Narvik Souvenier?

[Chris Boonzaier]

While leaning out the wifes grandmothers attic I found the following Norweigan Rucksack. I am assuming (no proof) that the Grandfather brought it back from Narvik. His destroyer went down and all his stuff was lost, so I believe this may have been a bringback. It seems to be civilian with army stamps? If indeed the norweigans stamped their stuff like this it would be Infantry Regiment 15? That unit was in narvik as well.

 

Of course, I could be totally wrong? :-)

[Chris Boonzaier]

It seems I am a lucky boy! :-)

 

Wifes grandfathers Narvik Souvenier...

[Hoss]

Chris similar pack and equipment

http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/equipment-field-gear/norwegian-pre-war-military-equipment-188159/

Eric

[Rombak]

For sure an Norwegian Army rucksack that your wifes grandfather picked up in Narvik during the campaign of 1940.

Either he got it when the Norwegian troops were disarmed during the early fighting, or something that were handed out to the German troops after the capture of the Norwegian Military Arsenal at Elvegaardsmoen after its capture early morning April 9th.

Its also interesting to see pictures from the homecoming greetings of those Gebirgsmarine-guys fighting at Narvik 1940. Several of them carry such Norwegian Army Rucksacks which indicates that these were used on a rather large scale by the German forces at Narvik 1940.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 28, 2016 by Rombak

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

After he went onland he was sent to Bjönfjell, he is on the left of this photo, he was a Navy Doctor, the guy with the bandage was injured in a parachute jump.

[Rombak]

That fits well into the transferment of the remaining crew of Zerstörer Bernd von Arnim to the area surrounding Björnfjell (railway station and border crossing).

By the way it is interesting to see the placements of the different Gebirgsmarine-crews after the sinkings/scuttlings of their individual ships - dominantly alongside the railway line between Narvik Harbour and the border to Sweden. Thus the crew from the Zerstörer Bernd von Arnim held the area close to the Swedish border, then came Wolfgang Zenker, Hans Lüdemann, Georg Thiele, Diether von Roeder/Wilhelm Heidkamp and Anton Schmitt/Erich Giese. Zerstörer Hermann Künne held the northern position in the area of Bjerkvik/Saltvik; and finally the majority from Zerstörer Erich Koellner went into captivity in Ballangen.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi Rombak,

that is interesting, I did not know that the men were placed by destroyer.

I must go carefully through the box, I know there is a pin from a GebirgsJäger unit, he got it at a reunion he was invited to after the war. Apparently there was a long friendship between the Gebirgsjägers and Destroyer men.

He was actually wounded on the trip TO Narvik, in the fight with the HMS Glowworm. He was taking 2 wounded men to the Sickbay when Kaptain Rechel turned the destroyer into a wave. The two wounded men were washed overboard and he got bad concussiopn and contusions when he was batered by the wave, only survived because he was caught between the Torpedo tubes. His wound badge was issued in Narvik and signed by Bey.

[IR15]

Hello Chris Boonzaier. Would it be possible for you to post some more pictures of the Bergans backpack frame here? It should be quite easy to losen the sack pouch from the frame. Because I think this Bergans backpack is for the spare barrel leathercarrier of the Norwegian Madsen M14/M22 machinegun. 

[Chris Boonzaier]

On 26/02/2020 at 23:38, IR15 said:

Hello Chris Boonzaier. Would it be possible for you to post some more pictures of the Bergans backpack frame here? It should be quite easy to losen the sack pouch from the frame. Because I think this Bergans backpack is for the spare barrel leathercarrier of the Norwegian Madsen M14/M22 machinegun. 

Hi, what should I look for to determine this?

Best

Chris

[IR15]

Hello again Chris, the norwegian army's Madsen mg carrying system with Bergans backpacks consists of 3 types. One for ammunition/magazine case wich is the same as the one for the field telephone. Then there is one for the main machinegun. And the last one for the sparebarrel. here you see the ones in my collection. 

Here you see the frame and fittings for the Madsen Mg. The backpack here has leather reinforcements in the back to protect it from heat of the gun if attached after use.

And here you see the one for the cogger with the spare barrel in it. I think your backpack might be this one. Is it possible to get an image like this one of yours? For hopefully yours stil have the leather straps to connect the spare barrel cogger. regards Jon

[Chris Boonzaier]

Aaaahhh... it was the last one you posted, but the metal thing on the bottom was removed/ground off. As he was in Hospital in Narvik when the Bernd von Arnim sank he lost almost everything which he had Onboard, I assume sailors in that position aquired local backpacks to carry their goodies.

[IR15]

Yes, when the Germans took over the garrison of the Norwegian Infantery Regiment no.15 at Elvegaardsmoen (at Bjerkvik) on the 9th of april 1940. They took over brand new uniforms, guns, ammunition, radio equipment etc that the Norwegian soldiers on duty at that time didn’t have. This was because of the thinking then that all old materials should be used before new was handed out. This saved alot of German soldiers life actually. Even the Fallshirmjägers trew away their paratrooper shoes and got norwegian soldiers beksomboots that protected them better against frostbite. The Gebirgsjägers had good backpacks, but you see them also discarding their backpacks and using norwegian insted because they had frames that made them better to use when carrying heavy loads. 

Here you have Gebirgsjägers using Norwegian Bergans backpacks in the Narvik mountains in 1940. 

Here you have the Bergansframe for carrying ammuniton and watercan boxes for the Colt M/29 heavy machinegun and the frame also fits for ammunition boxes for the Norwegian 81mm mortar. 

Edited March 2, 2020 by IR15

[IR15]

Your backpack for Madsen Mg sparebarrel is actually the second known example of this type. Mine beeing the other one. They don’t have this in the Norwegian Army museums storage or any other museums and collections that I know of. This was until I found this «a missing link» and I hope to restore this with eutentic Bergans leather straps. If you could one day measure how long the top strap is in centimeters, I would be very grateful. Regards Jon 

Edited March 3, 2020 by IR15

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

which strap is it that you mean?

All the best

Chris