Courageous WWII sea dog honoured

I heard an item on the radio this morning about Bamse, a dog who was the mascot on board a Norwegian minesweeper during WWII. The ship was docked in Scotland during the war and Bamse clearly made himself popular with the locals.

The Montrose Heritage Trust has been running a campaign to raise money for a statue to Bamse to be erected at Montrose Harbour. Money has been donated from all over the world, much of it from Norway, and the statue is due to be unveiled today.

Here is a link to his story from the time when Bamse was awarded his animal gallantry medal earlier this year.

Bamse

LES here!! What a heartwarming story!! What a hero he was. He SO deserves everything that was awarded to him.

Way to go Bamse!!

My Dad used to tell me stories about a cat that wandered aboard the ship he was on in WWII. He learned how to climb the ladders to get in and out of the bunk area. He lived a long time, about 14 years. All the sailors on my Dad's ship worshipped this cat and would fish off the ship on their days off so he'd have something special to eat.

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Originally Posted by moosmom

All the sailors on my Dad's ship worshipped this cat and would fish off the ship on their days off so he'd have something special to eat.

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Aww, is that not lovely!

There is a big delegation over from Norway for the unveiling of this statue, some of them the children of men who served on the minesweeper. They all remember being told stories of Bamse's exploits when they were young. Whereas a lot of the men were reluctant to talk of their wartime experiences to their children, they would tell them stories about the dog.

what a wonderful tail (geddit?)

A gentle giant indeed. :) What a great story.

What a great story.

I like how he would lead the soldiers home from the local pub and that he had a bus pass! He sounds like he was a great soldier and an even greater best friend.

:)

The Story of Bamse is so Heroic!! Especially after 60 years.

My Father was drafted in the Spring of 1944 and I still have all of the letters he sent home. He often mentioned " dogs" and "cats" that were present in the Barracks and Med. Stations!!!

I've never heard of Bamse, so, I was very touched with that story!!


What a Beautiful Honor~~~ A Legacy of Valor and Victory.

What a wonderful uplifting story! Way to go, Bamse! I love that his name means "cuddly bear" - fits him perfectly, doesn't it? Thanks for posting this, it brightened my day!

What a pity he didn't get to see the end of the war. I adore the image of him in his little sailor collar.....trotting through the streets...

It is a lovely story, isn't it?

On the right-hand side of this page there is a video from yesterday's unveiling ceremony. I rather like Bamse's statue, I must say.

Video

Me too! Its very majestic

I tried to see the video but got a message that it's for UK members only. :(

How disappointing! I will try to find a photo of the statue so that you can see it.

:( Since I'm not in the UK and can't see the video, I'd love to see a photo of it. Thanks, PTers "across the pond"! :)

OK, I've found a photo of part of the statue! I will continue my tireless search for a photo of the whole thing.

Bamse Statue

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Originally Posted by moosmom

My Dad used to tell me stories about a cat that wandered aboard the ship he was on in WWII. He learned how to climb the ladders to get in and out of the bunk area. He lived a long time, about 14 years. All the sailors on my Dad's ship worshipped this cat and would fish off the ship on their days off so he'd have something special to eat.

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Do you happen to be talking about Nemo the kitty? I've heard many stories about that cat in WWII. He hunted rats on the ship, if I remember correctly.

Bamse is a true hero, he saved so many people. What a lovely dog.

I bet you that cap and uniform went over very well with the bitches in port! :D