Salute for role in Norwegian drama

Cyril Milner and his shipmates on the battleship Glasgow rescued the King of Norway from the German onslaught in April 1940. Mr Milner, at right in his Navy days, will get a medal for his role. Picture / Richard Robinson

Cyril Milner remembers seeing the Norwegian town of Molde ablaze as the Scottish cruiser Glasgow approached its jetty.

It was April 29, 1940, and German warplanes had bombed the town. On a wooden jetty burning on one end were a line of trucks and cars.

Norway's King Haakon, Crown Prince Olaf, several royal staff and 23 million in Norwegian treasury gold were in those vehicles, awaiting the Glasgow to take them to safety in Scotland.

Mr Milner was just a 19-year-old Navy seaman, unaware of the part he would play in ensuring the Scandinavian nation's survival through the war. "First we knew was when we were along the jetty - the place was on fire," he said.

On Monday at the Papatoetoe RSA, the Norwegian Government will present Mr Milner, who now lives in Auckland, with a medal for his role 65 years ago.

He is one of only 10 people worldwide to receive this honour.

The 84-year-old remembers the incident vividly. Once the gangway was down, it still took the ship's 900 men - 890 of whom are now dead - several hours to load all the gold.

Miraculously, he said, the ship was not bombed while it docked. A warplane briefly fired on the upper deck, but disappeared soon after.

The Glasgow headed north to Tromso to drop off King Haakon, and Crown Prince Olaf and the rest of the court stayed on board as it journeyed to Scotland.

Haakon joined the rest of the royal family in England later, on the HMS Devonshire.

Although Mr Milner later saw service in other parts of the world, including North Africa, Palestine and Korea, he said the Norwegian mission was unique.

Norwegian consul Reidar Sveaas, who will present Mr Milner with his medal, said his part in ensuring the country's survival during World War II could not be underestimated.

"The whole war might have been very different if the King hadn't been on the ship at that time."