Danish WW2 Pilots

Pvt Hugo Holten Møller

(1924 - n.a. )

Hugo Holten Møller moved to New York from Greenland with his family, when Denmark was occupied. Having graduated from High School, he volunteered for the Norwegian Air Force in early 1943. He served in Canada and United Kingdom until the end of the war.

Hugo Holten Møller was born in Espergærde on 21 August 1924, the son of engineer Hugo Holten Møller and Anna Holten Møller.[1]

Son of a Radio Pioneer

Holten Møller’s father was among the first radio-telegraphists in Greenland from 1925 and, until his death in 1956, his father was an influential figure in the development of radio and weather services in Greenland.[2] He was at the morse key, when the inaugural telegraph was sent to King Christian X from the radio station in Qeqertarsuaq (Godhavn) on 6 September 1925 and, on 11 June 1926, he made the first radio news broadcast in Greenland from a device he had developed.[3]

Greenland was cut off from Danmark in April 1940 as a direct consequence of the German occupation of Denmark. Holten Møller’s father was appointed head of the Greenland Delegation to the United States and in this capacity he was in charge of the purchase of all supplies for the then 20,000 inhabitants of Greenland. The father arrived in Boston on 9 July 1940 onboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Campbell.[4]

Holten Møller arrived in New York from Lisbon with his mother and sister, Tove, onboard the SS Siboney on 3 December 1940.[5] This suggests that they were staying in Denmark at the time of the occupation and escaped via Lisbon. Holten Møller and his sister attended the Charles E. Gorton High School.[6]

Norwegian Air Force Service

Holten Møller enlisted in the Royal Norwegian Air Force on 21 January 1943 (N.2382). He was part of the recruit course from 15 March 1943 as was another recent volunteer Erik Gregers-Olsen/Infeld (N.2376). His participation on the course was cut short in order for him to take part in the Course 13 (Kull 13) at the Initial Training School in Little Norway from 19 April to 9 July 1943. Infeld as well as Werner Jungløv (N.2313) were also part of the course.[7]

The course as such was not very successful in that only twenty-two of the original forty attendees completed the course. Holten Møller was one of the students who was 'washed out' during the course. He was ordered from the course on 10 May 1943 after the mid-term exams.

In the late summer, he was posted to attend Course 15 (Kull 15) from 2 August to 21 October 1943, but once again he did not complete the course. He was 'washed-out' on 17 September 1943. Bourbon (N.2305) participated in the course as well, but passed contrary to Holten Møller.

In early 1944, he is known to have been part of the staff (flytroppen) at the Maintenance Departement (Vedlikeholdsavdelingen) in Muskoka. Towards the end of 1944 into 1945, he served as a fabric worker in the Paint Shop (Malerverkstedet) at Island Airport.[8]

Holten Møller was sent overseas as the Norwegian Air Force as such transferred activities from Canada to the United Kingdom in early 1945.[9] He arrived in the United Kingdom on 19 March 1943 and was posted to the new Norwegian Training Base Winkleigh on 23 March 1945.

He returned to Canada onboard the Norwegian freighter MS Mosdale arriving in Montreal on 18 August 1945. He travelled in company of Captain Knut Bache, and Captain John Løvik.[10] Three days later he was released from the air force.[11]

Holten Møller lived in the United States after the war.

Endnotes

[1] DNA: Parish record, Egebæksvang Sogn.

[2] DNA: Parish record, Egebæksvang Sogn.

[3] Rasmussen, Bjarne (ed.) (2019). Tilbageblik - 2. bog. Tidligere telegrafister fortæller maritime erindringer fra en svunden tid, p.. 183.

[4] Chief of Greenland Mission Moves to Yonkers Next Week, The Herald Statesman, 25 Mar 1941, p. 11.

[5] Ancestry: New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957.

[6] Chief of Greenland Mission Moves to Yonkers Next Week, The Herald Statesman, 25 Mar 1941, p. 11.

[7] NNA: Forsvaret, Flyvåpnenes treningsleir 1940-1945, RA/RAFA-3974/V/L0041: Ekspedisjonskontoret. 9. Gjenoppbygning av Norge/10. Utdannelse, undervisning., 1940-1945.

[8] Forsvaret, Flyvåpnenes treningsleir 1940-1945, RA/RAFA-3974/V/L0038: Ekspedisjonskontoret. 8. Personellkontoret, 1940-1945.

[9] NNA: Forsvarets Overkommando. 2. kontor. Arkiv 8.1. Mottakersentralen FDE og FO.II, RA/RAFA-6952/P/Pa/L0014: Mjåland - Nilseng , 1940-1945, s. 360.

[10] 3 Montrealers return Home, The Montreal Star, 18 August 1945, p. 4.

[11] DAHS: Service record (rulleblad).