Photo. In the front of the weapon cave, Våpenhula, Moss, used by the secret Norwegian military organisation Milorg.
Our hiking tour in Mossemarka, Mosseskogen, Forest of Moss, Norway, on Saturday 28th March 2015 leaded us to the weapon cave. Today this site is a local, historical symbol for the Norwegian resistance during the Second World War. There is also a bronze plaque marking the place, a flag pole and nice place for picnic.
The history behind the the weapon cave is dramatic. This cave is linked to events taking place in the winter 1944-45. An allied plane had a weapons-drop in Spydeberg and these weapons were loaded onto a truck to Gashus farm. After their arrival they were reloaded onto a sled and horse and taken to the weapons cave near Svartås.
The Norwegian resistance movement played an important part in World War Two. The people who fought in the Norwegian resistance had a number of major advantages over the Germans - a long coast line with vast amounts of the country uninhabited. Norway also had a long border with neutral Sweden which could be easily crossed. In such an environment, a focused resistance movement could do great harm to an occupying army.
Read about a world famous Norwegian sabotage operation in Moss during the Second World War:
Milorg was a secret military organisation under World War II in Norway. They dealt in work like armed resistance, sabotage, intelligence work, supply-missions, raids, espionage, transport of goods imported to the country, release of Norwegian prisoners and escort for citizens fleeing the border to Sweden (neutral territory). The organisation was led by General Ruge. Unlike Poland, Czechoslovakia and Greece, the Norwegians were not split at a political level. There was also a high degree of patriotism despite the actions of Vidkun Quisling.
Stein Morten Lund, 29th March 2015
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