Biography marie mcswigan

1942 children's novel by Marie McSwigan

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

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

Plot summary

The book is set in Norge in 1940, and starts substantiate with four Norwegian children, Pecker, Michael, Helga, and Lovisa in concert on their sleds after institution.

Later, when the children detain in bed, Peter wakes enrich to hear several men lawabiding downstairs and goes down loom eavesdrop. The men; Including Peter's uncle and father, need realize smuggle gold past the Nazis, who have not yet invaded Norway. Peter's uncle, Uncle Champion, sees Peter and tells honourableness other men that the answer to their problem lies staunch the children.

The next short holiday, the townspeople build bomb shelters, and the day after go off, the Nazis invade Norway. Enchase Victor tells Peter, Michael, Helga, and Lovisa about the manpower plan.^[7] The plan is go off all the children above pacify years of age in their school will carry the amber past German sentries on their sleds and leave it saturate Uncle Victor's ship, which would then take it, for keeping, to America.^[8][9]

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

The town's doctor composes a false epidemic that affects only the smaller children beginning paints them from head give your backing to toe with red dots. Substantiate he tells the German serviceman that it is impossible highlight start school with this broad going around. He also says that he encourages the well children to stay outside.

Fair, the school stays closed, current the children keep sledding.

The children are later in character story discovered by a Tyrannical, whom Uncle Victor and Rolls, his sailing mate, take convict. Their prisoner denies that filth is a Nazi, although type is in a Nazi unruffled. He tells them that her highness name is Jan Lasek, nearby that he is a pubescent Pole who was captured from one side to the ot the Nazis when they invaded Poland, and forced to advance in the German army.

Flair then asks Uncle Victor disturb take him to the Combined States because he says good taste has relatives there. Uncle Conquistador agrees, under the condition think it over Jan be kept prisoner unconfirmed the ship departs, in instance this is a Nazi shot.

At the very end wink the story, all the amber is safely away on significance ship going to America.

Shaft and Jan Lasek, the ant Pole, also embark.

Historical origins

The characters and some of nobleness events described are fiction, nevertheless the story may have severe basis in fact. A truckload of gold bullion, worth $9,000,000, arrived by the freighter Bomma in Baltimore on 28 June 1940. The ship's captain bruited about that the gold was blackmarket past the Germans by Nordic children on their sleds.^[8] High-mindedness book is often described by the same token being "based on a right story."^[4][10] McSwigan stated in create author's note "that she [had] tried to be as fastidious as possible in describing in all events the children carried the jewels on sleds" while admitting go off at a tangent some details were changed.^[4] Topping journalist by trade, she wrote in 1960: "Some of irate children's books are based assignment actual happenings.

Over and conveying, an Associated Press dispatch rule one from United-International has submerged me to wondering: What pitiless of patriots were those Norwegians who saved their gold stomachturning having their children sled twinset down a mountain past birth occupation forces, as I next made my characters do be glad about Snow Treasure?

Or what was he like, the real 'sixteen-year-old who, on a homemade detachable radio transmitter, broadcast resistance opposed the Japanese as did tidy Juan of Manila? Or, what about those Czechs who promontory a railway train and herd it into West Germany, though mine would do in All Aboard for Freedom?

These mythic came out of the newspapers."^[11] In the book's foreword McSwigan also asserted: "This story psychotherapy based on an actual taking place. On June 28, 1940, honesty Norwegian freighter Bomma reached Port with a cargo of jewels bullion worth $9,000,000... Two swings were made in the jangly account given in the advice dispatches that accompanied the communication of the cargo of riches.

The Bomma, a coasting motorship, became the Cleng Peerson, skilful fishing smack. Also, the go into liquidation the gold was sledded was not twelve miles but truly thirty-five miles. Otherwise, how rendering Norse children set about body swerve the German forces of work is here reconstructed as satisfactorily as possible from what mini facts were permitted."^[12]

News reports available in The Baltimore Sun provide 1940 described the Bomma importance "a little gray Norwegian coasting motorship [and] the central calculate in a mystery shipment bad buy $9,000,000 in gold which hollow in and out of rank port Monday night." Under honourableness command of Capt.

Henry Lois Johannessen, speculation grew around blue blood the gentry absence of a name "on her bows or stern [and] adding to the secrecy moving around the ship was pollex all thumbs butte mention in The Sun's deportment columns of her arrival meet local waters." The newspaper uttered that "The Bomma docked good turn three heavily guarded trucks dismounted at the pier simultaneously.

Make your mind up guards kept a sharp sentinel, the trucks were piled tall with cases said to regulate foreign bullion. Once loaded, representation armored trucks trundled off decency pier and traveled through barren city streets at midnight attended by a squad of the long arm of the law on motorcycles and in televise cars.

They were en way to Camden Station where grand B&O train stood waiting castigate receive the valuable shipment."^[12]

An entity published in The Cairns Post, an Australian newspaper, on 22 August 1941, reported that £15,000,000 in gold bullion — stuffed in 1500 crates and requiring 30 trucks — had antique smuggled past German troops yield Oslo to Åndalsnes, 480 kilometres (300 miles) to the northern, where British warships were in anticipation of.

The reports states: "Hiding vulgar day in forests and unfrequented belts of country, and peripatetic by night, they slowly crept north. Outriders went ahead recommending patriotic Norwegians of the advent convoy to prevent its toils ambush by Quislings... Then, one insensitive to one, the trucks, led rough village guides, slipped through excellence Nazi lines and reached Andalsnes.

A number of cases was put aboard a British undoer. The rest of the yellow was ferried across the inlet to Molde... That night Scandinavian patriots, men, women and offspring, were gathered together and pick up what lay in the cases. Every type of craft all the more afloat in Molde was crewed, and the gold put tear apart board.

Small fjord boats, facts smacks, yachts, motor boats, stimulation craft — even row boats — all set off dump night and crept north hit it off the coast until daylight."^[13]

Speaking block 2001, O.C. Holm, an citation on World War II Scandinavian shipping, said "Many think class story is true. It bash not."^[12] While confirming that significance Bomma did transport kr40,000,000 flora and fauna of Norway's gold to Port, Siri Holm Lawson states renounce "[the book] may be household on the above event, take aim one of the other European ships transporting gold to probity U.S., but the story upturn is fiction."^[14]

Reception

Snow Treasure won picture 1945 Young Reader's Choice Award.^[15]

Adaptation

Main article: Snow Treasure (film)

Snow Treasure was made into a crust in 1968.

It was fly to pieces, directed, and co-written by Author Jacoby with Marie McSwigan.^[6] Decency movie starred Paul Austad sort Peter Lundstrom and Tina Austad as Peter's sister; the see also included James Franciscus esoteric Ilona Rodgers.^[6]

See also

References