Stories Behind the Pages – We Die Alone

Stories Behind the Pages – We Die Alone

Some stories stay with you long after you've turned the final page.

In this first episode of Stories Behind the Pages, Tim Heale explores the remarkable true story of Norwegian resistance fighter Jan Baalsrud, whose extraordinary escape through the frozen mountains of occupied Norway became one of the greatest survival stories of the Second World War.

Drawing on David Howarth's classic book We Die Alone, together with the acclaimed films Nine Lives (Ni Liv) and The 12th Man, Tim looks beyond the drama to the courage, endurance and selfless bravery of the ordinary Norwegians who risked everything to save one man's life.

A story of resilience, sacrifice and hope that deserves to be remembered.

For the full article, photographs and links to the book and films, visit timheale.uk.

Transcript

Stories Behind the Pages: We Die Alone, The Extraordinary Story of Jan Baalsrud. 

Welcome to this week's story, Stories Behind the Pages. 

Every so often, you come across a story that reminds you just how extraordinary ordinary people can be. 

This week, I'd like to tell you about one such man, Jan Baalsrud, 

a Norwegian resistance fighter whose story is almost beyond belief. 

I first read David Howarth's book, We Die Alone, many, many years ago. It has stayed with me ever since. 

In March 1942, Jan Baalsrud was one of 12 Norwegian commandos sent from Britain to occupied Norway. Their mission was to sabotage German military installations in the north of the country. 

Unfortunately, almost from the beginning, everything went wrong. 

The team was betrayed. 

The boat was attacked, 

and in the chaos that followed, 11 of the 12 men were either killed or captured. 

Jan Baalsrud escaped, 

but this, his ordeal had only just begun. 

Wounded, hunted by German troops, and with little food or equipment, he fled into the snow-covered mountains of northern Norway. 

For weeks, he battled blizzards, freezing temperatures, and exhaustion. At one point, he was forced to amputate his own frostbitten toes to save his life, 

as gangrene had set in. 

Yet, what makes this story so remarkable is not just Jan's determination. 

It is the courage shown by ordinary Norwegian men and women who risked everything to help him. 

Farmers, fishermen, villagers hid him. They fed him, they sheltered him, and they carried him across some of the harshest terrain in Europe. Every one of them knew that if they were caught, the consequences could be severe: imprisonment, torture, or execution. 

Yet they helped him anyway. Together, they formed an unbreakable cha- chain of courage that eventually brought Jan to safety in neutral Sweden. It remains one of the greatest escape stories of the Second World War. 

David Howarth's book, 

We Die Alone, tells this story with remarkable clarity and humanity. Rather than glorifying war, it celebrates endurance, friendship, and the extraordinary courage of ordinary people faced with impossible choi- choices. 

Although it was first published many years ago, it remains one of the finest wartime books I've ever read. If military history interests you, I cannot recommend it highly enough. 

There have also been two excellent films based on Jan's story. 

The first is the Norwegian classic, Ni Liv, or Nine Lives, released in 1957. 

For many years, it became something of a Christma- Christmas tradition in Norway, and is regarded as one of the country's finest films. 

More recently came The Twelfth Man, released in 2017. 

Having just watched it, I was generally impressed. 

The cinematography is stunning, the winter landscapes are breathtaking, and the makeup effects showing Jan's injuries 

of frostbite are incredibly realistic. 

The film also captures the relentless pursuit by the German officer, Kurt Stage, 

a nasty piece of work. 

Portrayed as a determined and ruthless adversary, he simply refused to give up the hunt. 

After the war, Stage was tried for war crimes, found guilty, and executed in 1947. Jan Baalsrud, by contrast, survived the war, lived a full life, and died in 1988. 

He is buried at Manndalen in northern Norway, surri- surrounded by those who helped him, not far from Tromsø. 

Later this year, if my travel plans come together, I hope to visit northern Norway once again. 

Narvik and Tromsø are already on my itinerary, and I'm hoping to make the journey to Manndalen to stand by Jan Baalsrud's grave and pay my respects. 

For me, that would bring this remarkable story full circle. 

If you're looking for an inspiring true story of courage, resilience, and the kindness of ordinary people, 

I'd recommend all three. 

Read the book, We Die Alone. Watch the film, Ni Liv, if you can find a copy, and watch The Twelfth Man. 

I don't think you'll forget any of them. Thank you for listening. 

Until next time, stay low, move fast, and watch where you put your feet.