CAUGHT BY WAR

Hokitika Guardian, 21 May 1940, Page 8

CAUGHT BY WAR

woman diplomat ESCAPE INTO SWEDEN LONDON, May 3. A dramatic story, of hpr escape into Sweden after being, caught. in . the German invasion of Oslo has been re r fated by| Mrs Florence J. Harriman,, the United States Minister to .Norway. For three days she tr avelled by motorcar, slept in farmhouses and woods, and saw the bojnbing of Elverum. In her account of these experiences she said: . “After I had been awakened by the air raid alarm in Oslo on April 9 I got a telephone call asking if wo could take over the British Legation, as German warships Were approaching Oslo. I immediately went down to my office, and the story.; was, con- . firmed. This was between 3 and 4 a.m. Later I was told that the Government was going bv special train to Hamar, and it was decided to follow them in case Oslo was cut off from our communication, with the outside world. We left Hamar shortly after 9.45a.m. in a procession of four. cars. . ,1' ' ' Air Battle Overhead “As we got near Lillestroem there was a sudden smack of, machine-gun fire not very high overhead, and a Nor- ■ wegian aeroplane was seen chasing a Heinkel bomber. As we passed an aif field near Lillestroem we saw it had been bombed and the hangars were ‘burning. I believe the Norwegians were able to save their aeroplanes. , “As all the rooms were full at Hamar we went on to Hosbjor. We arrived at 2 p.m. After supper we were advised to move to Elvcrum, as the Germans were within half an hour, of Hamar. We rushed , to repack our things and drove off. On the outskirts of Elyerum soldiers in white snow-suits had taken up positions behind barricades. We wept to a farm a few miles from the Governments new quarters in a wood. Hardly had we settled there when Sir Cecil j Dornem, the British. Minister to Norway, had a mesage that the Germans had reached Hamar in nine arm-, oured cars. Nearly Caught in Trap “On Apri] 11 aeroplanes were fljfipg over the centre of Elver um, and we heard that We were being, caught in a trap, as all bridges were, being, burned and roads barricaded. We could j see Elverum beipg bombed. We hoped J to. get a road going east to the Swedish border, but after driving some miles - we were stopped by soldiers at a great barricade across the road, who told us: ,‘GJo back as .you caq. M We expect seven German armoured cars at any moment.’ ’ “As we Were going back a number of Heinkels passed overhead toward Elverum and, when we arrived at Hosbjor we saw that Elverum was now on fire. That night we stayed at. a farmhouse, and on Friday morning the owner of the farm searched all the neighbouring forests for a passable road, and returned with the news that soldiers at a barricade would help .us nnss.- . “At the barricade.” Mrs Harrima.n cpncmded, “we got out of the car and squeezed through one end. The was then taken to a river and driven along the ice for about 150 jjqrds, then pushed up the steep bank again. I am now planning to return to Norway and get as near to the Government as I possibly can.”