INTERNED IN SWEDEN

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23495, 25 November 1941, Page 4

INTERNED IN SWEDEN

AUCKLAND AIRMAN’S EXPERIENCE RETURN TO BRITAIN AFTER YEAR (F.0.0.C.) LONDON. October 7. After spending 51 weeks in an internment camp at Falun, about 150 miles north of Stockholm, Leading Aircraftsman B. R. Laing (Auckland) has returned to England. He was interned in Sweden after a Swordfish in which he was the wireless oper-ator-air gunner, lost the aircraft carrier H.M.S. Furious after bombing Trondheim. “We raidec. the harbour on September 22, 1940,” said Laing, who left New Zealand in June, 1939. He took an air gunner’s course in the Royal Air Force, and was later transferred to the Fleet Air Arm. “We saw our bombs go down on the target and then we set off to return to the Furious. “But we never found her. We flew round for a long time, but of course she could not send a wireless message to us as it would have given her position away. We tried to pick up our bearings by returning to Norway, but heavy mist ruled that out. When our petrol began to get low we had to make one of three decisions: to land in the North Sea, in Norway, or in Sweden. We decided on Sweden. “We landed in Stugen Lake, near Ostersund, in the north of Sweden, and had to swim in ice-cold water for about 50 yards. Some farmers met us, and they took us home, where they gave us dry clothes and some hot coffee. We were pretty glad of both. “Later an escort took us to Ostersund, and we stayed three days before being sent to the camp at Falun. For a fortnight we found the novelty interesting. That soon wore away, and it was not until about four months later, when we had acquired a smattering of Swedish, that we began to become reconciled to the new life. “We lived in wooden huts and were quite comfortable. The food was fairly good, but there was rather too much emphasis on fish meals for our liking. We drew our pay through the British Legation, and we were allowed out on parole every day for four hours. We used to spend quite a lot of time in Falun, a town of about 13,000 people. There were four cinemas, two hotels, and one or two dance ha “The Swedish people were exceptionally kind to us, and told us that they were keen for Britain to win the war, although they gave us the impression that they preferred the Germans to the Russians. During the winter, when it was extremely cold, we used to go skiing and skating, and when the summer came we would go bathing in the many different lakes round the camp. We got bicycles and life was pleasant. But all the time we were bored with having no job of work to do. “Then one day we were told by the camp commandant that we were to go -to Stockholm. We went to the British Legation and there we learned that we were to be sent back to Britain. Now we’re back again, and I expect to be taking another air gunner’s course, as I’ve practically forgotten everything I learned. “Conditions in Sweden seemed to be fairly good. The country, with a-popu-lation of just over, 6,000,000, is pretty well dominated by Germany. On the whole, the Swedes seemed not to dislike the Germans personally: but they had no time for the Nazi system of government. “We noticed some shortages. There is no petrol for private cars. They are all driven by gas-producing units. Bread is rationed, but there ,is plenty of cheese and eggs. For the rest, things seemed to be much the same as they are in England. “I must say that I'm very glad to be getting a job of work to do again.” Leading Aircraftsman Laing was educated at the Epsom School and at the Seddon Memorial Technical College.