1940 Norwegian photo……..

Sewdish Gladiators

Not Norweigan but when i was in Sweden in June 07 arranging collection of Proctor KEX the vendor showed me an amazing photo album that belonged to his late father who flew Swedish air force Gladiators during the war. Picture quality was superb and they reflected life at his base as it happened. Good shots of lines of Gladiators, cockpit close ups, girlfriends sitting on the wing, and prangs on the airfield. Also great air to air shots, these i was told have never before been published.
If forum members are interested which i am sure they are i will see if they may be available for publish. There must be at least 50+quality pictures in the albums. There were also views of hawker biplanes but i cannot recall the type.

The cockpit section is from a Norwegian built Hannover CL V the FF.7. Too late for the germans to use in WW.1. The Norwegians built 14 and used them up to 1929.

John

Thanks John,

that explains a few questions,

cheers,

-John

According to this ORBAT a number of Light and Heavy Anti aircraft units, as well as a battery of Field artillery took part in the Norwegian campaign.

Given the fact that the Matador started entering service in 1939 as a Medium Artillery Tractor, it is possible that these units may have operated Matadors at the time of the campaign. I’ll enquire on another forum to see if this was indeed the case.

Hannover CL.V or FF.7 in Norwegian use.

The cockpit section is from a Norwegian built Hannover CL V the FF.7. Too late for the germans to use in WW.1. The Norwegians built 14 and used them up to 1929.

John

something Russian? Polykarpov or something?

Always nice to be sitting on top of the fuel tank :D:D:D

cheers baz

Maybe that’s the pilot’s septic tank? (for those long flights):D:D:D

I guess thet theres not much room to put a fuel tank away from crew positions there anyway,

cheers,

-John

Hei John,

I’m afraid we have no idea what that could be. Interesting looking museum though.

hilsen
Linzee og Morten

I guess a reader might know what it is and let us know!

Yes the technical museum has a nice interesting aviation collection……… Here’s my son Robert with something I wanted to take home (but we found that Merlins are too heavy to lift, Robert’s only 6 years old!);).

cheers,

-John

Thanks/takk Linzee og Morten,

that sounds good to me!
I brought the original photo with me from Australia about four years ago and have been meaning to post it ever since, it’s cleard up my questions about it now.

Linzee, if you are still with Morten can you please show him this photo and ask if he recognises the engine/cockpit section?

I took this photo at the Norwegian Technical Museum about three months ago, it was too far into ‘no man’s land’ (behind the public barrier) to read the description in the blue box on the side.

cheers/hilsen,

-John

Always nice to be sitting on top of the fuel tank :D:D:D

cheers baz

Hei John,

I’m afraid we have no idea what that could be. Interesting looking museum though.

hilsen
Linzee og Morten

I’m in Norway at the moment and my friend, Morten Moe, has the following comments about the photograph having consulted some of his books and files.

The Fokker 333 participated in the fighting in southern Norway. In the beginning of May 1940 it was transferred to the airfield at Bardufoss in northern Norway. It may have participated in the fighting there and was left at the airfield at the end of the campaign. Since the British also had Hurricanes based at Bardufoss and left some of them behind as they withdrew, I’m convinced this photograph was taken at Bardufoss.

Regards
Linzee og Morten

Thanks/takk Linzee og Morten,

that sounds good to me!
I brought the original photo with me from Australia about four years ago and have been meaning to post it ever since, it’s cleard up my questions about it now.

Linzee, if you are still with Morten can you please show him this photo and ask if he recognises the engine/cockpit section?

I took this photo at the Norwegian Technical Museum about three months ago, it was too far into ‘no man’s land’ (behind the public barrier) to read the description in the blue box on the side.

cheers/hilsen,

-John

I’m in Norway at the moment and my friend, Morten Moe, has the following comments about the photograph having consulted some of his books and files.

The Fokker 333 participated in the fighting in southern Norway. In the beginning of May 1940 it was transferred to the airfield at Bardufoss in northern Norway. It may have participated in the fighting there and was left at the airfield at the end of the campaign. Since the British also had Hurricanes based at Bardufoss and left some of them behind as they withdrew, I’m convinced this photograph was taken at Bardufoss.

Regards
Linzee og Morten

Sorry to be a doubting thomas, but are you sure that is a Hurricane at the rear. The rudder does not look right to me, nor I hasten to say do the exposed ‘frames’ on the rear fuselage

Paul

Hi Paul,

here’s about the best closeup I can scan, I’m no expert, but it looks like a Hurricane, what do you think?

I have just looked through my books……. it’s a Hurricane for sure!!

(But I wonder what that cockpit/windscreen? belongs to over on the left of this enlarged photo???)

cheers,

-John

Sorry to be a doubting thomas, but are you sure that is a Hurricane at the rear. The rudder does not look right to me, nor I hasten to say do the exposed ‘frames’ on the rear fuselage

Paul

Not so. Several of the British landing were Naval support of foot soldiers without transport, and RAF aircraft flown to locations without British ground support. AFAIK, the famous Lake operations by RAF Gladiators were not supported by British transport.

I’m no expert on the campaign, but I’d suggest actually only a few of the British actions and thus locations were supported by brought in British heavy transport.

So it might not be too far from the west coast……..

-John

Perhaps it’s post war and those aircraft had been used as decoys by the germans somewhere. Is that not a Caterpillar tractor and road grader also in the picture, more the sort of stuff used later in the war.

John

[SIZE=”3″]I knew it was not a norwegian transport, looked british, but I’m no military truck expert, the british had been pretty well all over the place by the time the germans took over so still no clues.

Not so. Several of the British landing were Naval support of foot soldiers without transport, and RAF aircraft flown to locations without British ground support. AFAIK, the famous Lake operations by RAF Gladiators were not supported by British transport.

I’m no expert on the campaign, but I’d suggest actually only a few of the British actions and thus locations were supported by brought in British heavy transport.

Interesting!

One small jigsaw piece is that it’s somewhere the British forces could get to with a truck, as that’s an AEC Matador in the background. 😉

Well spotted JDK,
I knew it was not a norwegian transport, looked british, but I’m no military truck expert, the british had been pretty well all over the place by the time the germans took over so still no clues.

cheers,

-John

Interesting!

One small jigsaw piece is that it’s somewhere the British forces could get to with a truck, as that’s an AEC Matador in the background. 😉