Jørstadelva War Memorial

The Jørstad River Sabotage – A significant part of the resistance movement druing WWII

The sabotage of Jørstadbrua in Snåsa led to the deadliest train accident in Norwegian history - 80 people lost their lives, injuring some 100 more. No other train disaster in Norway has claimed more fatalities.

During World War II, stopping the Germans from transporting troops by land was a key goal. The Norwegian sabotage group Woodlark, part of Kompani Linge, initially planned to blow up the Gran Bridge, located slightly north of Jørstad Bridge. However, due to complications at Gran, they chose to target the Jørstad Bridge instead. On 13 January 1945, the bridge was destroyed to delay and impede the German retreat along the Nordland Line, forcing them to rely on sea transport. Six hours after the sabotage, a train, unaware of the explosion, plunged into the Jørstadelva River.

This remains the deadliest train accident in Norwegian history. Seventy-eight German soldiers and two Norwegian railway workers were killed in the disaster. Around 100 people were injured, and one Norwegian died during the cleanup operations. Of the 48 horses aboard the train, 46 either perished in the derailment or were so severely injured that German forces had to put them down on-site.

As railways were crucial, a new bridge was swiftly constructed. Remnants of the original bridge can still be seen between the railway and Fv763 road today. At that time, there was no road on this side of Lake Snåsavatnet.

War Memorial

The Jørstad River War Memorial was inaugurated on 8 May 1995, aiming to honour the wartime efforts while inspiring hope for future peace and reconciliation. The memorial consists of tributes to Operation WOODLARK and Operation RYPE. It is located near Fv763, with signage along the road.

Operation RYPE was the code name for an American parachute unit, the Norwegian Operations Group (NORSO), which was deployed in the Snåsa mountains on 24 March 1945 and based at the Gjevsjøen Mountain Farm.