Skipshunden Bamse - Honningsvåg, Norge
Posted by: Heva
N 70° 58.953 E 025° 58.017
35W E 462431 N 7875770
[NO]Bamse var en sankt bernhardshund som ble maskot for den norske marinen i Storbritannia under andre verdenskrig.
[EN]Bamse was a St. Bernard dog that became the mascot for the Norwegian navy in Great Britain during the second world war.
Waymark Code: WM19BYC
Location: Finnmark, Norway
Date Posted: 01/20/2024
Views: 5
[NO]
Bakgrunn og virke
Bamse kom fra Honningsvåg og tilhørte kaptein Erling Hafto på minesveiperen KNM «Thorodd» (et større fiskefartøy innleid av marinen i 1939). Bamse døde av hjertestans i Montrose i Skottland den 22. juli 1944 og ble begravet med full militær honør. På korset hans i gravlunden står følgende tekst:
BAMSE 22-7-1944. Faithful friend of all onboard the «Thorodd». Largest dog of the allied naval forces
Bamse skal ha reddet minst to liv, og ifølge rapportene fikk alle skolene i området fri da Bamse skulle begraves. Rundt 800 personer fulgte den norske skipshunden til graven, og maskoten ble begravd med hodet vendt mot Norge.
Bamse ble den 30. september 1984 æret med Norges hundeorden og i juli 2006 med PDSA Gold Medal (som tilsvarer George Cross (GC) for mennesker). En statue av Bamse i bronse ble reist til hans ære i Montrose og avduket av prins Andrew den 17. juni i 2006. En statue av skipshunden Bamse ble avduket i Honningsvåg 19. juni 2009 av ordfører i Nordkapp Kristina Hansen.
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[EN]
Background and work
Bamse came from Honningsvåg and belonged to Captain Erling Hafto on the minesweeper KNM "Thorodd" (a larger fishing vessel hired by the navy in 1939). Bamse died of cardiac arrest in Montrose in Scotland on 22 July 1944 and was buried with full military honours. On his cross in the cemetery is the following text:
BAMSE 22-7-1944. Faithful friend of all onboard the "Thorodd". Largest dog of the allied naval forces
Bamse is said to have saved at least two lives, and according to the reports, all the schools in the area were given the day off when Bamse was to be buried. Around 800 people followed the Norwegian ship's dog to the grave, and the mascot was buried with its head facing Norway.
On 30 September 1984, Bamse was honored with the Norwegian Order of the Dog and in July 2006 with the PDSA Gold Medal (which corresponds to the George Cross (GC) for humans). A bronze statue of Bamse was erected in his honor in Montrose and unveiled by Prince Andrew on 17 June 2006. A statue of the ship's dog Bamse was unveiled in Honningsvåg on 19 June 2009 by Mayor of Nordkapp Kristina Hansen.
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