Gøtuskjegg is an old faroese family, often mentioned in the sagas.
For the interview "Forsoningen" with Unni Friis Skogstad and Eystein Eggen , click norwegian, or, in other languages, english, deutsch, francais or italiano, per favore.
Father and great grandfather of Unni Friis Skogstad in national costumes of the Faroes. Unni's great grandfather was from South Gøtu. The Faroes in the norwegian pre-war nationalistic press, together with picture of Unni's grandmother, 137
Staff sergeant John Karlsen (1913-1985) in war time England with the wing of the Norwegian Parachute Company on his shoulder. Went in his early youth fishing on the west coast of Greenland, wintered in South Georgia, and had his first paracuhte jump in july 1941 at Ringway airfield in Manchester. Company's creator, captain Edward Dycker, was also in this first group of sixteen men. For more background, see British Army's site . Dycker on Karlsen: "Karlsen can lead anybody, everywhere". Father of Unni Friis Skogstad.
First lieutenant John Karlsen of the norwegian army. Home and handwritten note on 103
It is an old typus on the Island of the Faroes, must go way back, conserving a remarkable likeness of body and soul; tall with a very characteristic head, nose and chin, bold of spirit. Captain John Karlsen was for sure the first parchutist from the Faroes, and here is one of his predecessors, the adventurer Sigert ( 1869-1931) ) who sailed down the siberian rivers.
John Karlsen 23 years with his sister Ida in 1936, five years before his first jump at Ringway in Manchester.
Unni Friis Skogstad below a painting of norwegian naval hero Tordenskjold ("Shield of Thunder") in the wintergarden of hotel Bristol, Oslo.
"Stora Dimun". Swept in a celtic mist. From ancient times the most inaccessible viking nest in the world. Time and tide govern the chance of not crashing your boat against the cliffs. One try, at one place only. Then the narrow lane up to the farm, one of the biggest on the Faroes. The faroese island Great Dimun played a dramatic role in gotuskjegg saga, now the island has got its own stamp.
"He is a norwegian!" nationalistic newspapaper "Tidens tegn" ("Times' token"), second biggest in Norway, declared at the sixtieth birthday of faroese politician Joannes Patursson, the foremost in John Karlsen's youth. Patursson's father-in-law was a well known farmer on Iceland.
John Karlsen had a magnificent press in his time as walking general of southern Norway. Here from paper "Fedrelandsvennen" 1973.
Ringway airfield, Manchester. Memorial garden with the stones of the para.
Ringway. Inscription on the stone above and below:
This Stone Commemorates
the Formation of
THE PARACHUTE REGIMENT
in 1940
At the command of Winston Churchill
No.1 PARACHUTE TRAINING SCHOOL
was founded at Ringway
leading to the establishment
of the Regiment in 1942
This Memorial is Dedicated
to the Officers and Men of
THE PARACHUTE REGIMENT
past and present and those of the
ALLIED AIRBORNE FORCES
who were trained at Ringway by the
ROYAL AIR FORCE
Ringway airfield, Manchester, England. Memorial stone of the polish, belgian, french, dutch and norwegian paras in the second world war. Captain Karlsen had a high regard for the polish parachutists. Stone says:
THIS MEMORIAL IS DEDICATED TO THE 6000
POLISH OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS OF THE
1ST INDEPENDENT POLISH PARACHUTE BRIGADE
AND MEMBERS OF THE SPECIAL OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE
WHO UNDERTOOK PARACHUTE TRAINING
TOGETHER WITH NATIONALS OF
BELGIUM, FRANCE, HOLLAND AND NORWAY
AT RINGWAY - MANCHESTER DURING WORD WAR II
TOBIE CJCZYZNO
At sixty captain Karlsen still jumps as in his prime
