Category Archives: prisoners of war

SCORCHED EARTH UPDATE: Tireless efforts by reporter and historian put names and faces to Northern Front veterans

Posted on October 30, 2014 by scorchedearthvh

The war in the far north of Norway was 70 years ago now, but modern methods are helping identify the men and women who found themselves caught up in it. What’s possible now in a period of almost universal computer … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th century history, Finnmark, military history, Norway, prisoners of war, social media, Soviet Union, World War Two | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Scorched earth update: Priceless pictures emerge showing German soldiers receiving the order to burn Finnmark

Posted on October 28, 2014 by scorchedearthvh

The 70th anniversary of the liberation of the north of Norway has quite rightly been dominating the media in the region for the past few weeks. Some really amazing stories have come to light along with some excellent pictures taken … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th Century, Arctic Circle, Fire and Ice, Hammerfest, history, Hitler, Honningsvag, kirkenes, Nazi, prisoners of war, scorched earth stories, Second World War, Soviet Union | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Stories from seventy years ago make the news again – and some of them have never been told

Posted on October 22, 2014 by scorchedearthvh

There is a wealth of fantastically atmospheric material coming out of northern Norway at the moment in time for the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the north by the Red Army. The town of Kirkenes was bombed repeatedly from … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th Century, Arctic Circle, coastal guns, Finnmark, Finnmarken, German submarines, Germany, Hammerfest, history, Hitler, Honningsvag, Hopseidet, Housing, Hurtigrute, Nazi, Norway, prisoners of war, Scorched Earth, Second World War, Soviet Union | Leave a comment

Scorched earth history ‘Fire and Ice’ is ready for publication

Posted on September 9, 2014 by scorchedearthvh

This Scorched Earth Stories blog has been quiet for a while because my book – ‘Fire and Ice: The Nazis’ Scorched Earth Campaign in Norway’ – about the wartime destruction of northern Norway by the Nazis has been in production. … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th Century, Arctic Circle, Finnmark, Finnmarken, German submarines, Germany, Hammerfest, history, Hitler, Honningsvag, Nazi, Norway, prisoners of war, Scorched Earth, Second World War, Soviet Union, Wideroe airlines | Leave a comment

‘Fire and Ice’ goes to print, out in October 2014

Posted on July 17, 2014 by scorchedearthvh

My account of the Nazi scorched earth burning of Finnmark and Nord-Troms will be available from October 2014, published by The History Press. It will be called ‘Fire and Ice: the Nazis’ scorched earth campaign in Norway’ and will be … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th Century, Arctic Circle, coastal guns, Finnmark, Finnmarken, German submarines, Germany, Hammerfest, history, Hitler, Honningsvag, Hopseidet, Housing, Hurtigrute, Nazi, Norway, prisoners of war, Scorched Earth, Second World War, Soviet Union, traumatic story, Uncategorized, Wideroe airlines | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Oslo’s solid stone reveals what Finnmark lost in the scorched earth flames: its history

Posted on September 2, 2013 by scorchedearthvh

I have reached the Norwegian capital, Oslo, which signifies the end of my research trip gathering interviews about the destruction and devastation caused by the scorched earth withdrawal of the German Army from northern Norway in 1944. From October 1944 … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th Century, Arctic Circle, coastal guns, Finnmark, Finnmarken, German submarines, Germany, Hammerfest, history, Hitler, Honningsvag, Hopseidet, Housing, Hurtigrute, Nazi, Norway, prisoners of war, Scorched Earth, Second World War, Soviet Union, traumatic story, Uncategorized, Wideroe airlines | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Dark secrets and death camps: in the footsteps of the doomed at the Lyngen Line

Posted on August 29, 2013 by scorchedearthvh

I woke up to rain and dark clouds on my second day in the Lyngen Alps, a beautiful if brooding region of mountains and fjords where busloads of tourists flock each year to see the Northern Lights. That sense of … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th Century, Arctic Circle, coastal guns, Finnmark, Germany, Hitler, Nazi, Norway, prisoners of war, Scorched Earth, Second World War, Soviet Union, traumatic story | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment