Map Point G & H

The Church in Otteroy	Erik Jensen Lunde was the Priest at the church in Otterøy from 1936 -1952

Following a service in the Folkehallen given by Erik Jensen Lunde, the priest at the church in Otterøy and at some point during Sunday, 21st April 1940 Ordinary Signalman James Norman Memery borrowed a mirror and made his way from the Folkehallen down a dirt path to the fjord shoreline, a distance of about 100 metres.

From behind a small rocky mound (point G on the map), Ordinary Signalman Memery then proceeded to heliograph what is believed to have been the destroyer H.M.S. Nubian. Having researched this further, it is probably more likely that the sloop, H.M.S. Auckland that was proceeding up the fjord that day, received the signal. H.M.S. Nubian did not enter the fjord until 1840hrs on the 21st April 1940.

I believe it was for this action that Ordinary Signalman James Norman Memery, R.N.V.R., D/MD/X.2476, H.M.T. Rutlandshire was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal on the 11th July 1940.

Later that evening the crew were picked up and transferred to H.M.S. Nubian (point H on the map).

The small rocky mound from where Ordinary Signalman James Norman Memery heliographed one of H.M. Ships	To the right of the rocky mound is the point where the crew of the Rutlandshire embarked for H.M.S. Nubian

Please contact f.wilson@royal-naval-reserve.co.uk for further information regarding this site.

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