Moving Image

Wings for Norway, Part 1, circa 1942-1943

Dublin Core

Title
Wings for Norway, Part 1, circa 1942-1943
Identifier
p0592_film_11
Date
circa 1942-1943
Description
Part 1 of 3. Informational film about the Royal Norwegian Air Force's training facilities, "Camp Little Norway," in Canada. Includes the invasion of Norway by Nazi Germany, the routes new recruits used to escape Norway, the founding of Camp Little Norway, the camp's Island Airport in Toronto, and different kinds of airplanes used for training. Film available online here.

It is a strong likelihood the filmmaker was Campbell Norsgaard, the official photographer for the Royal Norwegian Air Force during World War II.

Exact transcription of captions included in description.
Funding to digitize a portion of the Jacob Stefferud papers provided to the Norwegian American Historical Association through the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, a component of the Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy constitutional amendment, ratified by Minnesota voters in 2008.
Extent
00:16:24
Language
English
Format
Independent films
Rights
In Copyright
https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission for the rights-holder(s).
Spatial Coverage
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Table Of Contents
00:00:00 Black screen.
00:00:15 Norwegian airplanes in the air. Appearing on screen over image, in succession: Royal Norwegian Air Force logo, "Little Norway Films Presents," "Wings for Norway," and "Royal Norwegian Airforce Training Centers in Canada."
00:00:59 Black screen with white text: "Before April 9th, 1940, Hitler thought that the conquest of Norway would be an overnight job. However, in spite of the treacherous attack it took him 62 days, with a loss of more than 60,000 men and one-third his Navy, to occupy the country."
00:01:22 "The well-known 'New Order' had also arrived in Norway." Views of destroyed streets and houses.
00:01:57 "But Hitler never conquered the Norwegian people. From the ruins grew a new hope for a free Norway." Flowers amongst rubble.
00:02:24 "Ninety-nine per cent of the Norwegian people preferred to face the Gestapo terror and firing squad rather than accept the Nazi gangster domination."
00:02:42 "The Norwegian King and the exiled Government in England reorganized the Armed Forces to continue the fight for freedom with the Allied Nations. Norwegian youth escaped by the thousands from their homeland and joined those forces."
00:03:07 "The goal for many of them was 'Little Norway' in Canada where the Royal Norwegian Air Forces had started to build a new training center in July, 1940." A Norwegian flag flying. Workers constructing buildings. Royal Norwegian Air Force personnel hauling supplies, standing at attention, and working on an airplane.
00:04:22 "Volunteers constantly arrive at this training center, having been through a hard school before they were even able to enlist. First, the difficult escape from Norway, facing the horrors of Gestapo torture and execution if discovered."
00:04:49 "Compared with these difficulties, even the long journey ahead seemed easy. Many travelled thousands of miles along devious routes, braving hardships and dangers. A great many escaped across the border to Sweden and then -" Map of northern Europe, and the world, showing routes of escape out of Norway.
00:06:00 "Thousands escaped across the North Sea in small fishing boats. Some of them even crossed the Atlantic in the frailest of crafts, eluding German U-boats, mines, planes, and heavy storms." Map of northern Europe showing routes of escape from Norway to the United Kingdom.
00:06:43 A small sailboat on the water. A submarine.
00:07:06 Map of northern Europe, and the world, showing routes of escape from Norway to London and Toronto.
00:07:29 "Hundreds upon hundreds of young Norwegians were arriving at the R.N.A.F. training camp. More barracks were built. 'Little Norway' was an appropriate name for the camp on the shores of Lake Ontario at Toronto." Sign saying "R.N.A.F. Training Camp / Little Norway / Lille Norge." Views of Camp Little Norway buildings. Royal Norwegian Air Force personnel marching. Camp commander Ole Reistad speaks in front of personnel standing at attention, and gives pins to personnel.
00:09:36 "A ferry connects the camp with Island Airport, leased by the Norwegians for their main training field." Royal Norwegian Air Force personnel ride a ferry.
00:09:59 "All training planes are American-built, bought by the Norwegian Government with funds earned by the Norwegian Merchant Marine." A row of airplanes.
00:10:25 "For elementary training the blue and yellow Fairchild planes are used." A row of Fairchild airplanes.
00:11:35 "For advanced training - Douglas Attack-Bombers." A row of Douglas Attack-Bomber airplanes.
00:11:53 "Curtiss Fighters." A row of Curtiss Fighter airplanes.
00:12:17 "Northrop Bombers." A row of Northrop Bomber airplanes.
00:12:50 "Most of the men want to become pilots, but in a modern Air Force at least ten men are needed on the ground for every one in the air." Ground crews work on airplanes.
00:13:49 "Ground crews are as important as pilots to the fighting efficiency of the Force. They go through extensive training for their many special jobs." Ground crew receives instruction around an airplane.
00:14:41 "A group of fledglings in the Elementary Training Class." Pilots stand at attention.
00:15:22 "A lesson in the fundamentals of aviation." Pilots receive instruction.
00:16:20 Black screen.
00:16:24 Film ends.
Bibliographic Citation
[Indicate the cited item here]. Jacob Stefferud Papers. Norwegian American Historical Association, Northfield, Minnesota.
Has Format
MP4

Citation

Norsgaard, Campbell, “Wings for Norway, Part 1, circa 1942-1943,” Digital Collections, accessed October 16, 2026, https://www.norwegianamericanhistory.org/digital-collections/items/show/26308.