29 Dec Interned
Stureplan in lights ~ 1943. (Wikimedia Commons)
I have followed Herman’s war path all year … through training, over to Thurleigh, on his missions, and then to the crash landing on the island of Gotland. When I next started to research Hedy’s path, I was surprised at how enchanted I became with her story. From Washington DC, at the inception of the OSS with “Wild Bill Donavan” to London, arriving right at the inception of the Baby Blitz bombings.Now it’s time to return to Herman’s story. He has just traveled with his crew from the crash site to the coast of the Swedish mainland …
After landing at Nynäshamn, the crew was escorted 60 kilometers north to Stockholm where they were met by a representative from the American Legation in Stockholm. Crew member Don Courson’s was initially startled when he saw how bright it was at night. After months of mandatory blackouts in England … all the lights were on!
Sweden’s declaration of neutrality included the condition that all aircraft and crew members landing in Sweden would be “interned” until the war was over. Sweden would take care of the airmen and their equipment, but it would be at the expense of their country, whether that be US, Germany or Britain.
The American Military Air Attache’s office in Stockholm, in coordination with the Swedish government and the Swedish Air Force were responsible for our boys and were about to introduce them to the “land of the midnight sun.”
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