Bamse - the Norwegian sailor's mascot

[Ranald]

The first link takes you to the BBC site, with information on a recent dual memory service.

The second link is to a local website article, with a little more information on the dog and the men.

BBC
http://www.montrosereview.co.uk/news...ards_1_1753066


http://www.angusahead.com/VisitAngus...mseHistory.asp

There is also a book, with a more complete story.

Ranald

[1938 Observer]

Re: Bamse - the Norwegian sailor's mascot

Ranald,
Great story, here's a wee bit more [something different]



Ghost Dog at Montrose Air Station
Bamse Norwegian Sea Dog
War World 2 Hero 1937-1944




On the night of the investigation in the c.o.office there is a chart on the wall about the sea dog Bamse who served with the navy, after reading this I asked out loud while recording for evp if the dog could bark.
The team were very pleased to hear not just one bark a second one was captured on cat's recorder, 2 evps barking sounds but there different from one another these barks are different maybe there more than one ghost dog at Montrose Air Station I liked to think we captured Bamse barking that night of the investigation,Bamse died of heart failure loved by many he was a very special dog that's for sure.

Bamse (pronounced Bump-sa) was a large St. Bernard dog who lived in Honningsvag, Norway, with Captain & Mrs Erling Hafto. When Vigdis, the youngest of their four children, became seriously ill, Bamse guarded her bedside for twelve days and nights until the crisis was over. World War II broke out and Captain Hafto took Bamse with him on the minesweeper, 'The Thorodd', as a registered crew-member.

The ship was stationed in Dundee and Montrose during the war, and Bamse became a great favourite of everyone. Wearing a personalised steel helmet, Bamse stood guard in the foremost gun tower and that was his atcion station until the war was over.

The crew in Montrose and Dundee took up a collection for Bamse's bus pass, which hung around his neck in a plastic wallet. Bus drivers stopped whenever they saw him and Bamse clambered on to the top deck aware that dogs were not allowed downstairs.

Bamse knew when the crew had to be back on board ship, and made his way around the pubs of Montrose dragging his sailors back before the curfew ended. When a pub brawl involved one of his men, Bamse stood on his hind legs (all six foot of him with his 2ft wide chest), clamped his paws on the offender's shoulders, and that was the end of the fight. Read more about Bamse...