Sjt Tage Friis Christensen

Tage Friis Christensen is in service in the Royal Norwegian Air Force in Canada and/or England during the Second World War.

Tage Friis Christensen is born on 22 January 1916 in Copenhagen.

German Occupation of Denmark

On 9 April 1940, Tage Friis Christensen is engaged as steward on-board SS EUROPA of the Danish East Asiatic Company.

SS EUROPA leaves Copenhagen once more in late January 1940 and arrives in New York on 1 February 1940. It continues its route and arrives in Seatte, Washington on 3 March 1940. On the way to New York the crew learns about the German Occupation of Denmark. The ship arrives in New York from Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, on 12 April 1940. On board SS EUROPA at this point are also Arne Nicolaisen and Svend Frederik Clement who are also later volunteers at camp "Little Norway".

From New York the ship leaves for Halifax, where the Canadian authorities take charge of the ship. For about 7 months the ship is engaged in convoy shipping cross the Atlantic. On 12 December 1940 it is hit by German bombs in Liverpool. Attempts are made to salvage and repair the ship, but on 3 May 1941 it is damaged beyond repair in another German attack.

I have no information about Tage Friis Christensen being on-board at this time other than that he was messman (sergeant).

Volunteers for service in Little Norway

Tage Friis Christensen volunteers for the Royal Norwegian Air Forces (484) at some point, but I have – at this point – little information on his service.

On 28 June 1946 he crosses the U.S.-Canadian border in transit to Denmark presumably to visit his family. I presume he returned to Canada at the end of the war having married during the war.

(Ancker, 2001, New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957, Seattle Passenger and Crew Lists, 1882-1957, Border Crossings: From Canada to U.S., 1895-1956, www.faergejournalen.dk)