Thor Einar Jensen, 1904-1941, was my great-uncle and died under mysterious circumstances during the evening of October 6, 1941. The curious coincidence of finding his journal on the anniversary of his death in 2017, led me to undertake a journey to discover what really happened to him.

Thor had a good job with Norges Bank, Norway’s premier bank. He had a secure position in the Oslo branch but in December of 1940 (8 months after the invasion of Norway by the Nazis), he took a job in Hammerfest (pictured here), over 1,000 miles to the north. Why would he move so far away from his family and friends during this difficult and scary time? Why would he move during the winter to a town 600 miles north of the arctic circle, when there was total darkness? Why did he choose to leave a secure position and move to a tiny, fishing village at the edge of the country?

This is the mystery I have been on a quest to solve for the past 5 years.