Britain and Norway in the Second World War - Tapa dura

Among the smaller Allied nations, Norway was perhaps the most successful in establishing working relations with Great Britain, and yet it was never subservient. Possession of one of the world's largest merchant fleets gave the Norwegian government in exile financial independence. It also contributed to the self-assurance that enabled the Norwegians to deal with the British authorities on a basis of mutual confidence. Yet there were inevitably also strains in what remained an unequal relationship. Both the achievements and the problems of the Anglo-Norwegian alliance are examined in this study. Of the 25 contributors over half are Norwegian and the majority, both Norwegian and British, are veterans with personal experience of the events they describe. They discuss many of the aspects of Norway's contribution to the Allied war effort on land, at sea and in the air, with chapters devoted to such topics as the Norwegian merchant fleet (Nortraship) and the "Shetland Bus" operations between the United Kingdom and the west coast of Norway. They also provide insights into Norway's role in the gathering of wartime intelligence, including the background to the sinking of the Bismarck, as well as sabotage operations such as the destruction of the heavy water plant at Rjukan in 1943.