NAMES AND PLACES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 2, Issue 44, 26 April 1940, Page 2

NAMES AND PLACES

Norway's Second Seaport Bergen, which, at the time of going to press, was still held by the German invaders, was, until 1397, the residence of Norwegian kings, whose palace was known as the Bergenhus. It is the second largest of the Norwegian towns, with a population of 98,546, and is situated at the head of a magnificent fjord, running 25 miles inland from the open sea. Rocky hills, rising from 800ft. to 2000ft., surround the. town, and contribute to ‘the heavy rainfall of 89in. a year. Bergen is the second largest seaport of Norway, and a fortified base. Wooden houses. of various colours give Bergen a _ picturesque appearance, but many of the most historical have been destroyed by fires which have devastated the town periodically since 1189. The museum has a most valuable collection of Norse antiquities. Gloves, tobacco, porcelain, leather, soap and cordage are the principal manufactures, but its principal trade is the export of herrings, fish-oil and roe. Bergen is the birthplace of Grieg, the musician, and the painter Dahl. -lron Ore from Narvik Although Narvik is within the Arctic Circle, it is an icefree port, because the waters of the Gulf Stream sweep up the Norwegian Coast and contribute to a comparatively mild temperature. It is at the head of a deep fjord, the entrance to which is sheltered by the Lofoden Islands. Narvik’s greatest trade is the shipping of Swedish iron ore from the mines at Gellivar, which is just over the frontier. Norway holds only a narrow ‘strip of country in the far north of her territory, about Narvik, consequently, this port is also the port for northern . Sweden. It has a population of 6000. In ‘summer, much of the iron can be shipped by the Baltic Sea route, but this is closed in winter.

A Democratic King Haakon VII., King of Norway since 1905, is 68 years of age, and a widower. Queen Maud, who was a daughter of Edward VII., died in 1938. There are three children, the Crown Prince Olav, who married a Swedish Princess in 1929, and two Princesses. King Haakon was the second son of Frederick VIII. of Denmark, and accepted the Norwegian Crown when ‘it was offered to him in 1905 by the people of Norway after they .had separated from Sweden. He has been most popular with his people, lives quietly and unostentatiously, and moves about the country rather like a well-to-do business man. Life at the Nor-

wegian Court is very simple. The Crown Prince and the Princesses of Norway all took courses at the University, and have been taught to understand the people. The two Princesses of Norway are also trained nurses. Naval Losses in Last War In the sea battles which have raged off the coast of Norway and on the stormswept reaches of the North Sea, the British Navy is playing a part even more gallant than that of the Great War of 1914-18. It is interesting to recall the losses of the Royal Navy during the last campaign. They were: Killed, 2061 officers, 20,197 other ranks; wounded: 813 officers, 4035 other ranks; missing 15 officers, 8 other ranks, The total loss

of ships, aggregating 550,000 tons, consisted of 13 battleships, 3 battle cruisers, 15 cruisers, 14 light cruisers, 8 monitors, 20 sloops, 26 mine-sweepers, 5 torpedo gun-boats, 69 torpedo-boat destroyers and flotilla leaders, 58 submarines and 81 auxiliaries of all kinds. Air Marshal’s Career Air Vice Marshal E. L. Gossage, C.B., C.V.O., D.S.O., M.C., who stated recently that German cities would be bombed if the Germans ordered the bombing of British centres, had a remarkable career during the last war. He served for 3 years and 7 months in France with only 8 months in England during the whole of that time, and was granted a permanent commission in the R.A.F. as a Squadron Leader. Air ViceMarshal Gossage has been officer com-

manding the No. 11 Fighter Group since 1936. He was trained for the army, and gained his commission with the Royal Artillery in 1912, but joined the R.A.F. in 1915 while serving in France. After the war he rapidly rose to commanding positions with the Royal Air Force, and from 1925 to 1927 he was attached to the Staff College at Camberley. From 1930 to 1931 he was on the British Embassy staff in Berlin, and from 1935 to 1936 he commanded the Air Branch of the British Forces at Aden. Germany Needs Bauxite Bauxite, which German ships have loaded at Yugoslav ports for transport to Germany, via Trieste, on the Adriatic,

is the principal ore of aluminium, and takes its name from Les Baux, near Arles, in France, where it was first found. It is a clay, and is the most convenient source of aluminium. During recent years it has been used extensively in ship-building and in the manufacture of airships and airplanes. It is for this purpose that the Germans have most need for it. Torpedo boats and other ships for use on the lakes of Africa in recent years have been made of aluminium and transported in pieces to their destination. Aluminium is also used extensively in the manufacture of a goldlike alloy, aluminium bronze, This bronze, which can be made with a tensile strength equal to that of steel, has certain advantages for field guns, and its anti-friction and wearing qualities make it valuable for bearings of shafts. Aluminium is also associated with the manufacture. of the high explosive, ammonal,