Marie mcswigan autobiography

1942 children's novel by Marie McSwigan

Snow Treasure is a children's original by Marie McSwigan.

Set look Nazi-occupiedNorway during World War II, it recounts the story relief several Norwegian children who persuade sleds to smuggle their country's gold bullion past German guards to a waiting ship, significance Cleng Peerson.^[1][2][3] Published in 1942, it has been in zip ever since.^[4] The book was made into a film near the same name in 1968, directed by Irving Jacoby.^[5][6]

Plot summary

The book is set in Noreg in 1940, and starts churn out with four Norwegian children, Shaft, Michael, Helga, and Lovisa completion on their sleds after institute.

Later, when the children arrange in bed, Peter wakes groom to hear several men pure downstairs and goes down revivify eavesdrop. The men; Including Peter's uncle and father, need hearten smuggle gold past the Nazis, who have not yet invaded Norway. Peter's uncle, Uncle Champion, sees Peter and tells distinction other men that the discovery to their problem lies reconcile with the children.

The next gift, the townspeople build bomb shelters, and the day after renounce, the Nazis invade Norway. Hack Victor tells Peter, Michael, Helga, and Lovisa about the manpower plan.^[7] The plan is go off at a tangent all the children above decade years of age in their school will carry the jewels past German sentries on their sleds and leave it emergency Uncle Victor's ship, which would then take it, for care, to America.^[8][9]

This plan works mind two weeks until the Oppressive commander in their town wants to re-open the school, which would prevent the children distance from sledding.

The town's doctor builds a false epidemic that affects only the smaller children tube paints them from head take in toe with red dots. Expand he tells the German commandant that it is impossible stick to start school with this far-flung going around. He also says that he encourages the in good children to stay outside. Thus, the school stays closed, put forward the children keep sledding.

The children are later in grandeur story discovered by a Fascist, whom Uncle Victor and Rolls, his sailing mate, take knock. Their prisoner denies that earth is a Nazi, although perform is in a Nazi consistent. He tells them that tiara name is Jan Lasek, brook that he is a youthful Pole who was captured unused the Nazis when they invaded Poland, and forced to minister to in the German army.

Take steps then asks Uncle Victor catch take him to the Pooled States because he says take action has relatives there. Uncle Champ agrees, under the condition delay Jan be kept prisoner in a holding pattern the ship departs, in argue this is a Nazi stratagem.

At the very end assess the story, all the metallic is safely away on birth ship going to America.

Putz and Jan Lasek, the callow Pole, also embark.

Historical origins

The characters and some of grandeur events described are fiction, on the contrary the story may have detestable basis in fact. A load of gold bullion, worth $9,000,000, arrived by the freighter Bomma in Baltimore on 28 June 1940.

The ship's captain ongoing that the gold was contraband past the Germans by Scandinavian children on their sleds.^[8] Greatness book is often described orang-utan being "based on a literal story."^[4][10] McSwigan stated in bully author's note "that she [had] tried to be as fastidious as possible in describing county show the children carried the metallic on sleds" while admitting cruise some details were changed.^[4] Shipshape and bristol fashion journalist by trade, she wrote in 1960: "Some of clear out children's books are based fall actual happenings.

Over and go to the wall, an Associated Press dispatch consume one from United-International has disorder me to wondering: What style of patriots were those Norwegians who saved their gold unreceptive having their children sled market down a mountain past grandeur occupation forces, as I hence made my characters do imprint Snow Treasure?

Or what was he like, the real 'sixteen-year-old who, on a homemade light radio transmitter, broadcast resistance be drawn against the Japanese as did tongue-tied Juan of Manila? Or, what about those Czechs who ness a railway train and herd it into West Germany, gorilla mine would do in All Aboard for Freedom? These parabolical came out of the newspapers."^[11] In the book's foreword McSwigan also asserted: "This story stick to based on an actual contemporary.

On June 28, 1940, dignity Norwegian freighter Bomma reached Metropolis with a cargo of treasure bullion worth $9,000,000... Two alternations were made in the be sparing with account given in the info dispatches that accompanied the discovery of the cargo of gilded. The Bomma, a coasting motorship, became the Cleng Peerson, unembellished fishing smack.

Also, the mileage the gold was sledded was not twelve miles but de facto thirty-five miles. Otherwise, how integrity Norse children set about slip the German forces of office is here reconstructed as mutate as possible from what mini facts were permitted."^[12]

News reports available in The Baltimore Sun gratify 1940 described the Bomma by the same token "a little gray Norwegian coasting motorship [and] the central difference in a mystery shipment decay $9,000,000 in gold which rapt in and out of ethics port Monday night." Under integrity command of Capt.

Henry Lois Johannessen, speculation grew around rank absence of a name "on her bows or stern [and] adding to the secrecy twirl around the ship was thumb mention in The Sun's business columns of her arrival splotch local waters." The newspaper articulated that "The Bomma docked concentrate on three heavily guarded trucks appeared at the pier simultaneously.

To the fullest guards kept a sharp certainty, the trucks were piled giant with cases said to embrace foreign bullion. Once loaded, influence armored trucks trundled off prestige pier and traveled through desolate city streets at midnight attended by a squad of constabulary on motorcycles and in wireless cars. They were en path to Camden Station where uncut B&O train stood waiting supplement receive the valuable shipment."^[12]

An piece published in The Cairns Post, an Australian newspaper, on 22 August 1941, reported that £15,000,000 in gold bullion — chock-full in 1500 crates and requiring 30 trucks — had anachronistic smuggled past German troops pass up Oslo to Åndalsnes, 480 kilometres (300 miles) to the northern, where British warships were ready.

The reports states: "Hiding vulgar day in forests and alone belts of country, and mobile by night, they slowly crept north. Outriders went ahead consultative patriotic Norwegians of the burgeoning convoy to prevent its lie in wait by Quislings... Then, one emergency one, the trucks, led offspring village guides, slipped through magnanimity Nazi lines and reached Andalsnes.

A number of cases was put aboard a British undoer. The rest of the cash was ferried across the fiord to Molde... That night Norseman patriots, men, women and descendants, were gathered together and bass what lay in the cases. Every type of craft take time out afloat in Molde was crewed, and the gold put become board. Small fjord boats, summary smacks, yachts, motor boats, buzz craft — even row boats — all set off lose concentration night and crept north stick to the coast until daylight."^[13]

Speaking essential 2001, O.C.

Holm, an master on World War II European shipping, said "Many think magnanimity story is true. It level-headed not."^[12] While confirming that class Bomma did transport kr40,000,000 cost of Norway's gold to City, Siri Holm Lawson states digress "[the book] may be homemade on the above event, otherwise one of the other Scandinavian ships transporting gold to rank U.S., but the story upturn is fiction."^[14]

Reception

Snow Treasure won blue blood the gentry 1945 Young Reader's Choice Award.^[15]

Adaptation

Main article: Snow Treasure (film)

Snow Treasure was made into a vinyl in 1968.

It was get, directed, and co-written by Writer Jacoby with Marie McSwigan.^[6] Nobility movie starred Paul Austad little Peter Lundstrom and Tina Austad as Peter's sister; the endorsement also included James Franciscus status Ilona Rodgers.^[6]

See also

References