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there were actually two women upstairs. In the late stages
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of pregnancy, and that her husband had left in his
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boat earlier that day for trompso Jan was immediately uncomfortable,
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not wanting to jeopardize another extended group of people, received
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more information about another reliable couple in a northerly direction
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along the coastline of Ringbasoi, and after a brief meal,
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headed in that direction. Along the coast. Reaching this destination,
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he was again taken in by strangers who fed him
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and allowed him to warm up and then sleep in
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their barn. They told him of a man who lived
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on the other side of the island, an Einar Sorensen,
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from the waterside town of Bjornscar. It was Yan's hope
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to first get to the Norwegian mainland and ultimately to Sweden.
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Figuring it was best to head for a known quantity,
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he decided to try and cross Ringbasoi Island the most
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direct route to this village. The good news was that
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this area was so remote and rugged that it was
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virtually uninhabited. The bad news was that he could easily fall,
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get lost, or even freeze to death in such a
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remote and inhospitable area. Yan's benefactors all had shown him
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maps of the region, and his considerable skill with the
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such documents allowed him to commit these details to memory.
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He would take whatever root he could through the mountains
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until he reached the coastline on the other side, Biorne Scar,
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approximately eighteen miles away. Although Yan no longer was dealing
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with the acute problem of clothing that was frozen solid,
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his formerly bare foot, already developing symptoms of frostbite days earlier,
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was becoming more troublesome and painful, exacerbated by a gunshot wound.
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His other foot was not as bad, but was also frostbitten.
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He spent much of the day April third, walking through
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deep drifts, ignoring his pain and actually reaching the heights
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above some homes that made up a coastal town on
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the other side of the island. The closest seemed to
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be a farm, and as Yan got closer and before
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he could decide what to do, two small children who
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were playing in the farmyard spotted him and ran into
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the main farmhouse, yelling that a visitor had arrived. Quickly,
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a woman emerged from the dwelling. This was Magna Haika,
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one of the wives of the two brothers who farmed
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this property. Yan walked towards her, introduced himself and asked
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to speak to her husband. Magna looked at the stranger,
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soaked from the waist down, obviously exhausted with frozen hair,
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and sense that he needed help in the worst way.
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She quickly brought him inside. Her husband, Hokan, was present.
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Once Yan was able to get off his boots and
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outer clothing, the hikers worked on getting his injured feet
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into some semblance of shape, rebandaging the injured toe, and
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even applying antiseptic ointment. Walsrud stayed long enough to ascertain
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that yes Inar Sorensen was certainly a person that he
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wanted to find, and that Sorenson was in fact at
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Bijorn Scar, about seven miles south along the coastline. There
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was no roadway, but Yan could make his way along
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the coast as long as he was careful to stay
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beneath the rocks and snowdrifts at the water's edge. Any
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sighting of a stranger in the area would be noticed,
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and this might be problematic, especially if the sighting was
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by one of several paid informants known to inhabit the
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immediate area. As darkness descended, On Yan's fourth day of flight,
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he quickly tired and each step began to require more
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and more effort. It was nine o'clock in the evening
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when he caught sight of a group of three houses,
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all occupied by different members of the Sorenson family, which
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the Hikas described for him, adding that Einar lived with
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his wife and family in the middle of the three.
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Getting closer, he peered through a window and saw an
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adult male, a female, and two young boys. The adult
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male was Einar Sorensen, who must have sent someone's presence
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near his home as he came outside, observing the stranger
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as Jan asked for him by name again. Balsrud was
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quickly rushed inside and Sorensen introduced himself and his family.
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Both adult Sorensons were initially stand offish, asking questions that
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eventually ascertained that Yan was the Bradholm escapee. Rumors of
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his survival already sweeping the region. They did not want
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to fall prey to some provocateur working for the Nazis
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in an attempt to entrap them. They also felt that
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keeping Yan anywhere in their homes vicinity was also a
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grave risk. Sorenson's reputation as sympathetic to their resistance was
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known throughout the island. Einar quickly decided that after Yan
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dried out his clothing, rested briefly and ate, they would
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set out an early morning by rowboat, crossing Gritsundit Sound
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first and then making their way along several islands along
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the Ulsfjord. It was a long trip and Ininar Sorensen
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needed another person to help with the journey, and instead
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of his fourteen year old son, asked his seventy year
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old father, Bernhardt, an avid anti Nazi, to come with him.
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A lengthy, arduous journey under even the best of circumstances,
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conditions were approaching on stable with heavy seas. Once the
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boat got on the open water seven miles across the
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sound to Jan's next destination, another house near the village
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of skittenelve, technically on the Norwegian mainland, although mostly surrounded
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by water. Instead of his mismatched sea boots, he was
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now outfitted in ski boots and even had a pair
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of skis with bindings. It was four in the morning
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when ballsroute approached the shoreline near another coastal farm owned
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by Alfred Lockertson, Conceptually, Lockertson would have been sympathetic to
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any such fugitive, but by now rumors of the execution
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of all twelve of the Bradholm crew members had circulated,
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and Lockertson was also not wanting to be entrapped into
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a Nazi provocation. Eventually, he was satisfied, most likely by
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Yan's pistol, Norwegian naval uniform and his sincere desperation. His
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grown daughter and her husband were not around, but first
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his wife Anatona and so on Alvin were brought in
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on the secret of their visitor. Again, Jan was reluctant
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to stay in one place and jeopardize another family, but
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Alfred then convinced Jon that attempting to walk from their
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location was unwise. Unlike his previous venture overland through higher altitudes,
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the interior of this area was alpine in nature, with
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deep crevasses, impassable cliffs, and brutal weather conditions. Heading along
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the shoreline meant passing through several German checkpoints also impossible
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for Jan. Under the circumstances, Alfred suggested that Jan spend
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the day sleeping in the house's attic bedroom, which belonged
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to his eldest child. He could rest there until Alfred
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got a crew together for his fishing boat. They could
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cover much greater territory that way over water, and Yan
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could then continue on skis towards Sweden. On board, they
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would be joined by Peter Nielsen, Lockertson's normal deckhand when
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he was fishing, and Lockertson's son Jan, who lived nearby.
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While the three men prepared the boat and fishing nets
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at the dock, Jan slept in the attic room. In
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the early evening, he awoke to the Lockertson's family's traditional
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Sunday dinner, Nielsen joining them as well. Afterwards, the group
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waited for the sunset and the cover of darkness, and
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Atona provided both a Heartfeldt farewell and a knapsack filled
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with more food and an additional set of clothes. Intermittent
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clouds and snow showers provided additional cover, but at times
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the moon and stars provided a bright seascape. There was
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a German patrol boat that periodically appeared in the grot Sundet.
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Jan had actually spotted it during the day from his
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attic perch, but it did not harass Alfred Lockertson's boat
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as it quickly turned into the Uhlsfjord, actually ahead of schedule.
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The craft arrived in the vicinity of a small boat
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house owned by Alfred, with the tied out and not
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wanting to alert anyone, the motor was shut off. Would
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make the rest of the way by dinghy, helped by
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Peter Ballsred thanked the two other crew members, especially Alfred,
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and got in the dinghy his skis and poles, then
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lowered in with him. There were rocks everywhere and getting
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the boat ashore proved difficult, but Peter actually jumped into
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the water to push Yan as close as possible. He
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first retrieved the ski equipment and then carried Yan onto
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the shore a piggyback style, wanting to keep ballsrout as
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dry as possible. The two men then conferred for a
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few minutes in the boat house, Peter giving Yan advice
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and information about the next leg of the journey. Then,
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as the first glimmer of Arctic daylight started to appear,
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it was time for another goodbye. Jan watched as the
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fishing boat chugged into the distance. He perceived the next
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part of his journey is only mildly challenging. In the
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middle of the night on an actual road For much
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of the route, he could make good time and see
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the lights of any approaching automobile and unlikely occurrence. Peter
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had warned him of German checkpoints along the way, more
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numerous on the official mainland with larger outposts of civilization,
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and he avoided these easily, as well as any concentrated population. Twice, however,
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in the early morning hours in the center of the
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town of lynx Sided, he narrowly escaped Germans who were
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either too sleepy or too apathetic to wonder who he was.
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Jan's plan was to skial on the road all the
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way to his next objective, fure Flowden, but he determined
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that skiing this close to civilization was dangerous and he
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decided to run parallel to the coastline at a higher altitude.
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At first, the weather was perfect for such a venture
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and Yan was able to keep perfectly oriented, but typically
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for the region, within minutes, clouds and then a white
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out snowstorm descended upon him, not only disorienting Yan but
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also rendering movement dangerous at any moment balls rude, potentially
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skiing off of a now invisible platue. He improvised a
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process of tossing snowballs in his path and listening for
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them to hit the ground in front of him. If
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he heard nothing, he reasoned that he was on the
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verge of a precipice and looked for a different direction. Still,
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he got hopelessly lost, and the snow missed and fog
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that also began to sap both his optimism and energy. Again,
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he was freezing cold and his foot throbbed, And then
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when he felt that things could not get worse, it
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suddenly did. Although he could not immediately see what was
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bearing down on him, for a few seconds, Yon perceived
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a powerful force heading in his direction was an avalanche,
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and it completely swept him off of his feet, flipping
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him over and over again and again, until he hit
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something that knocked him unconscious. He did not know how
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long it was before he came to opening his eyes
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and realizing that other than his head in his arm,
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the rest of his body was submerged in snow. One
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side of his face was scratched and bleeding. When he
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tried to wipe it off, he saw spots of blood.
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He also then comprehended that his mittens were gone. Slowly
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he extracted himself from the deep snow one ski was missing,
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the other snapped in half, worthless. The poles, his woolen cap,
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and knapsack with food also gone. Within minutes, he became
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aware enough to feel a severe headache and freezing cold.
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His hands now unprotected, he stood up and spent the
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rest of that day and that night merely trying to
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put one foot in front of the other. So debilitated
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that he began to hallucinate and hear voices. Somehow, he survived,
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and when the weather eased on the following morning, he
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determined that the avalanche deposited him in a sloping valley
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that he followed downward. Although he didn't realize it, this
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valley would take him to the upper outskirts of the
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village of fureflowting at the most remote home in this area.
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The Granvole farm contained several dwellings, one a small cabin
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occupied by some of the members of the Granvole family.
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They were in the process of finishing their dinner when
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they heard a strange scraping noise coming from one of
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the outer walls of their cottage. It approached a windowless door,
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and then the sound of someone unsuccessfully trying to turn
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the bolt was audible. Hannah Peterson, a married Grandviole's sister
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and mother of two, told her seventeen year old son
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Johann to open the door, practically falling to the floor.
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A man stumbled in, barely able to stand. His upper
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clothing was soaking, wet and filthy without a cap. His
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dark hair was visible, disheveled with ice, dirt, and blood.
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His face had streaks of scratches, eyes almost completely swollen shut,
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frost sticking to his lashes, and scraggly black facial hair.
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Ice covered his boots and most of his lower legs.
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It was Yon Baalsrud, probably only minutes away from freezing
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to death. He staggered over to the kitchen table and
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without a word, slumped down into a chair. When I
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told her son to go get her thirty three year
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old brother, Marius Gronwall from his house across the yard.
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By the time the farmer ambled over, Jean was in
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the middle of the kitchen floor, flat on his back.
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Marius at first thought he might be in a skate
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pow or slave laborer, but he knelt down to get
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a better look. Johan was barely able to talk, asking
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only if there were any Germans nearby. Marius assured him
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that no one would hurt him and that they would
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try and help him. They started by removing Yan's boots,
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which were by now practically attached to his feet and ankles.
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They had to be removed by a knife in pieces.
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The socks cut off with a scissor. Underneath the skin
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had all of the coloration of her terrible case of frostbite.
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Everyone present took turns massaging Yan's feet and trying to
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get circulation moving again, a process that continued as Marius
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asked balls Rude questions about who he was and how
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he got to the grand Bole farm. Did reveal that
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he was a survivor from the Bradholm, and suddenly the
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situation made some sense. His soaking wet clothing came off
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and on went dry replacements. Marius was determined to help
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Yon survive. Granvold already an ardent participant in the local
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Norwegian resistance movement, but fre Flotten was an extremely dangerous
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place for Ballsrude to hide out. The main routle on
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the coastline that traversed the region, and the town frequently
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00:17:28.680 --> 00:17:33.680
was blocked by avalanches and snowfall. Rendering it impassable. Furi
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flowten was the designated post for the snow removal equipment
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and large contingent of soldiers assigned to keep the road cleared.
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The local school had also been confiscated and turned into
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a barracks for additional Germans who had very little to
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do and frequently spontaneously appeared in groups wanting to buy eggs, produce, milk,
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and whatever fresh food they could get their hands on.
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These visits were innocent enough, but at the wrong time,
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could spell trouble for Yan and the Granvoles in the
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short term. Even Yan, always sensitive to the potential danger
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presented by his presence, knew that he could not leave
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his current location. He could barely stand, much less walk
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any appreciable distance. At two in the morning, he was
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placed on a sled and moved to the hayloft of
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a remote barn on the property. A mattress and blankets
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00:18:24.839 --> 00:18:28.160
installed to make him as comfortable as possible. As well
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as his impaired legs and feet, Yan also suffered damage
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to his eyes, barely able to open them, which caused pain.
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Visibility also reduced to extremely blurred vision. Still, for the moment,
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this was the best alternative, and it was hoped that
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Yan might quickly improve. Three times a day his benefactors,
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usually the teenagers, called up to him, wary of the pistol,
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He always kept at arm's length and delivered meals. But
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Mario's granvole knew that he could not keep the fugitive
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on his property as long as it would take for
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00:19:01.119 --> 00:19:04.880
Yan to regain mobility and proper vision. He began to
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think of a way to get Balls rooted across the
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six mile wide Lingoennfiord and to an even more remote
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location that could shelter Yon indefinitely. Marius quickly assembled several
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local men to implement his plan, which, despite the great
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danger involved, was relatively simple. It involved binding Yan to
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a small sled, taking him down to the shoreline, and
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then rowing him across the fjord to a remote shed
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in the Revdahl, a remnant of a burned out, abandoned
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farmhouse at the base of a plateau. The most dangerous
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part of the trip would be navigating the lanes and
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paths through the village and the various sentry posts near
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the local German equipment depots and the converted school barracks.
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Late in the evening of April twelfth, only four days
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after Yan arrived at the Grandvole farm, the coordinated effort began.
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Marius careful to place lookouts at key spot along the
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route to warn of any potential threats to the mission.
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Still incapacitated, Yan was tied to the sled and Marius
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led a group of adults down toward the fiord. Although
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there were several centuries along the way in the middle
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of nowhere in Norway. After countless such monotonous guard duties,
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it would have taken a full scale invasion to prompt
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any sort of alarm from these sleepy patrols. Even so,
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Marius was careful to observe the lit matched signal from
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his own lookouts to insure no slip ups, and before
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00:20:32.480 --> 00:20:35.640
long Yan was removed from the sled and carried into
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a boat. Marius stayed with the crew that was to
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row him across to the Revdall The crossing was uneventful,
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and soon Yan was being carried into the hut, Marius
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heading inside first and the darkness. He eventually made out
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of cot and in the vicinity. He left a knapsack
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with food, clothing, and even a modest amount of alcohol.
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Yan was dragged in and placed on the cot. Marius
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told he would return two days with more food, and
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Yan settled in for the rest of the night. Two
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days later, on April fifteenth, Marius and some others did
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return as scheduled. He knocked three times on the side
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of the hut, their signal that friends were approaching. Marius
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left some food, but admitted he was unable to convince
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a local doctor to accompany them to the hut. At
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the moment, Jan's foot was painful, but nothing he couldn't
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live with. He was in a good enough humor to
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joke with Marius that he was already calling his hut
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the Hotel Savoy, after the famous London landmark. The men left,
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promising to return in a few more days. Ballsroud's situation
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00:21:41.839 --> 00:21:44.119
was about to take a turn for the worst in
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several ways. Whether above the Arctic Circle was unpredictable. In
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late April, and as a last vestige of winter, a
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terrific storm hit the area, making the Fiord utterly impassable
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for five days. In his hut, Yan battled not only
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the psychologice logical possibility that his benefactors had been arrested,
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and might never come back, as well as the ever
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increasing pain that was enveloping his foot and lower leg.
359
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The pain became so excruciating that Yan removed his bandages.
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His toes were varying shades of dark purple, but his
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00:22:17.599 --> 00:22:22.079
big toe was completely black. The skin cracked, thick yellowish
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00:22:22.119 --> 00:22:25.920
fluid emerged when he squeezed. The toe also completely numb.
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Yan did not need a medical doctor to make a diagnosis.
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It was gangren and it was spreading. Eventually it would
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make his way up his entire leg. On the fifth day,
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the weather cleared and the resistance members did not hesitate
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to cross the fiord even in daylight. They brought fishing
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equipment so that in the eventuality that they were stopped
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or questioned, they could maintain that they were merely out
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for some recreation. Once they reached the hut, the group
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was quite concerned with Yan's foot, and from his general
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appearance it was becoming seriously ill. They left him more
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visions and returned to fure Flowed in hopes of finding
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a medical solution. Yan's despair and extreme pain only worsened.
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00:23:08.279 --> 00:23:11.200
A day after Marius's latest visit, he came to a
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00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:15.720
terrible conclusion, using a large knife that his benefactors provided,
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00:23:15.920 --> 00:23:18.400
he would resort to the only option he had under
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00:23:18.400 --> 00:23:23.240
the circumstances. Cleaning the knife, his hands and wrists with alcohol,
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00:23:23.519 --> 00:23:25.680
he then washed his big toe with more of the
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same substance, gulping down a healthy swig to steal his resolve.
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00:23:30.519 --> 00:23:32.960
He then began to work on removing his toe with
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00:23:33.000 --> 00:23:37.319
a hunting knife. The skin portion was initially relatively easy,
383
00:23:37.480 --> 00:23:39.880
but then Yon came to what was left of the joint,
384
00:23:40.079 --> 00:23:43.599
continuing to saw through bone. The pain was so intense
385
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that he began to practically sob bathed in sweat and
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00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:50.519
shivering at the same time. He eventually got through the
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00:23:50.559 --> 00:23:53.799
bone and remaining skin of the toe, placing the severed
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00:23:53.839 --> 00:23:56.880
digit in a crack in the wall, but he wasn't
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00:23:56.920 --> 00:24:00.200
done yet, continuing to remove several more toes on his
390
00:24:00.319 --> 00:24:04.720
right foot. When he finished, he practically collapsed. A day later,
391
00:24:05.000 --> 00:24:09.119
Marius and others returned, cheerfully arriving but actually repelled from
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00:24:09.160 --> 00:24:13.440
the odor that now permeated the hut Yan remained motionless
393
00:24:13.440 --> 00:24:16.519
on his cot, the severed toe, bloody knife on the floor,
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00:24:17.039 --> 00:24:21.119
and mutilated foot, providing evidence of what had transpired. The
395
00:24:21.160 --> 00:24:24.279
men quickly cleaned him up, gave him some food, and
396
00:24:24.319 --> 00:24:26.799
tried to reassure him, but they were still unable to
397
00:24:26.839 --> 00:24:31.039
provide him with a doctor. Marius gradually decided that the
398
00:24:31.079 --> 00:24:34.359
only realistic way to get Yan into Sweden was hiking
399
00:24:34.400 --> 00:24:38.000
through the mountains behind the Hut. Any roadway or settlement
400
00:24:38.039 --> 00:24:41.359
near the border would be heavily patrolled by both soldiers
401
00:24:41.440 --> 00:24:45.440
and border guards. There were no roads in the Mondalen Valley,
402
00:24:45.559 --> 00:24:48.240
the remote area east of the mountains that rose from
403
00:24:48.279 --> 00:24:51.599
the Fiord, but getting Yan, who could barely stand, much
404
00:24:51.680 --> 00:24:55.160
less walk, up such a steep incline and a sled
405
00:24:55.319 --> 00:24:58.920
would be an incredibly demanding endeavor. It would also require
406
00:24:59.000 --> 00:25:02.119
help from local and evidence of this region, because the
407
00:25:02.160 --> 00:25:05.039
border was too far from Marius and whatever group he
408
00:25:05.079 --> 00:25:09.079
assembled to reach by themselves. Merely getting Yon up the
409
00:25:09.119 --> 00:25:12.359
mountain onto the valley plateau alone would be an exhausting
410
00:25:12.400 --> 00:25:16.240
and involved undertaking, and the individuals involved had to be
411
00:25:16.319 --> 00:25:20.440
notified by a circuitous and cumbersome process of discreete messages.
412
00:25:21.279 --> 00:25:24.160
Marius personally delivered a message to an operative on the
413
00:25:24.160 --> 00:25:27.359
other side of the Fiord, a man named Peter Bergmo
414
00:25:27.680 --> 00:25:30.079
who had a general outline of the plan, and now
415
00:25:30.160 --> 00:25:33.319
needed to line up the requisite individuals to pick up
416
00:25:33.400 --> 00:25:36.559
Yan on the plateau and convey him to the Swedish border.
417
00:25:37.400 --> 00:25:39.799
Time was of the essence, and Marius took it on
418
00:25:39.880 --> 00:25:42.880
faith that the plan would succeed without a problem. But
419
00:25:43.000 --> 00:25:46.480
Bergmo also had to personally find and recruit like minded
420
00:25:46.519 --> 00:25:50.000
individuals to carry out the second half of the rescue.
421
00:25:50.240 --> 00:25:53.200
He was having trouble coordinating all of the moving parts.
422
00:25:54.160 --> 00:25:57.039
Unbeknownst to Marius, Peter had been unable to reach his
423
00:25:57.160 --> 00:26:00.480
contacts in the allotted time. As Marius and three other
424
00:26:00.559 --> 00:26:04.359
men crossed the Lingenfjord and entered Yan's hut on the
425
00:26:04.400 --> 00:26:07.359
evening of April twenty fourth, they hoped that when they
426
00:26:07.359 --> 00:26:10.319
reached the valley somebody would be there waiting for them.
427
00:26:11.599 --> 00:26:14.240
Hiking up to the plateau was a challenge merely for
428
00:26:14.319 --> 00:26:17.000
a single individual, but for the four men they had
429
00:26:17.000 --> 00:26:20.559
the additional challenge of practically carrying a fifth human being
430
00:26:20.640 --> 00:26:24.279
with them. A carpenter friend of Marius had fashioned a
431
00:26:24.319 --> 00:26:27.119
sled out of what looked to be wooden slats that
432
00:26:27.160 --> 00:26:31.039
would not arouse suspicion. One of the other resistance members,
433
00:26:31.119 --> 00:26:35.279
Alvin Larsen got to work assembling the seemingly unrelated pieces
434
00:26:35.319 --> 00:26:39.839
of wood into the twelve foot long device, attaching skis
435
00:26:39.920 --> 00:26:42.720
to the sides. As soon as Jan had some food,
436
00:26:43.400 --> 00:26:46.160
all four men got him ready to go. They wrapped
437
00:26:46.240 --> 00:26:48.680
him in blankets and a sleeping bag and tied him
438
00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:51.440
securely to the sled from his armpits all the way
439
00:26:51.480 --> 00:26:55.119
down to his ankles. Then they began their climb, two
440
00:26:55.160 --> 00:26:58.000
men pulling ropes attached to the front and two men
441
00:26:58.079 --> 00:27:02.319
holding ropes attached to the rear. Relatively easy at first,
442
00:27:02.359 --> 00:27:07.559
the climb grew increasingly more difficult as the incline got steeper. Initially,
443
00:27:07.599 --> 00:27:11.720
small trees, rocks, and roots provided hand holds to grab
444
00:27:11.799 --> 00:27:14.839
and pull the sled higher, as well as general stability.
445
00:27:15.559 --> 00:27:18.799
Above the tree line. With nothing but ice, snow, and granite,
446
00:27:18.880 --> 00:27:22.640
the trek became practically harrowing. A false step could easily
447
00:27:22.680 --> 00:27:26.279
send all four men and the sled, with Yon, tumbling
448
00:27:26.319 --> 00:27:30.720
fatally down the rugged mountain. The sled became practically vertical,
449
00:27:30.880 --> 00:27:35.000
a situation that only exacerbated the pain in Yon's right leg,
450
00:27:35.359 --> 00:27:38.880
sending him in and out of consciousness. One final extreme
451
00:27:39.039 --> 00:27:43.279
ridge forced the men to proceed sideways and gradually upward,
452
00:27:43.839 --> 00:27:47.799
one careful step at a time. Yon sled hanging mostly
453
00:27:47.880 --> 00:27:51.799
in mid air. After this final challenge, two thousand feet
454
00:27:51.880 --> 00:27:55.240
of relatively flat plateaus stretched out in front of them.
455
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The worst they believed was behind them. Heading across this area,
456
00:28:00.119 --> 00:28:03.680
Marius and company reached their rendezvous point with the MacDonald
457
00:28:03.839 --> 00:28:07.160
men within the established time period of between two and
458
00:28:07.240 --> 00:28:11.279
four AM, but there was nobody there. Not wanting to
459
00:28:11.359 --> 00:28:15.440
drag everyone further, two of the four amandas Lilovo and
460
00:28:15.559 --> 00:28:18.559
oliv Lanis agreed to take the skis and search the
461
00:28:18.599 --> 00:28:21.960
area for any sign of the other group. They skied
462
00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:23.920
all of the way to the edge of the plateau
463
00:28:24.200 --> 00:28:26.759
and were able to quickly determine that no one was
464
00:28:26.799 --> 00:28:30.599
there or even heading in their direction. After making this
465
00:28:30.720 --> 00:28:34.599
depressing and startling discovery, it was quickly determined that Yan
466
00:28:34.759 --> 00:28:37.839
could not be returned to his hut. Although they felt
467
00:28:37.920 --> 00:28:41.519
that they had disappointed him, Yan was only encouraging. He
468
00:28:41.599 --> 00:28:43.759
kept reassuring them that they had done all that they
469
00:28:43.799 --> 00:28:46.920
could and it would still work out. One of the
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largest and most prominent landmarks on the horizon was a huge,
471
00:28:50.640 --> 00:28:54.960
fifteen foot high boulder surrounded by snow drifts. These drifts
472
00:28:55.000 --> 00:28:58.279
were formed in the shape of a natural enclosure. The
473
00:28:58.319 --> 00:29:00.880
four men cut an opening large enough for the sled
474
00:29:01.039 --> 00:29:04.799
and then pushed Yon feet first into the enclosure. Then
475
00:29:04.799 --> 00:29:07.880
they built up the snow to enclose him except for
476
00:29:07.960 --> 00:29:11.119
a small opening the rock itself and the frozen snow
477
00:29:11.200 --> 00:29:14.720
providing an igloo like shelter. It was not ideal, but
478
00:29:14.799 --> 00:29:18.440
the best they could do under the circumstances. Whatever food
479
00:29:18.480 --> 00:29:21.720
and beverages remained were collected and left for Yon. And
480
00:29:21.759 --> 00:29:24.799
while they shared encouraging words and told him that the
481
00:29:24.839 --> 00:29:27.920
other crew would get there relatively quickly, privately they were
482
00:29:27.920 --> 00:29:30.880
pretty dispirited. They not only needed to figure out what
483
00:29:30.920 --> 00:29:33.680
went wrong, they first needed to get down the mountain
484
00:29:33.759 --> 00:29:37.799
and across the fiord without attracting attention. They left him
485
00:29:37.839 --> 00:29:41.880
with a password, Hello Gentleman, so he would know when
486
00:29:41.880 --> 00:29:45.799
they returned. Fortunately, on a Sunday, all four men were
487
00:29:45.799 --> 00:29:50.279
able to get home without attracting suspicion. Marius immediately picked
488
00:29:50.359 --> 00:29:53.480
up his telephone and left a coated message for Peter
489
00:29:53.599 --> 00:29:57.640
Bergmow that his delivery of fish yarn was immediately available.
490
00:29:57.920 --> 00:30:01.400
Bergmo could only respond by thank him and responding that
491
00:30:01.400 --> 00:30:04.359
he would pick it up as soon as possible. On
492
00:30:04.480 --> 00:30:08.759
Sunday night and Monday morning, two Norwegians, Peter Isaacson and
493
00:30:08.880 --> 00:30:12.920
Nigo Nielsen, were sent by Bergmo to retrieve yon Balls rout.
494
00:30:13.640 --> 00:30:15.799
Although they were instructed to look for balls root on
495
00:30:15.839 --> 00:30:19.359
the plateau by a large rock, their task was complicated
496
00:30:19.440 --> 00:30:22.400
by an abundance of such boulders and they were unable
497
00:30:22.440 --> 00:30:26.079
to locate this specific location in question. It was twenty
498
00:30:26.079 --> 00:30:29.519
four hours before Bergmo even heard of this failure, and
499
00:30:29.599 --> 00:30:32.400
another twenty four hours before he was able to personally
500
00:30:32.440 --> 00:30:36.079
contact Marius at his farm with the bad news. It
501
00:30:36.160 --> 00:30:39.759
was Wednesday evening, April twenty eighth when Marius, now accompanied
502
00:30:39.759 --> 00:30:44.359
by Olaflanis's sister Agneita, a tireless skier and the only
503
00:30:44.440 --> 00:30:48.640
individual available on such short notice, again headed across the
504
00:30:48.680 --> 00:30:51.519
fiord and into the mountains to determine if yan was
505
00:30:51.559 --> 00:30:55.400
even alive and provide him with more food. Dreading what
506
00:30:55.480 --> 00:30:58.200
he would find, Marius presumed they would have to dig
507
00:30:58.240 --> 00:31:01.799
out the dead body of yon Ball. Without even bothering
508
00:31:01.839 --> 00:31:04.839
to speak, he began chopping at the snow enclosure with
509
00:31:04.920 --> 00:31:08.240
a ski pole. From within, he heard a soft but
510
00:31:08.319 --> 00:31:12.920
determined greeting from the fugitive, Hello, gentlemen. Balsard was still
511
00:31:12.960 --> 00:31:16.200
hanging on and eagerly drank immediately from the thermos of
512
00:31:16.279 --> 00:31:20.480
soup that was provided. This time, Marius left ski poles
513
00:31:20.519 --> 00:31:24.000
crossed in the snow, especially visible from anyone coming from
514
00:31:24.039 --> 00:31:28.000
the Magdalen side of the plateau. But this first step
515
00:31:28.039 --> 00:31:30.519
only ensure that Yan was still alive and got him
516
00:31:30.519 --> 00:31:34.599
additional sustenance for a few more days at most. Marius
517
00:31:34.640 --> 00:31:37.200
needed to get word as soon as possible to Burgmo
518
00:31:37.359 --> 00:31:39.680
that Yan was still alive, as well as a more
519
00:31:39.720 --> 00:31:44.640
detailed map of Yan's exact whereabouts. This he did personally,
520
00:31:44.640 --> 00:31:48.000
getting through several contacts a detailed map of the stone
521
00:31:48.039 --> 00:31:53.039
Igloo location. Again, Peter Isaacson and Nigo Nielsen went up
522
00:31:53.079 --> 00:31:55.440
onto the plateau in the middle of the night, this
523
00:31:55.640 --> 00:31:59.039
time locating the giant rock with two ski poles tied
524
00:31:59.119 --> 00:32:01.960
near it. But the drifts had piled up all around
525
00:32:02.000 --> 00:32:04.640
the rock and both men could not believe anyone could
526
00:32:04.640 --> 00:32:08.680
have survived such conditions. Nego began to dig, knowing that
527
00:32:08.799 --> 00:32:11.319
Yan had a gun and wanting to make sure he
528
00:32:11.359 --> 00:32:13.480
knew they meant no harm. As he dug through the
529
00:32:13.519 --> 00:32:19.720
snow drifts around the giant rock. He kept repeating the phrase, Hello, gentlemen, Hello, gentleman.
530
00:32:20.079 --> 00:32:23.440
He stopped speaking, feeling almost ridiculous that he even thought
531
00:32:23.440 --> 00:32:26.200
for a moment that any human being could still be alive,
532
00:32:26.880 --> 00:32:30.160
but he continued digging frantically. At last he heard from
533
00:32:30.279 --> 00:32:32.720
what was a small crawl space within the snow and
534
00:32:32.799 --> 00:32:37.039
ice a response in a faint voice, Hello, gentleman. Yan
535
00:32:37.200 --> 00:32:41.319
was hanging on, although quite weak. Food and beverages restored
536
00:32:41.400 --> 00:32:44.039
him somewhat, but it was clear that Yan needed another
537
00:32:44.160 --> 00:32:47.440
refuge as soon as possible. He could not possibly last
538
00:32:47.559 --> 00:32:52.200
much longer in such extreme conditions. Peter and Nego could
539
00:32:52.200 --> 00:32:54.960
not stay long, as they needed to be home before daylight.
540
00:32:55.599 --> 00:32:59.160
Any behavior out of the ordinary might become obvious to neighbors,
541
00:33:00.039 --> 00:33:02.880
one of which might even begin harmless gossip that could
542
00:33:02.920 --> 00:33:05.839
make its way to local officials or even worse, the
543
00:33:05.920 --> 00:33:09.640
Germans themselves. But what they could do exactly with Yan,
544
00:33:09.720 --> 00:33:11.960
as far as getting him to Sweden was still nothing
545
00:33:12.000 --> 00:33:15.319
more than a basic idea to involve the local indigenous
546
00:33:15.359 --> 00:33:19.160
people who lived near the border, the Sami in this effort,
547
00:33:19.559 --> 00:33:22.640
known traditionally in the West as Laps, and their territory
548
00:33:22.680 --> 00:33:27.559
as Lapland. Today this term is considered derogatory. Nigo had
549
00:33:27.599 --> 00:33:31.359
some resistance contacts closer to the border, but arranging such
550
00:33:31.359 --> 00:33:35.559
a complicated transfer would take more time. Although Yan was
551
00:33:35.599 --> 00:33:38.519
promised that contact would be made again at the Gentleman's
552
00:33:38.519 --> 00:33:42.440
Stone within forty eight hours, another white out blizzard prevented
553
00:33:42.480 --> 00:33:46.319
this interaction for four days. It was May fourth before
554
00:33:46.440 --> 00:33:51.279
four men risking traveling onto the plateau during daylight, returned
555
00:33:51.279 --> 00:33:55.599
to Yan's hideout, not only with sustenance, but another temporary solution.
556
00:33:56.480 --> 00:33:59.680
A much more secure and sheltered location in a natural
557
00:33:59.759 --> 00:34:04.240
large mountain enclosure known as the Skayyani Cave would serve
558
00:34:04.279 --> 00:34:08.480
as Yan's new refuge while transport via Sami reindeer cart
559
00:34:08.599 --> 00:34:12.000
could be arranged. Although some accounts claimed that Ballsrude was
560
00:34:12.039 --> 00:34:16.239
periodically left outdoors for as long as seven days during
561
00:34:16.280 --> 00:34:20.039
this relocation, what is definite is that by May eleventh
562
00:34:20.360 --> 00:34:23.280
he was secured in this cave, tall enough to stand
563
00:34:23.320 --> 00:34:27.159
in and approximately twenty feet deep into the mountain side.
564
00:34:27.639 --> 00:34:30.039
It was during this time period that Yan felt it
565
00:34:30.119 --> 00:34:34.119
necessary to further amputate all or part of nine of
566
00:34:34.159 --> 00:34:37.800
his ten toes infection Now spreading to his arms as
567
00:34:37.840 --> 00:34:42.320
well as throughout his legs, but intricately knitted blankets, a
568
00:34:42.360 --> 00:34:46.480
new sleeping bag, fresh clothing, and regular deliveries of food
569
00:34:46.519 --> 00:34:49.920
on a daily basis. As the weather eased, began to
570
00:34:49.960 --> 00:34:56.039
reverse Yan's overall physical deterioration, but orchestrating Yan's final deliverance
571
00:34:56.119 --> 00:35:00.559
remained problematic. It would take seventeen days, but Nego Nielsen
572
00:35:00.599 --> 00:35:04.719
eventually arranged with two Sami brothers to get Baalsrud across
573
00:35:04.760 --> 00:35:09.480
the border and into Sweden. These brothers, traditional Sami reindeer
574
00:35:09.519 --> 00:35:13.480
herders Oslach and pear Ball, would place Yon in a
575
00:35:13.519 --> 00:35:17.840
reindeer driven traditional Sami sled known as a pulk. On
576
00:35:17.920 --> 00:35:21.480
May twenty eighth, five men removed Balsrd from his cave
577
00:35:21.559 --> 00:35:24.599
and explained that the time had come for his final escape.
578
00:35:24.880 --> 00:35:27.920
They then dragged Yon to an even more remote encampment
579
00:35:28.039 --> 00:35:30.920
at a higher altitude and a tent where he would
580
00:35:30.960 --> 00:35:33.920
rest on the twenty ninth. On the thirty first, in
581
00:35:33.920 --> 00:35:38.039
the light of the now permanent seasonal Arctic daylight, Baalsrud
582
00:35:38.159 --> 00:35:42.440
was dressed in traditional Sami garb, including the distinctive four
583
00:35:42.480 --> 00:35:46.320
pointed colorful Sami headgear and placed in a pulk guided
584
00:35:46.360 --> 00:35:50.639
by pear Ball. His brother Osloch would also accompany these
585
00:35:50.679 --> 00:35:53.800
two in his own pulk, the reindeer herd, providing both
586
00:35:53.880 --> 00:35:58.119
cover and confusion to any Germans who might observe such
587
00:35:58.119 --> 00:36:01.880
herds crossing through this territory on a frequent basis the
588
00:36:01.960 --> 00:36:06.760
Sami and nomadic people that historically traversed all of northern Scandinavia.
589
00:36:07.599 --> 00:36:09.599
On the first day, they were able to get about
590
00:36:09.679 --> 00:36:12.760
half way to the Finish border without incident, but by
591
00:36:12.760 --> 00:36:15.880
the end of the day the intense Arctic sunlight induced
592
00:36:15.920 --> 00:36:19.199
snow blindness in oslock Ball and he would not be
593
00:36:19.239 --> 00:36:24.199
able to continue. Pearball would transport Yon by himself over
594
00:36:24.280 --> 00:36:26.880
the border to Finland. From there, it was only a
595
00:36:26.920 --> 00:36:29.440
couple of miles to reach Sweden and some of the
596
00:36:29.519 --> 00:36:34.079
remotest territory on the planet. This final push was filled
597
00:36:34.119 --> 00:36:37.239
with great anxiety for both men, despite the lack of
598
00:36:37.280 --> 00:36:41.000
any concerted border patrol. As the pulk and the herd
599
00:36:41.039 --> 00:36:45.960
approached Lake Kilpasjarvi, the waterway that touched the Norwegian, Finish
600
00:36:45.960 --> 00:36:49.800
and Swedish border, a German ski patrol did approach closely
601
00:36:49.920 --> 00:36:52.760
enough to observe them as they made a final push
602
00:36:52.800 --> 00:36:56.320
for the lake, the Germans firing wildly at them, but
603
00:36:56.440 --> 00:36:58.719
too far out of range to either hit them or
604
00:36:58.760 --> 00:37:01.679
catch up to the herd now flying across first the
605
00:37:01.760 --> 00:37:06.119
finish and then the Swedish border. Although now safe from captivity,
606
00:37:06.360 --> 00:37:10.119
yon Baalsrud was still in grave physical condition. Pair Ball
607
00:37:10.199 --> 00:37:13.639
brought him to friends at the town of Coomavapio, Sweden,
608
00:37:13.800 --> 00:37:17.519
about five miles from the border, and then onto Kanuvapio.
609
00:37:17.920 --> 00:37:22.000
From here transported by river to Sarakowski, Sweden, balls Rood
610
00:37:22.119 --> 00:37:25.119
was flown by a Red Cross seaplane about one hundred
611
00:37:25.159 --> 00:37:29.199
miles to a regional hospital at Boden, Sweden. He was
612
00:37:29.280 --> 00:37:32.480
placed in a wheelchair and brought into an examination room,
613
00:37:32.960 --> 00:37:36.360
now weighing about eighty pounds after his two months or deal.
614
00:37:37.000 --> 00:37:39.679
Although Balsrud was thrilled to be alive and not a
615
00:37:39.719 --> 00:37:43.519
German prisoner, his feet were in appalling condition, dark blue
616
00:37:43.519 --> 00:37:46.559
from his knees on down. Initially, he was considered a
617
00:37:46.599 --> 00:37:50.320
possibility that all four of his limbs might need amputation,
618
00:37:50.800 --> 00:37:54.599
but after numerous skin grafts and seven months in the
619
00:37:54.639 --> 00:37:58.639
Boden hospital, he not only retained his extremities but also
620
00:37:58.760 --> 00:38:02.639
learned to walk with what was now left of his toes. Eventually,
621
00:38:02.679 --> 00:38:06.199
he was flown back to the Shetland Islands, immediately inquiring
622
00:38:06.239 --> 00:38:09.119
in the winter of nineteen forty four as to when
623
00:38:09.159 --> 00:38:12.920
he could return to Norway as a resistance fighter. Instead,
624
00:38:13.079 --> 00:38:16.760
he trained other commandos at the British Shetland Island Outpost,
625
00:38:17.320 --> 00:38:22.760
a living example of patriotism, courage and determination. At war's end,
626
00:38:22.880 --> 00:38:26.199
Balsrud was able to return to Norway, reuniting with his
627
00:38:26.239 --> 00:38:30.480
family in Oslo, who also survived the war. Following World
628
00:38:30.559 --> 00:38:34.519
War II, Balsrud became active in the organization that united
629
00:38:34.639 --> 00:38:39.239
disabled Norwegian veterans Physically impacted by cold weather as a
630
00:38:39.239 --> 00:38:43.599
result of his wartime injuries, Balsrud eventually relocated to the
631
00:38:43.639 --> 00:38:46.719
Canary Islands, spending much of the remainder of his life
632
00:38:46.800 --> 00:38:51.400
working in agriculture in the vicinity of Tenerife. He returned
633
00:38:51.400 --> 00:38:55.360
to Norway shortly before his death on December thirtieth, nineteen
634
00:38:55.480 --> 00:38:59.639
eighty eight, as requested. His ashes were buried in the
635
00:38:59.719 --> 00:39:02.840
village of Mundalen, near the valley, where he was protected
636
00:39:02.880 --> 00:39:07.159
by the local inhabitants of this entire region. Despite fear
637
00:39:07.199 --> 00:39:11.119
of reprisals. Following Baalsrud's escape, No one involved with his
638
00:39:11.199 --> 00:39:14.960
flight was ever arrested or even interrogated. The Germans either
639
00:39:15.039 --> 00:39:21.159
unaware or too distracted to impose their typically harsh retribution. However,
640
00:39:21.360 --> 00:39:26.079
besides the executed and deceased victims of the Bradholm betrayal,
641
00:39:26.400 --> 00:39:31.079
several individuals were arrested and deported to concentration camps. The
642
00:39:31.119 --> 00:39:36.480
two half brothers, Yernberg Christensen and Sandolf Andreasen both died
643
00:39:36.599 --> 00:39:41.599
during captivity. Christensen and Bergen Belsen in March nineteen forty five,
644
00:39:41.960 --> 00:39:47.000
Andreasen at Knotsweiler in March of nineteen forty four. Tor
645
00:39:47.079 --> 00:39:50.960
Knutsen and Kari Morson also never returned to Norway after
646
00:39:51.000 --> 00:39:55.079
the war. Morson died at Melk, a mal thousand satellite
647
00:39:55.159 --> 00:39:58.639
labor camp, and Knutsen suffered a similar fate at an
648
00:39:58.719 --> 00:40:04.639
unknown location. Hawkins Sorensen, the shopkeeper who initially contacted law
649
00:40:04.719 --> 00:40:08.679
enforcement about the Bradholm, was arrested and tried after the war,
650
00:40:09.239 --> 00:40:12.440
receiving a sentence of twelve years and forced to repay
651
00:40:12.440 --> 00:40:15.760
the money he received from the Germans five thousand kroner
652
00:40:16.519 --> 00:40:20.360
hoger hoel also was prosecuted for his role in this incident,
653
00:40:20.519 --> 00:40:24.119
getting a twelve year sentence. Following the war, both men
654
00:40:24.159 --> 00:40:27.880
were released from prison after serving about half of their sentences.
655
00:40:28.719 --> 00:40:32.639
In twenty seventeen, a film entitled The Twelfth Man was
656
00:40:32.679 --> 00:40:37.559
produced in Norway depicting the ordeal of yon Baalsrut. Even today,
657
00:40:37.639 --> 00:40:41.360
the population of Troms, the region that sheltered and protected
658
00:40:41.400 --> 00:40:45.159
balls Route, remains quite proud of their role and conduct
659
00:40:45.280 --> 00:40:48.280
during his time of need. Every year, at the end
660
00:40:48.280 --> 00:40:52.199
of July, a two hundred kilometer reenactment of balls Rude's
661
00:40:52.559 --> 00:40:56.719
escape occurs, with participants taking part in some or all
662
00:40:56.760 --> 00:41:01.039
of the trek. It begins near the Taftefjor and continues
663
00:41:01.239 --> 00:41:05.199
along Yhon's Path, crossing the Lingolnfjord in the vicinity of
664
00:41:05.239 --> 00:41:10.480
the Hotel Savoy, and continuing into the Mandalen Valley. Only
665
00:41:10.519 --> 00:41:14.960
once did two Norwegian commandos attempt to re enact this trek.
666
00:41:15.119 --> 00:41:19.679
According to Ballsrud's actual chronology, beginning in late March, they
667
00:41:19.760 --> 00:41:23.719
requested an airlift rescue long before they got even close
668
00:41:23.960 --> 00:41:41.199
to the Swedish border. Thank you for listening to part
669
00:41:41.239 --> 00:41:45.400
two of this podcast about Jan Baalsrud. Information for this
670
00:41:45.519 --> 00:41:50.320
podcast came from the books Defiant Courage by Asterid Carlson
671
00:41:50.400 --> 00:41:54.920
Scott and We Die Alone by David Howorth. There are
672
00:41:54.960 --> 00:42:01.000
also additional photographs, bibliographical and musical information at fitza biographies
673
00:42:01.079 --> 00:42:04.719
dot com. Thank you for listening. Please tell a friend
674
00:42:04.719 --> 00:42:07.280
about Bite Sized biographies.