Fylgjesdalen
Fylgjesdalen is a remote valley located near Fylgjesdalsvatnet, where the farm became its own entity in 1887 and was abandoned in 1964. The place has a dramatic history, including the emergency landing of a British plane with commandos during World War II.
Fylgjesdalen is a secluded valley located 500 meters above sea level near Fylgjesdalsvatnet. The farm is surrounded by vast moorland. From Fylgjesdalen, people could walk down to the fjord along the river that flows from the lake via Sabakken. Alternatively, they could hike over the mountains towards Songesand, Årdal, and Lysebotn. The “stølen” (summer farm) initially belonged to the Håheller farm but later became a croft under Sabakken. Fylgjesdalen became an independent farm in 1887. The farm was abandoned in 1964, when the last resident, Trygve Fylgjesdal, chose to move after living alone for 15 years.
Trygve Fylgjesdal had cows, sheep, and goats, and in the summer, he collected fodder from the moorland towards Årdal. During winter, he transported hay home on a sled and put it into sacks. On the final hill down towards the farm, he allowed the sacks to roll freely. Additionally, snare trapping for ptarmigan was possible during winter. Life on small and remote farms was characterized by hard work.
Dyrablod is a deserted place, not far from Lysebotn, where the last residents died tragically. One winter day, a couple was rowing from Håheller to Dyrablod with firewood, but their boat capsized due to a sudden storm, and they both drowned. They were later found frozen in the ice.
During the war, a gliding plane with British commandos crash-landed in Fylgjesdalen. Two bomber planes from Scotland were supposed to tow a glider each with British soldiers behind enemy lines for a sabotage mission against the heavy water factory at Vemork near Rjukan. Although both planes managed to get close to the target, dense fog concealed the landing site, and the planes were icing up, quickly losing altitude. On their way back, one plane crash-landed in Fylgjesdalen, killing seven soldiers while injuring others.
On November 20, 1942, Torvald Fylgjesdal saw three injured strangers wearing uniforms up in the outfields on one of the farms. Torvald did not understand their language, but he realized that they were not Germans. The three Englishmen required medical assistance, and the sheriff was notified.
The Norwegians who encountered the Englishmen did their best to help them before the Germans arrived. When the first locals arrived at the accident site, one of the Englishmen had already died. Those who survived were transported to Fylgjesdalen, but later, two German vessels appeared, and the Germans took the Englishmen with them. The Germans ordered the sheriff in Forsand to gather 14 men from Songesand and Flørli to bury the eight Englishmen. The Germans killed the Englishmen who survived the crash after intense interrogations.
Wreckage parts from the plane in Fylgjesdalen were later taken back to Great Britain, where it is now on display at an air museum. A memorial stone with the names of the fallen soldiers was erected in Lysebotn in 1995.
