Bolagstida - Skibotn, Norway
N 69° 23.645 E 020° 16.110
34W E 471269 N 7698476
During World War I, the British managed to transport war equipment across neutral Norway to Russia. The transport took place on sledges pulled by horses
Waymark Code: WM152TX
Location: Troms og Finnmark, Norway
Date Posted: 10/04/2021
Views: 5
A monument showing the role of the small town Skibotn´ during the First World War. On the monument is te text:
"Bolagstida 1916-1918
Allied war equipment was shipped here from England during World War I. From here it was transported by horse-drawn sleigh through Finland to Russia."
During World War I, Norway was neutral. Russia was in an agreement with England and France. (The Triple Entente)
German submarines were both in the Baltic Sea and in the North Sea, so it was difficult to sail there. Skibotn in Norway therefore became the place from which a transport route to Finland, which was Russian at the time, was established.
On March 1, 1916, the first cargo ship from England arrived with military equipment for the Russians. It was not possible to sail in to the quay in Skibotn, so all equipment was transported ashore on barges. The equipment consisted of a lot of different things, including ammunition and 100,000 pairs of soldiers' boots.
All the cargo was first driven into the woods. Here it was packed on sledges made of tent cloth and wood. About 200 horses pulled the sledges through the Skibotn valley and to Silas on the Finnish side. Here the Finns took over responsibility for the railway station in Karunki. The first cargo reached Karunki on April 1.
It was a very difficult transport route. Along the way, horse stables and cabins were built, just as there was to be food for both people and horses. At the same time, it all went on in complete secrecy. The stretch between Skibotn and Karunki was about 500 km.
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