On the military portion of the airport; special access required Monument

The memorial is an engraved stone about 5 feet high.

The memorial remembers “Operation Balchen” or “Operation Where and When” led by the Norwegian-American, Colonel Bernt Balchen.  This  operation used 10 USAAF C-47 Aircraft to transport Norwegian forces from neutral Sweden to Norway in 1944-1945, based out of the Norbotten Wing (F21) Airbase. The Operation successfully transported over 1500 Norwegians and 1300 tons of supplies supported by the Swedish F21 unit.

Bernt Balchen, the famed Polar Explorer, Veteran of WW1 and leader of numerous Operations in Scandinavia during WW2 was key to success of this mission. In addition to this operation, Balchen also lead or established the Greenland Rescue Airbase (Blue West-8) Project Sonnie; Sepals Project; Operation Ball; and Operation Carpetbagger missions over Norway and Sweden.

Balchen became a member of the US National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1973.

Special thanks to Lars Gyllenhaal, author of "200 svenska sevärdheter från andra världskriget (200 Swedish WWII Sights)” for assistance and photos of this memorial.

The text on the monument is in Swedish and reads:

FLYGOPERATION BALCHEN 

1944 – 1945 

KUNGL NORRBOTTENS FLYGBASKÅR 

NORSKE POLITITROPPENE 

USAAF AIR TRANSPORT COMMAND 

The translation is:

Operation Balchen

1944-1945

Royal Norrbotten Wing 

Norwegian Police Troops 

USAAF Air Transport Command