Home Guard
The man walking toward the plane was Albin Larsson, workshop owner and member of the Home Guard. From what I have read, the Home Guard was comprised of local armed volunteers, likely former soldiers, who were “on guard” to protect the island. I imagine it was very similar to our “National Guard” today. Sweden was very concerned about violations of her airspace, as evidenced by the careful tracking of the B-17 as she flew over the edge of Sweden, across the sea, and then to the island of Gotland. Sweden had declared neutrality but a potential invasion by Nazi German must have always been a threat.
Albin Larsson was armed with a German rifle, a type that was widely used in Sweden during World War II. He spoke no English but following closely behind him was a teacher who did. The teacher explained to the still suspicious crew that they had landed on an island that was part of Sweden. Soon additional soldiers from Hemse arrived on the scene. There were also villagers milling around.
I am trying to imagine the scene from both sides.
The people of Hemse had seen and heard this huge bomber flying low and loud over their quiet little village. (The Liberty Lady was one of two planes that crash landed on the island during the war.) By this time the spiral of black smoke from the airplane must have been easy to spot. Many of them jumped on bicycles and sped to the site … the huge marshy field, the Mastyrmyr. How exciting! For safety’s sake, the soldiers must have held them back.
Our boys, the Liberty Lady Crew, had to have been in a total state of confusion. They had just survived a violent landing, set off a bomb inside their plane, and jumped out of it. They had heard many stories of the B-17 crews that had crashed in enemy territory and then were escorted to German prisoner of war camps. Shaken, hungry, exhausted … suddenly they were surrounded by foreign soldiers who must have been shouting to each other in words that no one understood.
Swedish Home Guard examines a parachute as the stunned Liberty Lady crew looks on ...
In the photo on the right, one of the Swedish soldiers (possibly Albin Larsson) is examining a parachute the crew had carried from the plane. My Dad, Herman Allen, is on the far right and I recognize the dazed expression on his face.
The teacher tried to reassure them.
They were safe … weren’t they?