Kjell Harmens
Two days after we arrived at "Little Canada" one of Nilsen's associates, Haldor, returned with Pete who was to stay with us as an additional guard. A short time later Kjell Harmens, a university student whom we had met at the Lønningdal farmhouse and who could speak excellent English, arrived with another helper. Kjell was to act as a daily runner between the cabin and the resistant movement's headquarters in the area. They brought with them a radio along with some additional provisions. As almost all the food in Norway was strictly rationed we never did find out how our helpers managed to feed six extra bodies who did not have a single ration coupon among them.
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Little Canada after the war (1946)
Pete was an expert forger and he was wanted by the Germans for the forging of passports. He used to have brilliant red hair which had been dyed black a couple of weeks ago. It looked pretty funny now with a red ring below the black top. Nilsen thought he would be a good addition to the security force at the cabin and therefore arranged for his transfer to the mountain. After setting up the radio, it was tuned into the Norwegian news and Kjell, Pete and Hans continually broke into loud laughter as they listened to the German propaganda. That first night Kjell told us it was too bad we couldn't understand Norwegian because if we could we would hear all the news of our crew. Apparently according to Kiell, the public were being warned by German radio that anyone caught helping us would be shot and they were to report any knowledge of our whereabouts to them immediately. No reward was offered for this information because the Germans did not place too high a value on our capture.
Later the radio was tuned into the shortwave network of the BBC and we were able to listen to the news program that was aired nightly by the British for the benefit of the Norwegian underground. This broadcast was done in both English and Norwegian and afterwards, Hans, Pete and Kjell got into a heated argument which we couldn't understand. Upon asking Kjell he said that the discussion concerned politics and the reason for the heat was that Pete was a devoted communist and with his red hair he naturally became quite excited where politics were concerned.
During the period that we were enjoying our "holiday" at "Little Canada" a lot of activity on our behalf was taking place behind the scenes. Einar had quite a scare when he arrived home from the cabin. He was told that a stranger claiming to be a Government agent had called his parent's home. He stated that they had knowledge that Einar knew of our whereabouts and that he would be back the next day to talk to him. When the stranger returned along with a acquaintance of Einar's they told him that they also wanted to help and that they could arrange for a boat to transport us to England if Einar would let them know our hiding place. He said he had no knowledge of us and requested the men leave. Nilsen, after leaving us, went to Bergen where he was in contact with the radio operator who was in charge of passing the wireless messages to the London Intelligence unit who were in charge of our escape. Between them they had been able to convince London that they had indeed taken us under their protection. The tact that the plane carried three wireless air gunners and that one of them was called "Red" finally turned the trick.
Nilsen also took the opportunity to ask for additional armaments as compensation for their efforts on our behalf. He requested a ton of weapons and ammunition for each of us. When he left Bergen he had made arrangements for a boat to come from the Shetland Islands which would rendezvous with us near the coastline and take us back to England. Nilsen then returned to Os to commence the various arrangements which would be required in moving us from "Little Canada" to a place nearer the agreed meeting place. It was agreed that the Norwegian segment of the BBC news would carry two messages. The first "Keep the meatballs warm" would be broadcast twenty-four hours before we were to be at the rendezvous point. The second "It rains in the mountains" would be sent the night the boat was to be there. Nilsen and the group at Os worked on the plan for our move to the coast, and although the first message came sooner than they expected they were prepared.
Later the radio was tuned into the shortwave network of the BBC and we were able to listen to the news program that was aired nightly by the British for the benefit of the Norwegian underground. This broadcast was done in both English and Norwegian and afterwards, Hans, Pete and Kjell got into a heated argument which we couldn't understand. Upon asking Kjell he said that the discussion concerned politics and the reason for the heat was that Pete was a devoted communist and with his red hair he naturally became quite excited where politics were concerned.
During the period that we were enjoying our "holiday" at "Little Canada" a lot of activity on our behalf was taking place behind the scenes. Einar had quite a scare when he arrived home from the cabin. He was told that a stranger claiming to be a Government agent had called his parent's home. He stated that they had knowledge that Einar knew of our whereabouts and that he would be back the next day to talk to him. When the stranger returned along with a acquaintance of Einar's they told him that they also wanted to help and that they could arrange for a boat to transport us to England if Einar would let them know our hiding place. He said he had no knowledge of us and requested the men leave. Nilsen, after leaving us, went to Bergen where he was in contact with the radio operator who was in charge of passing the wireless messages to the London Intelligence unit who were in charge of our escape. Between them they had been able to convince London that they had indeed taken us under their protection. The tact that the plane carried three wireless air gunners and that one of them was called "Red" finally turned the trick.
Nilsen also took the opportunity to ask for additional armaments as compensation for their efforts on our behalf. He requested a ton of weapons and ammunition for each of us. When he left Bergen he had made arrangements for a boat to come from the Shetland Islands which would rendezvous with us near the coastline and take us back to England. Nilsen then returned to Os to commence the various arrangements which would be required in moving us from "Little Canada" to a place nearer the agreed meeting place. It was agreed that the Norwegian segment of the BBC news would carry two messages. The first "Keep the meatballs warm" would be broadcast twenty-four hours before we were to be at the rendezvous point. The second "It rains in the mountains" would be sent the night the boat was to be there. Nilsen and the group at Os worked on the plan for our move to the coast, and although the first message came sooner than they expected they were prepared.