Come North with Me.

]> http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/eadmss.ms009032 Bernt Balchen Papers A Finding Aid to the Collection in the Library of Congress Prepared by William Parham Revised and expanded by Michael Spangler Manuscript Division, Library of Congress

Washington, D.C.

2008

Contact information: http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/mss/address.html

Finding aid encoded by Library of Congress Manuscript Division, 2006 Finding aid written in English. Collection Summary Bernt Balchen Papers 1917-1998 (bulk 1928-1980) MSS75922 Balchen, Bernt, 1899-1973 2,230 items 11 containers plus 10 oversize 6 linear feet Collection material in English and Norwegian Manuscript Division Library of Congress

Washington, D.C.

Aviator, explorer, and air force officer. Diaries, logbooks, correspondence, research files, and scrapbooks documenting Balchen's aviation career. Selected Search Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically therein.

Personal Names Balchen, Bernt, 1899-1973. Byrd, Richard Evelyn, 1888-1957. Ellsworth, Lincoln, 1880-1951. Organizations Josephine Ford (Trimotor) Norske luftfartselskap. United States. Army Air Forces. United States. Army. Air Corps. Subjects Air bases--Greenland. Transatlantic flights. World War, 1939-1945--Aerial operations. World War, 1939-1945--Underground movements--Norway. Locations Antarctica--Discovery and exploration. Related Names Balchen, Audrey S. Audrey S. Balchen research file. 1926-1996. Balchen, Bernt, 1899-1973. Come north with me : an autobiography. 1958. Kocivar, Ben. Ben Kocivar interview with Bernt Balchen. 1972. Occupations Air Force officers. Aviators. Explorers. Administrative Information Provenance:

The papers of Bernt Balchen, aviator, explorer, and air force officer, were given to the Library of Congress by Audrey S. Balchen in several installments between 1979 and 1996. Irene Laune gave additional items in 1987. Further additions were given in 1998 by Bess Balchen Urbahn and Ben Kocivar.

Processing History:

The papers of Bernt Balchen were processed in 1980. The collection was reprocessed in 1996 incorporating additional material received from 1987 to 1996. Material given in 1998 was processed and added to the collection in 2000. The finding aid was revised in 2008.

Transfers:

Items have been transferred from the Manuscript Division to other custodial divisions in the Library. Sound recordings have been transferred to the Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division. Most photographs have been transferred to the Prints and Photographs Division. All transfers are identified in these divisions as part of the Bernt Balchen Papers.

Other Repositories:

A microfilm edition of the scrapbooks in this collection is available at the National Archives and Records Administration (Record Group 401), Washington, D.C. Other Balchen papers are also located at the National Archives and Records Administration, and at the Albert F. Simpson Historical Research Center, Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Alabama.

The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Bernt Balchen is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).

Access and Restrictions:

Restrictions apply governing the use, photoduplication, or publication of items in this collection. Consult reference staff in the Manuscript Division for information concerning these restrictions. In addition, many collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.

Preferred Citation:

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Container number, Bernt Balchen Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Biographical Note Date Event 1899, Oct. 23 Born, Tviet, Norway 1916 Degree in forestry engineering, Forestry School, Moseby, Norway 1920-1921 Trained as a pilot in the Norwegian Royal Naval Air Force, Horten, Norway 1924 Commissioned flight lieutenant, Norwegian Royal Naval Air Force 1926 Mechanic for Roald Amundson's dirigible flight over North Pole Assisted Richard Evelyn Byrd in preparations for flight over North Pole in trimotor Fokker Josephine Ford 1927 Relief pilot, Richard Evelyn Byrd's transatlantic flight in trimotor Fokker America; given control of the plane when weather deteriorated and landed successfully in waters off the French coast 1929 Piloted first flight over the South Pole for Richard Evelyn Byrd 1930 Granted U.S. citizenship by special act of Congress 1933-1935 Chief pilot, Lincoln Ellsworth's antarctic expedition 1935-1940 Chief inspector, Norwegian Airlines (Norske luftfartselskap) 1941-1943 Appointed captain in U.S. Army Air Corps and charged with constructing an air base in Greenland to ferry bombers to England 1942 Promoted to colonel; awarded Distinguished Flying Cross 1943-1945 Named chief of the Allied Air Transport Command for Scandinavia and the Soviet Union; actively supported Norwegian underground resistance movement 1946-1948 President, Norwegian Airlines 1948 Returned to active duty with U.S. Air Force; commanded the Tenth Search and Rescue Squadron, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska 1951-1956 Special assistant on Arctic affairs to the secretary of the air force 1951 Project officer for construction of air base at Thule, Greenland 1956 Retired from the U.S. Air Force 1958 Published autobiography Come North with Me. New York: E. P. Dutton and Co. 1959 Consultant, General Precision Laboratory, Pleasantville, N.Y. 1966 Consultant, Engineering and Program Development Department, General Dynamics, New York, N.Y. 1973, Oct. 17 Died, Westchester County, N.Y. Scope and Content Note

The papers of Bernt Balchen (1899-1973) span the years 1917-1998, with the bulk of the material concentrated in the period 1928-1980. The collection is composed chiefly of Balchen's diaries and logbooks, research papers of his wife, Audrey S. Balchen, and a group of scrapbooks. The collection is arranged in the following series: Notebooks, Research File, Scrapbooks, Addition, and Oversize.

Most significant in the Notebooks series are Balchen's diaries and logbooks. The diaries date from the 1930s and 1940s and include entries pertaining to Balchen's association with Lincoln Ellsworth's Antarctic expedition, his work with the Norwegian Airlines, and the construction of an air base on Greenland during World War II. Many entries are in Norwegian. Prominent among the logbooks is Balchen's log of 1926 for the trimotor Fokker Josephine Ford. Balchen later cited this record of the performance of the plane to dispute Richard Evelyn Byrd's claim to have flown the same plane over the North Pole. The Notebooks series also includes autobiographical notes and writings pertaining to his activities in support of the Norwegian underground resistance during World War II.

The Research File contains papers generated by Audrey S. Balchen primarily after the death of her husband. It documents her administration of Balchen's papers and her research regarding his career. The file includes photocopies of many of her husband's papers with original items scattered throughout the file. Files relating to Richard Evelyn Byrd's North Pole expedition in 1926 contain correspondence with Byrd and Balchen's notes regarding the expedition and their later relationship. Other material related to the North Pole expedition is found in files pertaining to Richard Montague and to Balchen's autobiography, Come North with Me, which includes a photocopy of an early unpublished version of his memoirs. Another important file, the military file, contains photocopies of correspondence concerning his military career.

Oversize scrapbooks documenting the full extent of Balchen's professional life include newspaper clippings, printed matter, telegrams, copies of correspondence, and memorabilia.

The Addition contains a typescript of corrections and addenda for the biographical sketch "Bernt Balchen: An Outline of His Life," filed in the Research File. A transcript of an interview with Balchen conducted in 1972 by Ben Kocivar is accompanied by newspaper clippings, biographical material, photographs, and printed matter collected by Kocivar as background information for the interview.

Organization of the Papers

The collection is arranged in five series:

Notebooks, 1917-1970 Research File, 1926-1996 Scrapbooks, circa 1920-1975 Addition, 1931-1998 Oversize, circa 1920-1975 Container List Box Contents 1-5 Notebooks, 1917-1970

Diaries, logbooks, notes, address books, and technical data.

Arranged alphabetically by topic or type of material and chronologically thereunder.

1 Address books, 1931-1932, 1944, undated Autobiographical notes, 1925-1956, undated Diaries 1922, 1932-1934 (4 folders) 2 1935-1942 (7 folders) 3 1944-1948 (4 folders) Forestry notes, 1917-1923, undated (1 folder) 4 (1 folder) Logbooks City of New York (bark), 1930 Josephine Ford (airplane), 1926 Various airplanes, 1935-1936 Miscellany, 1917-1937, undated (2 folders) Passports, 1933-1970 5 Technical data, supply lists, and diagrams, 1928-1942, undated World War II notes, operations in Scandinavia, undated 5-11 Research File, 1926-1996

Correspondence, notes, writings, clippings, photographs, and printed matter.

Arranged alphabetically by topic or type of material and chronologically thereunder.

5 Air Force Museum, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, 1969-1981 Albert F. Simpson Historical Research Center, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, 1974-1979 Apogee Intercept Defense System, 1965 Artwork by Balchen, 1952-1987, undated Awards and memorials, 1953-1993, undated (2 folders) "Bernt Balchen: An Outline of His Life" by Audrey S. Balchen, 1977 See also Container 11, Corrections and addenda by Bess Balchen Urbahn 6 Biographical material, 1949-1973, undated Byrd, Richard Evelyn Antarctic Expedition I, 1930-1986, undated North Pole flight Clippings, 1926, 1960, 1971-1996, undated (3 folders) Correspondence and reports, 1926-1972, undated (2 folders) Printed matter, 1935-1969, undated Transatlantic flight, 1927-1991, undated Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame, Calgary, Alberta, 1973-1977 Center for Polar Archives, National Archives and Records Service, Washington, D.C. 1972-1975 7 1976-1981, undated Clippings, 1931-1991, undated (3 folders) Death Correspondence, 1971-1980, undated Encomiums, 1973-1975, undated Funeral guests, 1973 Obituaries and tributes, 1973-1976, undated 8 Disposition of Balchen's papers, 1974-1993, undated Ellsworth, Lincoln, 1927-1990 General correspondence Balchen, Audrey S., 1973-1993, undated (4 folders) Balchen, Bernt, 1930-1973 9 Innes-Taylor, Alan, 1972-1975, undated Isakson, Evelyn Moore, 1972-1976, undated (2 folders) Knight, Clayton and Katharine, regarding biography of Balchen, 1949-1954, undated Maps, 1932, 1963, undated Memorabilia, 1954-1972, undated Military file, 1927-1979, undated (2 folders) Miscellany, 1931-1980, undated 10 Montague, Richard, regarding his book Oceans, Poles and Airmen (1971), 1967-1981 Portrait, 1966, 1979, undated Reynolds, George A., regarding "Carpetbaggers" mission, 1978-1982 Scandinavian Airline System, 1956, 1969-1975, undated (2 folders) Sled and tent designs, 1970-1971, undated United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo., 1974-1979 University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, 1973-1981, undated Victoria Films, Reston, Va., 1977-1983 Writings Articles and speeches, 1946-1976, undated Autobiography, Come North with Me (1958) Corrections, undated Correspondence and notes, 1954-1990, undated 11 Reviews, 1958-1980 Uncorrected galleys, 1958 Unpublished memoirs, 1926-1949 (4 folders) 11 Scrapbooks, circa 1920-1975

Oversize scrapbooks containing clippings, telegrams, correspondence, photographs, and printed matter.

Arranged chronologically.

11 See Oversize 11 Addition, 1931-1998

An interview, clippings, photographs, and biographical material.

Arranged alphabetically by topic and type of material and chronologically thereunder.

11 Corrections and addenda by Bess Balchen Urbahn for “Bernt Balchen: An Outline of His Life,” 1998 See also Container 5, “Bernt Balchen: An Outline of His Life” by Audrey S. Balchen Kocivar, Ben, interview file Biographical material, clippings, and wire service reports, 1931-1971 Interview with Balchen, 1972 Photographs and printed matter, 1972, undated OV 1-OV 10 Oversize, circa 1920-1975

Scrapbooks.

Arranged and described according to the series and containers from which the items were removed.

OV 1 Scrapbooks circa 1920-circa 1929 OV 2 circa 1930-1947 OV 3 1947-1948 OV 4 1948-1951 OV 5 1951-1953 OV 6 1954-1957 OV 7 1956-1959 OV 8 1959-1964 OV 9 1965-1970 OV 10 1971-1975