Norway Gold story?

[PF]

Years ago I read a book called "Snow Treasure" which claimed to have been based on a World War II statement of a Norway Sea Captain that the Norway gold reserves had been smuggled by the Norweigen underground using children. Supposedly this statment was made after the gold was smuggled to New York City. Did it actually happen this way or was it simply a clever propaganda statment to hide how the gold was taken out and to make the Germans look like stupid fools?

[Matt Gibbs]

Yes it is partly a story. The Gold was taken off partly using army trucks, with some S.O.E. help, and the Royal Navy. Why the heck would they then take it to the US..?
ttfn

[PF]

The Norway gold was smuggled out-but for the real story see
George M Taber "Chasing Gold" 2014 Pegasus Books

[bobwpearson]

In 2010, I published a book on the Norwegian gold transport, it was titled Redd Gullet! - aka- Save the gold. In May 2015, the book was published in English, titled, Gold Run. The story focuses on how the Norwegians managed to rescue 50 tons of gold with the help of the Royal Navy. The book is available direct from Casemate or Amazon

All of the gold was successfully transferred to the UK, with the exception of a bag of approx 1000 coins. The coins were stolen whilst aboard HMS Glasgow, taken by a Royal Marine. The majority of the coins were later recovered by Liverpool police, although nearly 300 coins remain missing to this day. During June and July 1940, the Norwegian gold reserves were taken across the Atlantic for safe keeping in the US and Canada.

On the 1st December 1987 the Norwegian Government finally brought home the remaining gold that had been residing in the US Federal Reserve Bank since 1940. SAS, Norway’s principal airline was tasked with the job of transporting the remaining bullion back to Norway. The occasion was made even auspicious with the then King of Norway, King Olav, accompanying the bullion on the non-stop flight to Oslo landing at Fornebu airport. The following day a second flight arrived carrying bullion, but this time from Ottawa in Canada. After 47 years of being cared for abroad the gold of Norway was finally home.

The story of Marie McSwigan's Snow Treasure is pure fiction, but based a little on some fact. It was intended as a propaganda book, and in that respect it has been very successful. The book is standard reading US schools.

Cheers,

Bob

[Stephan]

The story of Marie McSwigan's Snow Treasure is pure fiction, but based a little on some fact. It was intended as a propaganda book, and in that respect it has been very successful. The book is standard reading US schools.

Cheers,

Bob

And its contend of this book which is mentioned in the first post.
Google on the name and book title, Wikipedia has a good article. - It seems there WAS such a part-shipment, so although it wasnt Norways totale nationale reserve, but still a substantial amount of gold.

[bobwpearson]

The Bomma did indeed take gold to the US, but this was after it had been taken by British cruisers to the UK. No children were involved at any point during the rescue of the gold, nor was SOE - at that point it had not come into being. However, it is possible that a man called Gunnar Fougner, nephew of Colonel Fougner at Lillehammer, played a part in the transportation to Åndalsnes. Fougner later became one of the first six Norwegians to join SOE after he had escaped to the UK.

The Wiki article has many very inaccurate statements, but seemingly originating from newspaper articles. For example, there were no British destroyers involved, but there were three British crusiers - HM Ships, Galatea, Glasgow and Enterprise. Glasgow brought the bulk of the gold to the UK. Wiki also mentions that the gold ewas smuggled past the Germans. This only happened on the day of invasion - April 9th. However, the Germans were marching down Karl Johan Gate when the last lorry load of gold was shipped out of Norges Bank and on to Lillehamer. At no other point did the Germans come close to the gold, withthe exception of a German spy at Romsdalhorn - the railway station closest to the port of Åndalsnes.

Research indicates that Oscar Torp - the Norwegian Finance minister, is likely to have briefed McSwigan on an outline of the story. The Germans never found out what had happened to the gold, despite their best intentions.

Finally, and I apologise for pushing my own book, but 'Gold Run' is available in the UK and US.

Cheers,

Bob

[Linkagain]

apparently the book "Snow treasure" is still popular I saw a 2006 Reprint by accident on the Internet alghough they changed the cover Illustration...
Truely fiction is more popular than truth

[mauritzf]

Just for info: Snow Treasure was also filmed in 1968. I ran across the item while writing my own (fiction) book to see if anyone had written any fictional spin-off from the 'gold transport' (as it's called in Norway). Actually very surprising when you consider all the other thrillers, adventure stories, etc. written based incidents from ww2. (to blow my own horn: My book is called 'Evasive Gold', available as a Kindle e-book on Amazon. It links to a search in the present for 50 tons of gold gone astray in 1940. I also did enjoy Bob Pearson's book, Titled 'Redd Gullet' in Norway ('Gold Run' on Amazon).

[mauritzf]

Just a quick note about my own book, 'Evasive Gold' (My anglicized author name is Mauri Fredricks). It will be free to download onto your Kindle, or any appropriate app on a tablet for two days - Fri-Sat, 21-22 Jan, 2022.

[wooley12]

My dad was with the 474th infantry in Oslo during the summer of 1945. While there, he got engaged to a local young lady with a ring that he had made. He told me it was made from gold he bought from "some guys who had a bag of gold teeth." My research suggests the teeth came from the Merkers mine and a bag "fell" off one of the 24, 10 ton trucks used when the 474th transported the treasure from Merkers to Frankfort in a convoy of 24 10 ton trucks on April 12, 1945. Thought you'd be interested.