Left in the lurch by the heroes
Several German and Austrian seamen stationed in the port of Kristiansand were such committed opponents of Hitler’s regime that they were willing to co-operate with the Norwegian resistance movement. Amongst other things, the movements of German ships were reported to allied forces, as a result of which German convoys suffered considerable losses. In the event of the network being rolled up, the German soldiers were promised a safe retreat by their Norwegian contacts. But when this was discovered, every one of them was sentenced for treachery and executed on Odderøya in Kristiansand on the 20th of February, 1945. Each year fresh flowers turn up on their graves.
Photo: Anita Nilsen, 2014.
Several German and Austrian seamen stationed in the port of Kristiansand were such committed opponents of Hitler’s regime that they were willing to co-operate with the Norwegian resistance movement. Amongst other things, the movements of German ships were reported to allied forces, as a result of which German convoys suffered considerable losses. In the event of the network being rolled up, the German soldiers were promised a safe retreat by their Norwegian contacts. But when this was discovered, every one of them was sentenced for treachery and executed on Odderøya in Kristiansand on the 20th of February, 1945. Each year fresh flowers turn up on their graves.
Photo: Anita Nilsen, 2014.