Norwegian Waco YKS 7 confiscated by the Germans

[Jan vd Heuvel (R.I.P.)]

The Norwegian Waco YKS 7 - LN-EAO in May 1940.

The plane was confiscated by German authorities from a civilian citizen, but it was released in May 1940 for a special mission. The Norwegian Red Cross reported lack of medicines in the northern, and at that time, free part of Norway. Especially the lack of insulin was critical.

The plane was painted all white with red crosses in 6 positions, and on May 10., Mr. Hans G. Lund, together with Mr. Finn Karlsen as a mechanic took of from Gressholmen outside Oslo, and heading north.
They had very strong headwind and at Trondheim they run empty of gas and when taxiing to shore in Hommelvik outside Trondheim, the engine died in lack of fuel. A German sea patrol checked on them, but all papers had the proper names, signs and stamps and they got their fuel.
They continued their flight, but they had sensed that something was wrong, because no one helped them fuelling. Later they experienced that there were plans to shoot them down as the Norwegians believed them to work for the German authorities.
They took another route and arrived at Bodø where they was arrested on suspicion of being German spies!
This transport of medicines to the northern part of Norway had many more dramatic events, they flew all the way to Kirkenes, and later returned to Oslo. The return was in November/December 1940 and that trip took a whole month as they flew all around the Norwegian coast.

There was a German major onboard, acting as guard on the trip, who gave away a German secret. It was the German who had told the Red Cross about the lack of medicines and wanted to use the Waco in an attempt to get the Norwegian king, Haakon VII, back to Oslo to form a government after the Danish model! The King was in the northern part of Norway at that time.

Waco YKS 7 LN-EAO was the only civilian aircraft sold abroad during the war, and it arrived at Stockholm, Sweden by railroad 23. July 1943.

Jan

PS. Photo's from my own photo-collection and as almost any Dutchman can read English there is no need to translate this.

[g-1reaper]

Jan,
Nice pictures with a very interesting history!
Thanks for posting!
Edwin