Flight of the Norwegian National Treasury
Encyclopedia
The National Treasury of Norway
consisted of in 1940 value worth of gold
(approximately $54.5 million in 1940 American currency, or $670 million in 2007) weighing around 50 tons. The entire gold deposit was stored at Norges Bank's main vault at their headquarters in Oslo
. During the increasing tension of the 1930s, plans were made to make the deposit more mobile. When the Second World War broke out, these plans were accelerated and the gold was packed into 818 crates of 40 kg, 685 crates of 25 kg and 39 barrels of gold coins, weighing 80 kg each: a total of 53 tons.
had been attacked and that enemy ships were approaching Oslo
, orders went out to evacuate the deposit to the vault in Lillehammer
. Civilian transport was requisitioned and some heavies from nearby businesses were called in to help load the gold onto the lorries. The lorries left one after the other as they were fully loaded, some far over their maximum weight. Just as the last lorries left Oslo, the Wehrmacht
marched into the city.
s decided not to sit by idly while the King, the Government and the Treasury fled. They massed on buses and raced for Lillehammer, but were stopped by a motley collection of Norwegian soldiers at Midtskogen
. Some soldiers from Jørstadmoen
were ordered to go to Lillehammer to guard the train. Among them was the poet Nordahl Grieg, who was the only private travelling with the Treasury who was aware of the crates' contents, hinted at only by the letters 'NB'; civilians were typically told that they contained ammunition.
The train left on Friday, April 19 and arrived in Åndalsnes
on Saturday, April 20. The Germans realised that there was something special about the train, and Åndalsnes was bombed several times, without resultant damage to the train. It then moved on to Romsdalshorn station, outside of Åndalsnes, to secure it from further bombing raids. Åndalsnes proper was bombed to destruction.
In addition to hosting the King, the Government and the National Treasury, Åndalsnes was a staging area for British expeditionary troops, who landed at the town and were moved by train south-eastward to meet the Germans in Gudbrandsdalen. The British military authorities were told about the Treasury at this point, and greeted with delight news of its flight from Oslo with hours to spare. They were told by the Norwegians that the gold should be carried by ship to Britain
and perhaps onwards to America
to secure it. It was decided to spread the risk and load the gold onto three different ships. The first, the British cruiser HMS Galatea
embarked from Åndalsnes on Thursday, 25 April.
It was decided that Åndalsnes was now too risky a place to keep the deposit, as furious air raids from the Germans continued and the German troops were approaching the town with great speed from Gudbrandsdalen. The well-equipped, well-trained German troops cut through the lightly armed and poorly trained infantry units from Britain and Norway. Some 23-28 lorries were requisitioned from the surrounding area and the gold loaded into these. They were to be driven to Molde
, where the British cruiser HMS Glasgow
was to take the king, the government and the gold to Tromsø
, and from there take the gold to Britain. When they arrived in Molde, the city was being bombed to ruins. The managers of the deposit were able to load half of the gold on board the Glasgow. It shipped out on Monday, April 29, leaving behind a great deal of gold in Molde.
It was then decided to take the rest of the gold north to Tromsø using coastal transportation. The coastal steamer Driva was brought to Molde and 10 tons of gold were rapidly loaded. German bombing put an end to this loading; fires and severe damage to the docks posed a risk the Norwegians were not willing to take. Thirty crates were left in Molde when the Driva shipped out. They were loaded on lorries to be driven north and meet up with Driva at Gjemnes
.
Driva was attacked by German planes several times, and was beached by her captain to avoid sinking. Five fishing vessels from Bud
and Hustad
were then requisitioned to take the gold from Gjemnes, in the hope that the Germans would not suspect them. The five boats were Heimdal, Barden, Svanen, Leif and Gudrun. Their skippers were Hans M. Inderhaug, Harald Tungehaug, Engvald Sunde, Emil Skottheim and Alfred Skottheim. The gold arrived at Gjemnes without incident. The gold from the lorries were then loaded into the vessels and they continued north to Titran
at the island of Frøya in Trøndelag
on Saturday, 3 May. At this point the soldiers from Jørstadmoen were sent home and the fishing vessels relieved of duty. Two larger fishing vessels were requisitioned to continue the journey.
The two fishing vessels arrived in Tromsø on Saturday, 24 May. Here the gold was loaded on the British cruiser HMS Enterprise
which departed Harstad
the same day with the last 19 tons of treasury gold. The cruiser first sailed to Scapa Flow
, surviving two German air attacks on the way, then proceeded to Greenock
, where the gold was brought ashore. Once in Britain, it was rapidly brought by train to London and stored in the vault of the Bank of England
. It was later decided to take the gold to America, and it was shipped over the Atlantic by installments and arrived in Canada. The Norwegian Minister of Finance happily reported to the government that of the 50 tons of gold that initially left Oslo, only 297 gold coins were missing (because a barrel was damaged during transportation in a British vessel).
The gold remained in America, and was gradually sold there - partly to fund operations of government in exile. Ten tonnes of gold coins were taken to Norway in 1987.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
consisted of in 1940 value worth of gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
(approximately $54.5 million in 1940 American currency, or $670 million in 2007) weighing around 50 tons. The entire gold deposit was stored at Norges Bank's main vault at their headquarters in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. During the increasing tension of the 1930s, plans were made to make the deposit more mobile. When the Second World War broke out, these plans were accelerated and the gold was packed into 818 crates of 40 kg, 685 crates of 25 kg and 39 barrels of gold coins, weighing 80 kg each: a total of 53 tons.
Invasion
When news reached the government in the early hours of 9 April 1940 that the patrol boat Pol IIIHNoMS Pol III
Pol III was a patrol boat of the Royal Norwegian Navy, used for guarding the inlet of the Oslofjord in early April 1940. She was a small vessel, originally a whaler, of 214 tons...
had been attacked and that enemy ships were approaching Oslo
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
, orders went out to evacuate the deposit to the vault in Lillehammer
Lillehammer
is a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...
. Civilian transport was requisitioned and some heavies from nearby businesses were called in to help load the gold onto the lorries. The lorries left one after the other as they were fully loaded, some far over their maximum weight. Just as the last lorries left Oslo, the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
marched into the city.
The Flight
At Lillehammer, the gold stayed for a few days until reports came in that the advancing Germans were approaching. It was decided that the gold was to be loaded onto the train that was also to carry the King and the government of Norway. The Germans were now aware of the dignitaries and treasure stationed at Lillehammer, and a group of FallschirmjägerFallschirmjäger
are German paratroopers. Together with the Gebirgsjäger they are perceived as the elite infantry units of the German Army....
s decided not to sit by idly while the King, the Government and the Treasury fled. They massed on buses and raced for Lillehammer, but were stopped by a motley collection of Norwegian soldiers at Midtskogen
Battle of Midtskogen
The Battle of Midtskogen was the battle fought on the night between 9 and 10 April 1940 during the Second World War between a German raiding party and an improvised Norwegian force. the site of the battle was Midtskogen farm, situated approximately west of the town Elverum at the mouth of the...
. Some soldiers from Jørstadmoen
Jørstadmoen
Jørstadmoen is a village in Lillehammer municipality, in Oppland, Norway....
were ordered to go to Lillehammer to guard the train. Among them was the poet Nordahl Grieg, who was the only private travelling with the Treasury who was aware of the crates' contents, hinted at only by the letters 'NB'; civilians were typically told that they contained ammunition.
The train left on Friday, April 19 and arrived in Åndalsnes
Åndalsnes
is a town in the municipality of Rauma in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Åndalsnes is the administrative center of Rauma. The town has a population of 2,207...
on Saturday, April 20. The Germans realised that there was something special about the train, and Åndalsnes was bombed several times, without resultant damage to the train. It then moved on to Romsdalshorn station, outside of Åndalsnes, to secure it from further bombing raids. Åndalsnes proper was bombed to destruction.
In addition to hosting the King, the Government and the National Treasury, Åndalsnes was a staging area for British expeditionary troops, who landed at the town and were moved by train south-eastward to meet the Germans in Gudbrandsdalen. The British military authorities were told about the Treasury at this point, and greeted with delight news of its flight from Oslo with hours to spare. They were told by the Norwegians that the gold should be carried by ship to Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and perhaps onwards to America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
to secure it. It was decided to spread the risk and load the gold onto three different ships. The first, the British cruiser HMS Galatea
HMS Galatea (71)
HMS Galatea was an Arethusa-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built by Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. , with the keel being laid down on the 2 June 1933...
embarked from Åndalsnes on Thursday, 25 April.
It was decided that Åndalsnes was now too risky a place to keep the deposit, as furious air raids from the Germans continued and the German troops were approaching the town with great speed from Gudbrandsdalen. The well-equipped, well-trained German troops cut through the lightly armed and poorly trained infantry units from Britain and Norway. Some 23-28 lorries were requisitioned from the surrounding area and the gold loaded into these. They were to be driven to Molde
Molde
is a city and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Romsdal region. The municipality is located on the Romsdal Peninsula, surrounding the Fannefjord and Moldefjord...
, where the British cruiser HMS Glasgow
HMS Glasgow (C21)
The seventh HMS Glasgow , built on the Clyde, was a Southampton-class light cruiser, a sub-class of the Town-class and commissioned in September 1937. She displaced 11,930 tons and had a top speed of 32 knots . She was part of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron of the Home Fleet; she escorted the...
was to take the king, the government and the gold to Tromsø
Tromsø
Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...
, and from there take the gold to Britain. When they arrived in Molde, the city was being bombed to ruins. The managers of the deposit were able to load half of the gold on board the Glasgow. It shipped out on Monday, April 29, leaving behind a great deal of gold in Molde.
It was then decided to take the rest of the gold north to Tromsø using coastal transportation. The coastal steamer Driva was brought to Molde and 10 tons of gold were rapidly loaded. German bombing put an end to this loading; fires and severe damage to the docks posed a risk the Norwegians were not willing to take. Thirty crates were left in Molde when the Driva shipped out. They were loaded on lorries to be driven north and meet up with Driva at Gjemnes
Gjemnes
Gjemnes is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway on the Romsdal peninsula. It is part of the Nordmøre region. The administrative centre is Batnfjordsøra, which lies along the Batnfjorden and is a former steamship landing place...
.
Driva was attacked by German planes several times, and was beached by her captain to avoid sinking. Five fishing vessels from Bud
Bud, Norway
Bud is a fishing village and former municipality in the present-day municipality of Fræna in Møre og Romsdal county in western Norway. The village is located on the Romsdal peninsula along the Atlanterhavsveien, west of the village of Hustad, north of the village of Tornes, and east of the...
and Hustad
Hustad
Hustad is a village and former municipality on the Romsdal peninsula in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village of Hustad was the administrative centre of the municipality of Hustad. The village is located in the present-day municipality of Fræna...
were then requisitioned to take the gold from Gjemnes, in the hope that the Germans would not suspect them. The five boats were Heimdal, Barden, Svanen, Leif and Gudrun. Their skippers were Hans M. Inderhaug, Harald Tungehaug, Engvald Sunde, Emil Skottheim and Alfred Skottheim. The gold arrived at Gjemnes without incident. The gold from the lorries were then loaded into the vessels and they continued north to Titran
Titran
Titran is a village in the municipality of Frøya in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located at the western end of the island of Frøya, about west of Hammarvika and Sistranda. The Sletringen Lighthouse is located on a small islet off the coast of Titran. The village is centered around...
at the island of Frøya in Trøndelag
Trøndelag
Trøndelag is the name of a geographical region in the central part of Norway, consisting of the two counties Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag. The region is, together with Møre og Romsdal, part of a larger...
on Saturday, 3 May. At this point the soldiers from Jørstadmoen were sent home and the fishing vessels relieved of duty. Two larger fishing vessels were requisitioned to continue the journey.
The two fishing vessels arrived in Tromsø on Saturday, 24 May. Here the gold was loaded on the British cruiser HMS Enterprise
HMS Enterprise (D52)
HMS Enterprise was one of two Emerald-class light cruisers of the Royal Navy. She was built by John Brown Shipbuilding & Engineering Company Ltd., with the keel being laid down on 28 June 1918. She was launched on 23 December 1919, and commissioned 7 April 1926...
which departed Harstad
Harstad
is the second largest city and municipality by population, in Troms county, Norway – the city is also the third largest in North Norway. Thus Harstad is the natural centre for its district. Situated approximately north of the Arctic Circle, the city celebrated its 100th anniversary in...
the same day with the last 19 tons of treasury gold. The cruiser first sailed to Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
, surviving two German air attacks on the way, then proceeded to Greenock
Greenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
, where the gold was brought ashore. Once in Britain, it was rapidly brought by train to London and stored in the vault of the Bank of England
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...
. It was later decided to take the gold to America, and it was shipped over the Atlantic by installments and arrived in Canada. The Norwegian Minister of Finance happily reported to the government that of the 50 tons of gold that initially left Oslo, only 297 gold coins were missing (because a barrel was damaged during transportation in a British vessel).
The gold remained in America, and was gradually sold there - partly to fund operations of government in exile. Ten tonnes of gold coins were taken to Norway in 1987.