Tryggve Gran

[Perth Digger]

I'd like to re-open discussion about the Norwegian adventurer Tryggve Gran, who was mentioned in several threads some years ago. It seems to be generally accepted that Gran served for a short time in September 1917 in 70 Squadron, but I have seen no official evidence that he did so. It is quite possible, indeed likely, that I have not seen all the official evidence that could confirm or deny his time in 70 Squadron, so was hoping that someone may know if any more evidence has been uncovered in the past six or seven years.

I have a copy of the article , 'The Notes of a Norwegian Warbird', published in Cross & Cockade in 1993.

Thanks

Mike

[pierssc]

Could he have been misrecorded as, or confused with, T Grant?

https://www.casualtyforms.org/form/8928

 

That T looks like an afterthought.

 

Edited 14 January , 2023 by pierssc

[Perth Digger]

Piers

You're right, many thanks. Gran served the first part of his career in the RFC (1916-17) as T Grant, a Canadian, as Norway was neutral. So he did spend a couple of days in 70 Squadron and could well have been involved in a dogfight with them.

Thanks again.

 

Mike

[knittinganddeath]

Gran wrote about his experience with 70 Squadron in his memoirs Under britisk flagg published in 1919. If you have a Norwegian IP address, you can view the book here: https://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2012092108178

He describes flying in a formation with other British pilots in 70 Squadron and then attacking their German pursuers:

He says that he joined 70 Sq. on 1 September and that by 10 September he had been transferred to 101 Sq. "as the result of a successful moonlit sortie with a Sopwith Pup."

This picture is included in the book:

There are also newspaper articles from the war that describe him as a "captain in the British air force." I think you can view them from outside Norway: https://www.nb.no/search?q="tryggve gran"&mediatype=aviser&fromDate=19170801&toDate=19171231

Edited 17 January , 2023 by knittinganddeath

[Tawhiri]

His full AIR76 officer's personal record, under the name Tryggne Gran, is available as a free download from the National Archives.

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8265736

There are also three incident cards for him on the RAF Museum StoryVault site, two related to his wounding on 30 November 1917 due to anti-aircraft fire while serving with 101 Squadron (as both T Grant and T Gran), the third due to a car accident on 17 May 1921 (as T.M. Gran).

https://www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/archive/grant-t

https://www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/archive/gran-t.-tryggve

https://www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/archive/gran-t.m.-tryggve

[Perth Digger]

My apologies for my tardiness in sending my thanks for these very useful sources. Very helpful.

 

Mike

[alex revell]

Tryggve Gran was a friend of James McCudden. My biography of McCudden, The Happy Warrior, has six references to Gran. These are his letters to him from McCudden, and a photo of  Gran, who did serve in the RFC under the name of Grant. 

Gran actually gave me the title for biography. He referred to McCudden. Quote: 'Nicknamed the Happy Warrior due to his positive mood. He was the centre of the party when he was among friends. Nobody could feel down when McCudden was around.'     

[Perth Digger]

Thanks very much, Alex, I'll try to get hold of your book. Gran was probably lucky during his short stay with 70 Squadron. Between 1 and 10 September 1917 they had a dozen losses/crashes/accidents, with four pilots killed and four wounded/injured. The Septembers of 1916, 1917 and 1918 were not good months for 70 Squadron.

Mike

[knittinganddeath]

4 hours ago, Perth Digger said:

Between 1 and 10 September 1917 they had a dozen losses/crashes/accidents, with four pilots killed and four wounded/injured.

I do not know how well-remembered his autobiography is, but he writes that on the day that he arrived at 70 Sq., Major Nidersole greeted him by saying, "You are heaven-sent! We lost five pilots today!" He was shown one of the dead men's tents and effects, which gave him "a strange uncomfortable feeling, and I wished myself many hundreds of miles away from Estre Blanche."

[alex revell]

Perth, It's available on Amazon. Cheap at the price. 

[Perth Digger]

Thanks,Knitter. I've not seen his biography and wouldn't be able to read it anyway!

The Major was Michael Henry Braddon NETHERSOLE. He'd been posted to 70 Squadron as a Flight Commander in June 1917. He survived the war and became a Commissioner in the Indian Civil Service.

Mike

[knittinganddeath]

45 minutes ago, Perth Digger said:

The Major was Michael Henry Braddon NETHERSOLE.

Hahaha, that's Norwegian for you! I thought "Nidersole" did not sound like an English name.

His autobiography is held at the Royal Library in Copenhagen, and you don't need a Danish IP address to view it! It's a PDF, so if you download it, you might be able to put it into Google Translate: https://www.kb.dk/e-mat/ww1/130011004122.pdf

[Perth Digger]

Success Knitter. Google translate works (reasonably well).

Many thanks for the suggestion.

Mike

[Max Renault]

Late to the party here, but I have access to two different translations of Gran's work, if there is anything you want checked.

[Red Gate]

There is a page or so referring to Gran’s service with 70 Squadron as well as his other service in the RFC/ RAF in the book “From Ice Floes to Battlefields” by Anne Strathie. It’s about the war experiences of the survivors of Scott’s expedition to Antarctica - an interesting read.

[alex revell]

''I do not know how well-remembered his autobiography is, but he writes that on the day that he arrived at 70 Sq., Major Nidersole greeted him by saying, "You are heaven-sent! We lost five pilots today!" He was shown one of the dead men's tents and effects, which gave him "a strange uncomfortable feeling, and I wished myself many hundreds of miles away from Estre (sic) Blanche." 

70 Sqdn were at Estrée Blanche from 22 June 1917 to  8 September 1917.  During that time there was no single day in which they lost five pilots. The nearest was on 13 July with three casualties. McCudden wrote to Gran on 25 August 1917: from his letter Gran is in the UK. From the McCudden's letters to Gran of 7 Sept 1917 and 9 Oct, Gran is still in the UK.  Gran was therefore in the UK sometime previous to 15 August 1917, when McCudden joined 56 Sqdn, until after 9 October 1917. If Gran joined 70 Sqdn in late July he had left the Sqdn by 15 August, the date of McCudden's arrival at 56 Sqdn. McCudden and Gran were never at Estrée Blanche together.