LATVIAN HISTORY: REPORT OF RESEARCHING FOR ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE IN AUDIOVISUAL ARCHIVES ABOUT NORWEGIAN SOLDIERS LOST AND FORGOTTEN DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR IN LATVIA-AN UPDATING OF THE REPORT

New information  has been presented in the book:» Deres ære var troskap. Nordmenn drept i tysk krigstjeneste» written by Eirik Veum, Geir Brenden and Torgeir Lindtvedt Dalen about Norwegian soldiers killed in action in Latvia during the Second Worls War. On the list published, the following names are presented:

-Johan Gustav Jæger.Age:29.Killed:1942

-Rudolf Oscar Olsen.Age:23.Killed:1942

-Gunnar Kjell Andersen.Age:21.killed:1944

-Kåre Thorleif Bakken.Age:28.Killed: 1944

-Arne Wilhelm Becker.Age:22.Killed:1944

-Anton Jensson Berg.Age:25.Killed:1944

-Kaare Bergersen.Age:27.Killed:1945

-Roald Berntsen.Age:19.Killed:1944

-Olav Herstad Christiansen.Age:19.Killed:1944

-Magnus Dale.Age:23.Killed:1944

-Knut Erichsen.Age:27.Killed:1944

-Erling Hjalmar Eriksen.Age:34.Killed:1944

-Halvard Espen.Age:20.Killed:1944

-Sverre Førstad.Age:23.Killed:1944

-Thomas Hersleb Gurholt.Age:22.Killed:1944

-Tor Gurstad.Age:20.Killed:1944

-Arild Hagen.Age:19.Killed:1944

-Edvard Julius Hermansen.Age:37.Killed:1944

-Svein Hjort Sørensen.Age:18.Killed:1945

-Ørnulf Hontvedt.Age:19.Killed:1945

-Povel Hvitfeldt.Age:46.Killed:1945

-Kristian Bjarne Håkonsen.Age:21.Killed:1944

-Kirill Karpow.Age:18.Killed:1944

-Ulf Otto Killingmo.Age:26.Killed:1944

-Arne Holger Krogstad.Age:17.Killed:1944

-Osvald Paulin Langeland.Age:21.Killed:1945

-Knut Larm.Age:29.killed:1944

-Hjalmar Wilhelm Larsen.Age:28.Killed:1945

-Rolf Einar Søren Singdahl Larsen.Age:33.Killed:1944

-Harris Lund.Age:18.Killed:1944

-Harry Lund.Age:29.killed:1944

-John Marius Lyngstad.Age:24.killed:1944

-Einar Thorvald Martinsen.Age:20.Killed:1944

-Nils Aamodt Meland.Age:30.Killed:1944

-Harald Georg Holter Mokastad.Age:25.Killed:1944

-Leif Marius Nilsen.Age:20.Killed:1944

-Harry Andres Osnes.Age:20.Killed:1944

-Peter Thomas Sverre Sandborg.Age:37.Killed.1944

-Frank Osvald Sevaldsen.Age:25.Killed:1944

-Haakon Roman Sundberg.Age:21.Killed:1944

-Eivind Syversen.Age:26.Killed:1944

-Kjell Johan Tobro.Age:24.Killed:1944

-Stefanus Margido Trulsen.Age:20.Killed:1945

-Lars K. Værland.Age:19.Killed:1944

-Rolf Normann Westlie.Age:23.Killed:1944

-Peder Wetteland.Age:25.Killed:1944

-Johannes Burckenmejer.Age:44.Killed:1944

-Bjørn Herwart Endemann.Age:25.Killed:1945

The names of the home towns where the soldiers came from are: Bergen, Oslo, Porsgrunn, Bodø, Søgne, Åmot/Hedemark, Haugesund, Sarpsborg, Vadsø, Gran/Hadeland, Trondheim, Namsos,Sandefjord, Drammen, Notodden, Sørum, Skedsmo, Inderøy, Ås, Arendal, Sør-Odal,  Østre Toten, Ålesund, Kristiansund, Åsnes, Rendalen, Vegårshei, Stavanger and Skien.

The soldiers came from all over the country.The youngest soldier was only 17. The oldest soldier was 46.

 

 

 

 

MR KLING: PAIN GALLERY -OSLO

The POP ARTIST WERNER KLING

Oslo:Pain Gallery

The painting workshop

Pop art is an art movement that emerged in United Kingdom and United States during the late 1940s. Pain gallery in Oslo is situated in the center of the city close to the sea at Aker Harbour. Werner Kling is presenting his pop art at the Pain Gallery. To-day he took me to his workshop for painting at Nordstrand, and also to his the gallery in Oslo. Werner Kling used to be a close neighbour of mine. He is still living not far from my home at Nordstand a suburb of Oslo. It is a nice experience viewing his pictures contenting provacative issues and impressions.

Pop art is a challenge to traditions of fine art by including imagery from popular and mass culture. Werner Kling has also a gallery in London and in USA.I am very impressed by his work: No formal eduction in the field of painting but a strong wish to express the feelings of his generation without any political statement. Take a look at the paintings.

Werner Kling

 

               

PHOTO FORGOTTEN: A REPORT OF THE STUDY OF AN OLD PHOTO-AN UPDATED VERSION

The content of the old photo presented and published on my blog « TEDDVIEW» needed an updating concerning one the unknown persons who is presented on the photo. Information about the Norwegian war hero Max Manus is easy to get access to. The main question was information about the person named Einar Ruud. A member of his family paid me a home visit today. The person wanted to remain anonymus for the time being. Mr.Ruud’s name was: Einar Ellev Ruud. He was born June 9, 1914.He died at an age of 89 on August 26, 2003.Max Manus and Einar Ruud were close friends.They had a lot in common. Both attended the same primary school: Ljan Primary School which is situated at Ljan close to the City of Oslo. Both were active members of Hauketo Sport Club before the Second World War. Hauketo Sport Club was set up in 1931.Cross country skiing was the favorite sport. Both had got a limited military training before the war. Above all: Both made an attempt fighting the German army in 1940.

When Max Manus returned to Norway after the military training in England, he needed support form his old friends. Not all of his friends deared to join the new resistance movement aiming at sabotage in Norway. Einar Ruud did not hestitate joining the new sabotage group. The risky work fighting the German occupants resulted in a need to flee the country. Einar Ruud fled the country with wife and son. In Sweden he joined the Norwegian Police Troops. Einar Ruud was also a friend of Gregers Gram who later on was killed in action in Oslo. A copy of a letter written by Gregers Gram to the wife of Einar contenting support for the stay in Sweden is an interesting piece of historical material given me by the anonymus member of his family.

What happened to Einar Ruud after the end of the war? He returned Norway in uniform as a Norwegian soldier. One of his tasks was to guard the Norwegian traitor Vidkun Quisling. He did the work but he refused to take part in the execution of Vidkun Quisling.

We know much about the life of Max Manus due to the books he wrote after the war. Besides a movie has been made about him too.

Einar Ruud had no formal education like Max Manus. Einar Ruud got a job as a driver, later on he set up his own company and worked as a salesman for selling excavados in Norway.

He was a handyman.His private life did not change much: He was still an active skiier who took part in the famous ski competion called:» Birkebeinerrennet»

. Running was also a sport he enjoyed. Playing his accordion and invented a tool for skiiers. He disliked skies where too much snow remained under the skies while skiing. The tool could take away the snow under the skies. On one of the ski sticks the tool was fastened ready for action. The invention was no economic success but some tools were made and used. What about his mental condition after the war? He was haunted by nightmares due to his work as a driver for the resistance groups. Both Max Manus and Einar Ruud got nerve problems after the war like many of his friends.

He never left Hauketo site outside Oslo.Einar Ruud was buried at Nordstrand Churchyard a suburb of Oslo.His friend Olav Kyvik was buried at Nordstrand Churchyard too close to the tomb of Einar Ruud

.

En takk for innsatsen i 1940

Einar Ruud i soldat uniform i Sverige

Einar Ruud som norsk politi soldat i Sverige

 

What about the third man on the photo who is seen on the right side of the photo? The name of the man was Olav Kyvik. They were close friends the three boys on the photo. Olav Kyvik decided to make a living working for Norwegian savings-banks in Oslo.At an age of 15, he began working with banking.

Due to his personal experience counting coins for people daily, he decided to make a new type of saving-box.Counting coins every day was a time consuming business for the young bank cashier. He made a new type of money-box to improve the daily work of a bank cashier. If you wanted to save coins you had to put the coins in the correct place of saving-box. Olav Kyvik was granted permission to produce the new saving-box. The banks were not interested in his saving-box.Therefore the production of the saving-box was closed at an early stage.

Making movies by using 8mm camera was also an interest for the bank cashier.He wanted to make a film about money and money making. A product was made for the film but again no money was granted to produce the film.

 

The three boys on the photo were personalities with a great interest in creating new products and works for people. Only one of the boys made it:Max Manus. But he was a national war hero with connections to the management of Norwegian banks- and he was a great success in his business.

KØNIGLICHE PORZELLAN- MANUFAKTUR – KMP

King Fredrick II of Preussen

KMP is one of the oldest porcelain manufactories in Europe. The factory was set up by King Fredrick II of Preussen in 1763 in Berlin. Take a look at the photo presented. I bought the sauceboat in Oslo some years ago without paying any notice to the information about when the sauceboat was made: 1941. After the Second  World War the German soldiers left a lot of equipments  in Norway when they were moved back to Germany. You will find many spiols of war in Norwegian families after 1945. Booties from the German army in Norway were popular to get. A memory of the German occupation of Norway from 1940 to 1945 A piece of history only- a sauceboat.

PHOTO FORGOTTEN: A REPORT OF THE STUDY OF AN OLD PHOTO

A close friend of mine has reached the age where a selection of private photos is an object of evaluation. Is the photo of any value anymore and to whom? My friend knew my private interest in the study of the Second World War and the  Norwegian resistance movement. Therefor he gave me a photo taken some years before the Second World War. The content of the photo is a group of young Norwegians after having finished a ski tour. We do not know the exact date of the photo or the name of the site where the group is resting. But it is winter time. We do see four young persons who are all dressed for a ski tour. The sport clothes they are wearing are a good description of the sport fashion of the time. We do know the name of all of the persons except the lady. The name of the man to the left is Einar Ruud.

He lived at a site  named: Hauketo- situated outside the City of Oslo. The lady is still unknown but she is a close friend of the next man on the photo: Max Manus. The man to the right is the father of my friend who gave me the photo: Olav Kyvik. Why is this old photo of any importance at all? Why do I pay attention to the photo? The main reason for my interest for the study of the photo is my private interest in the history of the Second World War, and above all: The unwritten story of the resistance movement of Norway from 1940 to 1945. Two of the men on the photo became famous after the war due to their active participation of the fight against the German occupation of Norway.When the photo was taken Max Manus made a living by selling flowers.He had no formal education apart form the public school. He was unknown to most of the Norwegian people but he became one of the most famous persons after the war- he became a national hero!

Max Manus wrote two books about his life during the Second World War: « Det vil helst gå godt» and « Det blir alvor».

The photo presented has never been published because the photo belonged a private person.

My recommendation to all of you: Do not throw away old photos. You might find some interesting information by study the details of the the photo.

MOVIE: DIE SCHØNE SPIONIN- THE SPY

VERA VON SCHALBURG- THE MYTH AND THE REALITY

An updating of information presented about the movie: The Spy.

What is fiction, myth, and what is reality with reference to the movie about Vera von Schalburg and books published? Is the task an impossible mission? The journalist and active archive digger Kristine Kloster Andersen has written a book about Vera von Schalburg. The archive digger has done research in different archives and libraries worldwide aiming at the most correct information about the story of Vera von Schalburg. Sources presented as facts and corrects data have been evalutated in a critical way. The result of her work is that too much of the published facts have to be forgotten, wiped because the facts are more assumptions than facts. The limited information presented in public about the book is revealing facts in a negative sense about the true story of the women
.

The story of Vera von Schalburg is the story of a tragic woman. She was a ballet dancer in Paris at «Folies Bergere», a professional prostitute at well-known brothel in Paris, a spy for both Nazi Germany, Russia and Great Britain and a drug addict. She died in1946 among the ruines of Hamburg, Germany: A human wreck,a drug addict and a nervous wreck who had been nearly killed twice by knife.

The title of the book: SPURVEN – Den dramatiske historien om spionen Vera Schalburg.

Storyhouse 2018.403 pages.

ESPIONAGE, PROSTITUTION AND SEXPIONAGE IN MOVIES SELECTED

The former Assistant FBI Director William C. Sullivan stated in November 1975 in testimony before the Church Committee: « …The use of sex is a common practice among intelligence services all over the world. This is a tough dirty business. We have used that technique against the Soviets. They have used it against us…». Sexpionage is the possibility of sexual activity to conduct espionage. My interest for the subject was a result of having read the book about « Frida» who was a prostitute.The author is Nina Grunfeld. My aim was to make a search in my private movie collection for movies dealing with espionage? My result was not a good one. But I found only four movies dealing with the subject: Spies, prostitution, military secrets and politics.

According to information published in the book titled: « Ultimate Spy» (Alt om spionasje) making use of prostitutes were a policy of the secret service of East- Germany. Hauptverwaltung Aufklarung (HVA) was set up in 1952. The German Director of HVA  from 1952 to 1986 was Markus Wolf. He was called « the man without face «. The agents of HVA were trained in exploiting human weekness. The training program was called « Romeo- method». Making use of prostitutes were also a part of the policy of HVA.How to seduce  men and women and making use of sexual intercourse to get military and political information were the aim of the « Romeo- method». Sex- schools were also set by the KGB. The use of « Honey trapping « is still an object for the training of agents in many countries. « Honey trapping» is a method involving the use of romantic or sexual relationships for interpersonal and political purpose.

THE MOVIES SELECTED FROM MY PRIVATE COLLECTION

The movie: « Die Schøne Spionin», or « The Beautiful Spy» or « The Spy» are titles used of the movie dealing with the story of Vera Schalburg. She was born in Siberia, Russia in November 23,1907 and died February 8, 1946. Christian Fredrik von Schalburg was her brother.Christian Fredrik von Schalburg was a Danish officer,the second commander of Free Corps Denmark (1906-1942).  Vera von Schalburg is portrayed by actress Valerie Niehaus. She is a German prostitute working for Nazi Germany. She was sent to Great Britain by the Germans as a spy but she was revealed. In order to save her life she accepted to become a British agent. The plot of the movie is thrilling but fictional.
She was a Soviet,German and British agent.The movie was released in December 2013.

SCANDAL

« SCANDAL» is the title of a British drama film released in March 1989. The film is a docudrama dealing with the Profumo affair. Minister of War John Profumo was a member of the British government chaired by Prime Minister Harold Macmillan. The plot is about the relationship between the conservative politician John Profumo and the young exotic danser Christine Keeler. The British osteopath Stephen Ward was her friend and mentor. The contact with the young prostitute and the Minister of War became a public scandal when the affair was known. Besides Christine Keeler is also involved with an affair with a Russian diplomat. The Soviet military attache Yevgeny Ivanov was an intelligence officer in the Russian GRU. He was a friend of Stephen Ward too. In 1982 MI5 confirmed the contact between Stephen Ward, MI5 and Yevgeny Ivanov.

RED SPARROW

The spy thriller movie was released in 2018. The plot is about how  to train a young girl in acting like a prostitute in order to seduce men for information.The former ballerina Dominika Egorova has been recruited by Russian Intelligence Service.She attended the school " State School 4" where she got a realistic training in sexpionage. The movie is fictional but true in a way in presenting a realistic picture of the Russian espionage. The plot is thrilling with much dramatic actions too. Sex spy operations were made by making use of Bolshoi ballerinas, famous actresses, movie and theater actresses. The femal agents were called « swallows». The sexpionage school was called « State School 4».

MATA HARI

Movies have been made about the story of Mata Hari. She was born August 7,1876 and died October 15, 1917. Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod was her real name.She was a Dutch exotic dancer. During World War I she worked as a spy both for Germany and France. She was executed by firing squad in France. I found only one movie of Mata Hari in my collection.

« MATA HARI» was released in September 1985. The movie is an erotic biographical film dealing with the story of the dancer and the spy Mata Hari.The film is fictional. The plot is about the innocent dancer who is manipulated by the secret services of Germany and France. Mata Hari is making use of her erotic power seducing politicians, military officers and people who are involved in political and military matters in order to get information.

CONCLUSION

Espionage has been- and is still an object for feature films. My experience viewing feature films dealing with espionage led me to questions about the reality of the movies. Papers and published books about spies, prostitution, and political affaires with reference to matters of international importance are of great interest for the political events of today. What is reality and what is fiction might be hard to understand when official reports about the life of elected politicians are published?