Reckless Courage: The True Story of a Norwegian Boy Under Nazi Rule
Preface:
The skeleton-like figures surrounding him in the
darkness could not understand how this thirteen-year–old
Norwegian boy had been able to get into
the prison camp—or why he would risk his life to
bring them a little food and tobacco.
While I was recuperating from surgery,
visiting nurse Susan Haines Mechler told me about her father’s
reaction as a boy in Norway during World War II when he witnessed
starved Russian prisoners snatching up bits of horse manure to eat. I
asked her to record and write down more about her father’s
exploits. Gunnar Haines (originally Høines, in the Norwegian)
was terminally ill at the time, and after his death I helped Susan put
together a memorial booklet about his life and experiences during the
occupation. While working on it, I became intrigued with the importance
of Norway in World War II and how little recognition by historians this
has received. A good case can be made that Hitler’s decision to
invade Norway cost Germany the war and changed the course of history. I
believe it did, and my reasons are outlined in the appendix. I could
not bear to leave out descriptions of several of the most glorious
naval actions in British history as well as some tragic comic aspects
of Norway’s defense. Nowhere have I come across the idea that
Norway’s monopoly on “heavy water” production
adversely impacted German efforts to build an atomic bomb. I believe it
was significant, and my thoughts on this are included in Appendix D
following the military and naval anecdotes. The exhibits also include a
brief history of this unique nation and a description of the Viking Age
and the ships that roamed the seas from North America to Baghdad.
The main story is, of course, about the
experiences of a Norwegian family during the occupation and how their
teenage son became a thorn in the sides of the Germans. Gunnar Haines
left a legacy of courage and compassion. By including historical
aspects of the occupation with interesting anecdotes, I hope this book
will spread that legacy beyond a currently small circle of family and
friends.
William F. Fuller
Marion, Massachusetts
August 2004
