An important documentary, IMO.

Posted by: George Fredrik on 18 March 2012

Typically unemotional, slow, and even handed, this 1970s BBC documentary [with interviews with the participants] concerning the Norsk Hydro Plant at Rjukan gives a hint of the real story of the disruption of the Heavy Water operation, and the determination and efficiency of one of the boldest coupes of sabotage in the Second World War. The importance of the operation cannot be over-estimated, even now. I have been there with my Norwegian grandmother in 1973.

 

ATB from George

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwbiRrVAJzw

Posted on: 19 March 2012 by Mike-B

Agreed George.

I saw the film only a few weeks ago on "Secret War" on one of the minor TV channels

They also showed a film about the resistance movement in Holland & the thing that struck me was how the SOE could get one operation so right & the other so wrong.  

 

 

 

 

Posted on: 23 September 2012 by George Fredrik

Here is another report of the story in the ducumentary style 1948 [Norwegian-French] film called,

 

Kampen om Tungtvannet


... roughly War [or battle] for Heavy Water. Many of the people acting in this film were the actual people involved, and the acting is hardly Hollywood or Pinewood, but that does not stop it being a great depiction. Quite without flamboyance! No subtitles and the language is French, Norwegian, English and German, so one must assume that the film producers expected their audience to be fluently multilingual!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...&feature=related

 

I would love to get this on DVD with suitable translated subtitles. I get most of it, but I am sure that there are many subtleties lost on me!

 

ATB from George

Posted on: 24 September 2012 by EJS

The Heroes of Telemark [Region 2]

 

The 1965 war movie 'The Heroes of Telemark' is based on these operations. Given the Holywood treatment (e.g. the resistance fighters help people off the boat before it blows up) but respectful to the subject and people involved. Some say that the Battle for Heavy Water is the (more accurate but also) better movie, but to get people interested this minor Kirk Douglas classic is recommended.

 

EJ

Posted on: 24 September 2012 by George Fredrik

Dear Ej,

 

I agree that the Heroes of Telemark is quite a good starting point, but it does deviate from the story. In a way the actions were more heroic than that, and yet in a quiet Norse way done rather matter of fact. and the old film has that matter of fact quietness that refusse to exaggerate the story. All the more incredible for being so true to the actual fact, which if made up would indeed be incredible!

 

ATB from George

Posted on: 02 April 2013 by Agricola

An important BBC documentary that shows the significance of the Rjukan raid on the Heavy Water Plant:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ruq7GVd9k6w

 

Farmer

 

 

 

Posted on: 03 April 2013 by Don Atkinson
Originally Posted by Agricola:

An important BBC documentary that shows the significance of the Rjukan raid on the Heavy Water Plant:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ruq7GVd9k6w

 

Farmer

 

 

 

Too much of a co-incidence, this and the music thread.

 

Welcome back. And if i'm wrong, welcome anyway.

 

Cheers

 

Don

Posted on: 03 April 2013 by Sniper

I had the great good fortune to have been shown around Norway's Resistance Museum http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N...7s_Resistance_Museum

 

by Knut Haugland  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knut_Haugland the director of the museum and one of the heroes of Telemark - at no time did he tell me he was one of the team - I only found out after meeting other surviving members of Company Linge http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N...ndependent_Company_1

 

Haugland was one of the bravest and most humble people I have ever met.