Question about Rolf Arne Berg

[wwrsimon]

Hello everyone

I'm currently researching WW1 and WW2 RAF casualties from North East England.

A lot of the names I have come from the excellent NEWMP website, which lists the names on all the War Memorials in the region. In St Peter's Church in Monkwearmouth, Sunderland, there is a Book of Remembrance presented to the NE Branch of the Bomber Command Association. This book has a list of hundreds of names, the vast majority of whom have connections with the region. There are a few (about 40) with no obvious link to the area, and one of the names on the list that puzzles me is Sqn Ldr Rolf Arne Berg, the celebrated Norwegian pilot. Does anyone have any idea why he would be specifically included in this particular Book of Remembrance?

Regards

Simon

[Resmoroh]

Simon, Hi,
Can't give you the precise reason, but my mother came from South Shields. She was from a big family. They had Norwegian cousins. There were a number of Norwegian businesses on Tyneside. There was (pre-war) a lot of coming-and-going (shipping, timber, fish, etc) between Tyneside and Norway. Yr man may have had family connections in the NE of England?
HTH
Peter Davies

[wwrsimon]

Thanks for the reply Peter. I'd not thought of that possible connection.

I can remember the stories on the local BBC Look North programme every December featuring the loads of Norwegians coming over on the ferry into North Shields to do their Christmas shopping in M&S in Northumberland Street in Newcastle. Sadly the ferry service is no longer operating.

Also, Bergen is twinned with Newcastle, and the Norwegians sent a Christmas tree over to Newcastle every year, so the connections are still alive and well!

Regards

Simon

[Linzee]

I don't have the answer for you Simon, but I'm not convinced that there is a family connection as Rolf Arne Berg came from Orkanger which is mid Norway. There is a statue of him in the centre of Orkanger.

Regards
Linzee

[aestorm]

My husband, who grew up in North Shields in the 1930s & 40s remembers 2 ships of the Fred Olsen line, Venus & Jupiter docking in Nth Shields ,at the Tyne Commissioners Quay.His father was in the Merchant Navy so ships in port were noticed.

Anne