THE VIKING BATTALION

THE VIKING BATTALION


In the summer of 1942 the US War Department activated the 99th Infantry Battalion. 
Banded together were Norwegian men who had escaped the German Occupation of Norway, or men currently living in the United States who were of direct Norwegian descent.

Following initial fitness training, the men were tested to their limits with high altitude and mountain warfare training in the Colorado mountains. From here they would eventually sail to Britain and continue their training at camps near Salisbury and in a 'very wet and muddy' South Wales. Most expected this was in preparation for operations in Norway.
Some were selected for parachute training, but the rest of the Battalion sailed to France shortly after D-Day. 

For many the first sight of France was landing at Omaha Beach and seeing the rows of white crosses marking the graves of fallen comrades. The 99ers themselves would soon be facing the enemy on the frontline. 
From the summertime battles for the Channel ports, to the bitter Ardennes winter of the Battle of the Bulge. They would go on to witness the V-Missile attacks on Leige, the German concentration camps and also escort convoys of Nazi looted gold and art.
With the end of the war in Europe, survivors finally saw Norway again, their loved ones and the return of King Haakon VII.

Each chapter is a different veteran's story. Some accounts were written for publication, or shared in family letters. This is not just a book full of battles, but of places they visited and the people they met.
Few books ever cover the immediate post-war period in Norway. In one particularly fascinating chapter, one veteran describes his time guarding the German soldiers who were now in camps awaiting repatriation. Those identified as having committed crimes under the occupation, would not be going home.
Home for the men of 99ers was either Norway or back in the United States. The book closes with the list of commendations and individual medals earned by this remarkable Battalion.
A fitting tribute. 

The hardback book is available now and published by Casemate Publishing. 
I thank Script Books for this review copy. 




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MITCHELL

Image
MITCHELL: Father of the Spitfire  By Paul Beaver. The majority of readers will have heard the name R.J. Mitchell and certainly his most famous aircraft design, the beloved Spitfire. Yet many, myself included, might not have known that his career began in railway engineering. This and so much more is revealed by author , Paul Beaver, who shares the full story of this remarkable man who became Supermarine's chief designer at the age of just 24. Alongside Reginald's career, we also learn how the Supermarine company was founded and then grew during the decades between the two world wars.  Mitchell's answering of Supermarine's job advertisement  would prove to be the beginning of a remarkable legacy. Importantly, o ne the author also states came about with the brains and skills of a talented group of people who have been too often overlooked. This legacy is of course far more than just the Spitfire. Many other types of aircraft especially flying boats were also d...
Read more

THE DUMMY DRONE

Image
THE DUMMY DRONE BY Rob More. Away from the Battle of Britain in the skies over the English Channel and Southern counties, or the devastating blitz bombing of London and other major cities, surely  the far North of Scotland would hardly be effected by the second world war?  Well the opposite was true. In this fabulous new book, local author and resident, Rob More reveals how the county of Caithness was a scene of great change from the coastline and beaches to the farmland, hills and villages. Not forgetting all those who lived and worked there.  With the area hosting a range of wartime installations and airfields it received many visits from the Luftwaffe. As we learn in the book, civilians and their properties would also be caught up in these raids. From the radar stations searching for enemy aircraft, to those recruited for the local Home Guard and the lesser known Auxiliary Units. Communities the length of Britain prepared for an expected German invasion. Ro...
Read more

ROYAL NAVY FORCE H: 1940-42

Image
ROYAL NAVY FORCE H 1940-42 This is book 14 in Osprey's 'Fleet' series and is written by naval historian, Angus Konstam. If you have read any second world war books on the Mediterranean war and/or Malta, then it is highly likely that Force H and its well respected commander, V.Adm. Sir James Somerville, is mentioned. Based at Gibraltar, Force H patrolled both the Atlantic and the Western Mediterranean often escorting vital convoys to Malta. It was Somerville who led the fleet in the attack on the French fleet at Mers-el-Kébir and they would also be later involved in the hunt for the Bismarck.  As well as describing the fleet's ships, its commander and their wartime endeavors, the role and defences of Gibraltar is also covered. This is an added bonus as most books generally only give Gibraltar a passing mention. With a fascinating narrative, aided with many useful maps, charts and original artwork, it is a book I have certainly enjoyed and would definitely rec...
Read more