|
SWEDEN |
4. Arjeplog
The Silver Museum of Arjeplog is mainly concerned with silver and other aspects of local culture and crafts. However, the museum does have a small section about a British Hampden bomber aircraft that crashed in the area. Some parts of the aircraft are on display. The plane was being flown from the United Kingdom to the Soviet Union when some kind of malfunction caused the plane to crash. In addition, the museum has some items made by Soviet prisoners of war that escaped to Arjeplog from the slave labour camps in occupied Norway (probably one of the Saltdal camps).
The Hampden bomber parts in the Silver Museum come from a Hampden that crashed in 1942 on its way to the Russian Kola Peninsula. This painting depicts a Hampden on Kola. Photo: Museum of the Northern Fleet
The museum is situated by the main square and church of Arjeplog. So, just look for the church and you will find the museum.
Opening hours: non-holiday weekdays 10-12 and 13-16; Sat 10-14. In Jan-March also open on Tuesdays 20-22.The museum is designed also for handicapped visitors.
Entrance fees (2005): SEK 50/adults, children under 16 free, SEK 40/group members (group of more than twenty persons). Address: Silvermuseet, Torget, S-930 60 Arjeplog, Sweden. Telephone: (+46) (0)961-612 90.
5. Arvidsjaur
The Swedish Army K 4 "Norrland Dragoons" (a ranger unit) has a collection of war trophies donated by Norrland Dragoons who served as volunteers in the Swedish Volunteer Corps (SFK) in Finnish Lapland in the Winter War of 1939-40. Only Swedish citizens may visit without prior notice, and only via the Arvidsjaur tourist office. If you are a foreign citizen you are also welcome but then you must contact the tourist office some weeks in advance. So, contact the to visit the Dragoons and see their trophy and uniform collection. Telephone: (+46) (0)960-17500.Arvidsjaur Tourist Office
6. Luleå
The two largest buildings of the WWII German supply base in Karlshäll (by Karlsvik) outside Luleå are still intact (2005). Just after the war 25,000 Soviet soldiers (formerly POWs in Norway) returned to the Soviet Union via Karlshäll, and stayed in tents around the former German supply base. Karlshäll lies 2 kilometres north of the Lule river, 500 metres east of the E 4 highway. Follow the road signs to "Arcus", a large sports complex, and then drive on till you see the sign pointing towards Karlshäll.
One of the giant storage houses in Karlshäll used by the German Army 1940-44. Photo: Lars Gyllenhaal
In Karlsvik, one kilometre south-east of the former German storage houses, lies the Bothnia Railway Museum, boasting an impressive collection of railway memorabilia in the form of locomotives, carriages, an old railway station, an exhibition hall and even a tank with its special railway carriage. Besides the tank, the museum is connected to military history by its main theme - iron ore transports. Iron ore was perhaps Sweden´s main "contribution" to WWII. The Bothnian Railway Museum is run by volunteers from the association "Friends of the Iron Ore Railway". The museum is open from June to mid-September on weekdays 10-18, and weekends during that period 12-17. Closed during the traditional midsummer celebrations.
In central Luleå, on the street Stationsgatan (Station Street) 46, stands the house where Oberleutnant Walther Zindel had his office. Zindel was in charge of all German supplies that were stored in and around Luleå. If you wish to sense the "Allied times" in Luleå when US air crews were not an uncommon sight - visit their favourite venue in Luleå, Stadshotellet, the City Hotel. Although rebuilt and refurbished the hotel (including a fine restaurant) retains some of its 1940´s atmosphere. Stadshotellet is situated on Storgatan (Main Street) 15.
7. Kallax
The Swedish Air Force base by the village of Kallax (not to be confused with the city of Kalix) just south of Luleå has a museum with displays about e.g. the flying Swedish volunteer unit for Finland 1939–40 (the F 19 Wing of SFK) and the eight months when Luleå was a US Army Air Forces (USAAF) air base 1944–45. Beside these themes the museum has postwar airplanes, a uniform collection and scale models of all Swedish aircraft types, including some unique scratch-built models in scale 1:6.
A Swedish Hawker Hart (B 4) in the Finnish Air Force. One of several unique large-scale models in the F 21 museum. Photo: Lars Gyllenhaal
The F 21 Wing Museum has no fixed opening hours - it may only be visited by prior agreement. Call the Swedish Air Force F 21 Wing to find a suitable time. Telephone: (+46) (0)920 23 40 00. Do not park at the civilian airport of Kallax but continue towards the village of Kallax until you see the sign "Norrbottens flygflottilj F 21", i.e. the Norrbotten Wing F 21. The museum is to the left of the wing´s main entrance.
On the territory of the F 21 Wing are also two memorials about the Finnish and American episodes in the wing´s history: the F 19 Memorial and the "Operation Balchen" Memorial. These monuments are inside the actual air base and a visit to them therefore requires special permission.
8. Haparanda
Because of its proximity to Finland, Haparanda was affected by WWII perhaps more than any other Swedish town. Haparanda saw tens of thousands of Finnish refugees pass, especially in 1944 during the intense fighting between German and Finnish troops on the other side of the border. In fact, the combat was so close that parts of the town had to be evacuated.
Today, Haparanda is in many ways united with its Finnish neighbour, Tornio.
782 Swedish soldiers died of accidents and in border incidents during WWII. This monument outside Haparanda commemorates the 14 Swedish soldiers who died in one of the largest accidents. Photo: Lars Gyllenhaal
When entering Haparanda via the most south-eastern road you will very soon see a trail of war on your left hand side: a monument to the memory of 14 Swedish Army soldiers killed in a large anti-tank mine accident in 1944. The area is called Palovaara and thus the accident is known as "the Palovaara accident".
Inside the town there is a large and unique (for Sweden) monument from World War One in the northern corner of the town graveyard: a memorial for 205 Austro-Hungarian, 11 German and 2 Turkish soldiers who fought on the frontlines of WWI but ended their days in Haparanda because of the town´s role as single point of east-west traffic during that war and its aftermath. The monument has one side with text in German, one in Arabic (the alphabet of Turkey until 1928), one in Hungarian and one in Swedish. The graveyard is behind the Aspen sports complex, west of the town centre.
In the park just before the border crossing point there is a monument to the memory of the Swedish volunteers for Finland in the war of 1918, the Winter War of 1939-40 and the Continuation War of 1941-45 and also a memorial for the 70,000 Finnish children who were evacuated to Sweden during WWII.
More within the Region
Of the WWII sights in North Sweden (the county of Norrbotten) not along the Barents Road there are three sights that stand out. Two are situated in Boden and one in Porjus.
The guns of the "Red Mountain Fortress" defended Sweden both during WWI, WWII and the Cold War. Photo: Lars Gyllenhaal
There are several remains of WWII in the city of Boden, less than an hours drive from Luleå. Once, Boden was known as "the Gibraltar of the North" as it was perceived as one gigantic fortress. The refurbished Svedjeberg battery and preserved Rödberg fortress give an idea of what life was like during WWI, WWI and the Cold War in the many fortresses that still surround Boden. The most spectacular fortress is the Rödbergsfort (Red Mountain Fort) south-west of Boden, south of the Lule river. Follow the road signs marked "Rödbergsfortet" and be prepared for a steep and very narrow road up to the top.
The inside of the fortress is shown only with highly-trained guides as one can easily get lost in the many corridors and levels. Even when accompanied by a guide, parents should take special care here to look after their children, because there are many places where one can fall and there is barbed wire etc in the area.
In late June the Rödberg fortress opens for daily guided visits until mid-August. The first guided tour of the day starts at 11:00. The next one at 12:00 etc, until 16:00. The tours last for about 90 minutes. The cost of a tour is (2004) SEK 80/adult and SEK 50/children 3-15 years of age. For more information check out the Rödbergsfortet website or call the Boden tourist board - telephone: (+46) (0)921 62 000.
This Swedish m/42 WWII tank usually is on static display in the Armour Museum of Boden, but once in a while it can be seen on parade on the streets of Boden. Photo: Lars Gyllenhaal
Boden also boasts an armour museum, with 18 tanks and assault guns plus jeeps, military lorries and motorcycles. It is located within the area of the larger Museum of Defence History that will open in 2006. This latter museum will be North Sweden´s main military history museum, with many sections dealing with WWII. Both museums are located on the premises of the disbanded A 8 Artillery Regiment, in south Boden by the Lule river. See the respective websites of these museums or contact the Boden tourist board for more information: telephone: (+46) (0)921 62 000. Some 7 kilometres north-west of the Porjus hydro-electric station the remains of "Easy Elsie", a British Lancaster bomber, may be reached by walking along a nicely marked trail (some 2 km long). The walking trail starts by a large road sign proclaiming "Lancaster". The plane was part of a force that tried to sink the 42,000-ton German battleship Tirpitz on 29 October 1944.There is no fee to see "Elsie", and there are no opening hours either. The Porjus Lancaster may be visited even in the wintertime, on skis or with a snowmobile (but only small sections will protrude from the snow then). A great deal of the plane is missing (taken already in 1944) but it is certainly worth seeing if you are a RAF-buff. By the way, the RAF paint was still doing OK in 2005.
The remains of a British Lancaster bomber lie in Porjus. The crash site has been made into an open-air museum - always open and with no entry charge. The name "EASY ELSIE" was still discernible in 2004. Photo: Mikael Norman
A small exhibition can be seen year-round just beside the wreck in the closest shed. Beware that there are rumours (in 2005) about moving the plane. So, to be sure that "Elsie" is still there - call the tourist office of Jokkmokk, telephone (+46) (0)971-222 50.
Only the chief pilot David William Carey was hurt when "Easy Elsie" crashed. The crew tried to set fire to their aircraft but was soon arrested by the local home guard who are said to have introduced themselves with "we are Swedish commandos!".
Porjus is a village beyond Jokkmokk and if you want to make a detour from the Barents Road to see "Easy Elsie" it may be wise to do it after having visited Arvidsjaur.
* Please visit WWII sites with the greatest caution and respect. Do not touch any object that you cannot identify or that looks like it could contain explosives.
These objects may still kill or maim
and you have no way of telling what is a booby trap, what is not or what is inert. You visit WWII sites completely at your own risk!
DISCLAIMER AND VITAL
INFORMATION
© Barents Road & Lars Gyllenhaal