Norwegians in Contin in WWII

The text below is an online versoin of a display created by participants in the ARCH course. Contents:

Introduction
Norwegian Army
Coul House
Norwegian Training and Tasks
Billeting of Norwegian Servicemen
Other Norwegians in the Area
Norwegian Women's Corps
Not Just the Army
Entertainments
Marriages
King Haakon's Visits
Norwegians Remembered by Freddy Bartlett
Norwegians Remembered by Harold Pridmore]
Norwegians Remembered by Jessie Benkowski]
Norwegians Remembered by Ken Cumming
The End of the Norwegians in Contin
The Norwegian Navy and Air Force
Torleif Leif Justad
The War Years in Contin
Finding Out More

Introduction

After Germany invaded Norway in April 1940, the Norwegian royal family and government escaped to Britain and set up a government in exile. Norwegian citizens, men and women, were recruited into the Norwegian Army, Navy or Air Force. Some were posted to Contin. A project organised by Archaeology for Communities in the Highlands (ARCH) in 2024 researched and collected memories of the activities of the Norwegian army in the area. This display tells the story. Further details can be found in the binders of resources at Contin Hall and Dingwall Library.

Funding for the project was generously provided by the SSE Renewables Fairburn Community Windfarm Benefit. Black and white photographs are from the Norwegian Riksarkivet and colour photographs from course participants unless stated otherwise.

Norwegian Army

In spring 1942 the Norwegian Army was stationed in the area. The command headquarters was based at Brahan Castle and in Dingwall. The Norwegian brigade was then re-organised into three independent mountain companies, training in the Highland terrain for when they would be needed to liberate Norway. Between spring and autumn 1943 the companies rotated between camps in Contin, Dingwall and Nigg. They were attached to the British 52^nd (Lowland) division, which was the only British unit training in mountain warfare.

Coul House

Coul House was requisitioned in the war, and was the base for British and foreign troops at different times. Nissen and wooden huts were built, many in the area where Woodland Park is now. The Norwegian Machine Gun Company was based at Coul in August 1942 followed by a Norwegian Horse Service, established to train horses to be used by the mountain companies. Over 200 horses were bought in England and Scotland, assembled in Dumfries, and then transported to Contin. Stables were built, mainly in the field to the north of the Coul House drive. The need for food and fodder must have created logistical challenges. Each mountain company was allotted first 40, then later 50 horses.

Norwegian Training and Tasks

The landscape around Contin was ideal for training horses and men in upland terrain. It allowed practice in climbing, wading and passing through bogs, and driving off road. There was a rifle range at Tor Achilty with targets pulled up by chains. Norwegians also protected the mines at the Strathpeffer branch line, which were to be used to blow up the Kyle line if the Germans invaded.

Billeting of Norwegian Servicemen

With each company having over 200 men, plus the Horse service with around 100, finding billets must have been a challenge. The officers were in Brahan Castle or Coul House. Some men could have used the huts built previously around Coul House. However, it is clear that men were also housed with local families throughout Contin, Marybank and Strathpeffer, and in the Achilty Hotel. There are stories of Norwegians skiing from the Achilty Hotel to Strathpeffer, presumably to take part in entertainment on offer there.

Photo courtesy George Michael Bratli, showing where his family was billeted in Contin. His mother is on the right. His father was the Stable Master of the Norwegian Horse Service at Coul House. Photo below from the Norwegian Archives showing soldiers at Brahan Castle during King Haakon's visit in July 1943.

Other Norwegians in the Area

While the largest presence in the area was the Independent Mountain companies and the Horse Service, there was also a Parachute Company at Avoch and a Field Artillery unit at Evanton. Further afield, there remained some Norwegians at Tain and Nigg, a Coastal Artillery Unit at the South Sutor, and a Commando training unit around Aviemore where Norwegians trained for resistance action in Norway. Do you have any information about the Norwegians in Dingwall?

Photo of Parachute Corps from a display created by Avoch Heritage, courtesy Richard Jenner

Norwegian Women's Corps

Norwegian women were also conscripted into the army, as office workers, canteen workers, drivers, as well as nurses and dental assistants. The Norwegian hospital was based at Achindunie House, Ardross. A number of women stayed in the Contin area, probably at Brahan Castle. At a sporting event between various forces in August 1943 in Dingwall, third prize in the women’s relay went to ‘Brahan’ – surely a reference to the Norwegian women. This photo shows King Haakon inspecting the troops at his visit to Brahan Castle in July 1943.

Not Just the Army

The main minister for the Norwegian forces, Paster Ingebrikt Dahle, (pictured above), was based in Strathpeffer at Craigvar. Another minister, Erling Fagenheim performed marriages in Dingwall. We also know that there were Norwegian doctors at Ross Memorial Hospital in Dingwall. One saved the finger of a young Kenny Stewart from the Heights. While the troops were in the area, the Norwegian Postal Service was based somewhere in Dingwall, and the Norwegian Military Police Force in Dingwall and Rosemarkie.

Entertainments

The local newspapers provide a glimpse of what the Norwegians were up to in their spare time. Whist drives and dances were popular, and many Norwegians were keen to participate in sporting events. Football matches featuring the Norwegian XI were regularly held in Inverness. There was a Norwegian orchestra, and one Norwegian soldier, Sgt. Haakon Hammer, gave keyboard recitals in local churches. At Christmas 1942 the Norwegians hosted children’s events in Inverness and Dingwall. Dingwall Town Council reciprocated with a Burns Supper in January 1943, costing over £51 and featuring food not generally available.

Photos: Top right: North Star 19 Decmeber 1942. Bottom: Norwegians competing at Jubilee Park, Dingwall

Marriages

While we have not uncovered any evidence of marriages with Contin lasses, there were a number between Norwegian men and local girls from Dingwall and Strathpeffer. We discovered:

Feb 1943 Hilda Urquart, Dingwall to Pte. Gunnar Larsen
May 1943 Alice Burton to Pte. Einar Silversten (photo above)
Aug 1943 Winnie Maclennan, Achterneed to Lt. G Kramer
Feb 1944 Mary Ross, Dingwall to Pte. Bernt Helgensen
Aug 1944 Mary Ross, Dingwall to Erling Fagenheim

Erling Fagenheim was a minister, performing some of these services. Einar Silversten won several sporting events in Dingwall. Some Norwegian women also married Scots: in August 1943, one of the Norwegian female soldiers, Hanna Martinusson married Brian Munro Watt, RAF, Inverness.

Do you know of any other marriages between Norwegians and local men or women?

King Haakon's Visits

King Haakon and Crown Prince Olav regularly visited the troops throughout Scotland. Both signed the Brahan Castle visitor’s book in June 1942 along with senior military officials, and Prince Olav returned in October 1942. They also visited in July 1943, when the official Norwegian photographers show the King at Brahan Castle and taking the salute at a parade in Contin. On the same visit they went to see the parachute company at Fortrose as well as the camp at Nigg.

Norwegians Remembered

The End of the Norwegians in Contin

In October / November 1943 the Independent Mountain Companies moved south to be based in the Callander and Doune areas of Stirlingshire. The Horse Service, and all the horses, were moved to Tayport. Very few of the Norwegian troops who trained in this area saw any military action, waiting for when the British would support the liberation of Norway. Only one company briefly saw action when they supported the Russian advance into northern Norway in October 1944.

The Norwegian Navy and Air force

At the start of the war, the Norwegian Merchant Fleet was the 4^th largest in the world. Many of the ships were outside Norway, and were requisitioned. Norwegian sailors also joined the Norwegian navy or operated in other fleets. They had little presence in the Highlands. The air force was a much smaller operation, but eventually four squadrons were formed, two with fighter planes and two with seaplanes. The latter may well have passed through the training facilities at Alness.

The War Years in Contin

The Norwegians were here for a relatively brief time during the war, with British troops before and after them, and Polish troops at the end of the war. The Home Guard was very active in Contin, many of its members veterans from WWI. Their hut was beside the old ‘tin’ hall, which was also used for dances, sales and other activities during the war. The POW camp on Brahan estate pictured below supplied German and Italian prisoners to help out on local farms. Landgirls were based at Little Scatwell and Lumbergills at Craigdarroch.

Top photo from Contin 2000. Bottom photo from Ross and Cromarty Heritage website www.rossandcromartyheritage.org/

Finding Out More

Three Norwegians, George Michael Bratli, Kjell Johansen, and Oddbjørn Johansen are researching the story of the Norwegians in Scotland, as part of the Scottish Norwegian Connection. They have published their first book Hvalfangerbridgaden. Den norske brigade I Skottland 1940-1941 which focusses on the early years in the Dumfries area, and are currently at work on a book covering the time the Norwegians were in this area. They have been very generous with their research, and participated in zoom sessions as part of this project. Johan Martin Welhaven, whose father was based at Evanton, has also been very helpful.

There is currently little written in English about Norwegians in Scotland (see the binder with some articles and other information), and even less about the local connections.

If you have any stories about Norwegians in this area, we would love to hear them.