Wednesday, 11 June 2025

Day 29 Wednesday 11th June Polar camp

 We visited an international war graves cemetery ( Tjottta ) just after leaving the campsite  this morning  .  7000 Soviet POW are interred here - they were captured and imprisoned when the German army  invaded Norway . There are also the ashes  of 2,500 POWs from Russia, Serbia and Poland  who died following the accidental bombing   and sinking of  the MS Rigla  cargo ship off the Nordland coast  by the RAF. The ship had been requisitioned by the German army . It was very moving to see the results of  the painstaking research undertaken by the Norwegian government in identifying all those who died , they have provided individual  plaques with names and dates , belonging to men ranging in age from their 20's to their 50's Of some solace to those they left behind. It's a beautiful spot sited between  2 peaceful lakes. 


We caught a ferry at Levang  across a fjord to Nesna and crossed into the Arctic circle. The second ferry we were due to catch this afternoon (Kilboghamn to Jetvik ) was cancelled due to engine failure . We retired to the camp site below 













Soviet war memorial 

Individual ground plaques cover 3 fields  , these engraved boards provided  greater detail 
Left here at 9 am , early for us. The tide was out for the duration.of our stay making it rather pongy from drying sea weed  

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