Hjalmar Fredrik Gjertsen was born into a seafaring family in Porsgrunn. He went to sea aged fifteen and sailed on a variety of vessels around the world. In 1904, he qualified as a deck officer and entered the Naval Academy in Bergen. After passing out as a cadet in 1907, he continued as a second-lieutenant at the Naval Academy until 1909 and was promoted to first-lieutenant in 1910.
Gjertsen had applied to be part of Roald Amundsen’s upcoming expedition as early as March 1908, and in winter 1909 was offered the position of scientific assistant. In summer of the same year he took Bjørn Helland-Hansen’s course on marine research and oceanography in Bergen 📜. His expedition preparations also included a course at Oslo’s Rikshospitalet (National Hospital), in which he learned how to extract teeth and treat wounds. In February 1910, in addition to his position as scientific assistant, Gjertsen was offered the role of second officer on Fram.
Gjertsen was one of the few to be informed before departure of the expedition’s change of plan, to head for Antarctica and the South Pole instead of the Arctic Ocean. In Kristiansand in July 1910, Gjertsen with Kristian Prestrud signed a declaration of confidentiality before being briefed by Amundsen in a room of the city’s Ernst Hotel.
Gjertsen had hoped to be one of the land party that would overwinter at Framheim and complete the sledge journey to the South Pole, but to his great disappointment was ordered to remain on board Fram and take part in the oceanographic cruise in the South Atlantic.
Gjertsen prepares his stockings for the “crossing the line” celebrations on the way south to Antarctica. Photo: Follo museum, MiA.
Gjertsen (right) and Wisting splint the leg of the dog Isak on board Fram en route to Antarctica. Photo: Norwegian Polar Institute / National Library of Norway.
From left: Andreas Beck, Hjalmar Fredrik Gjertsen, Ludvig Anton Hansen, Thorvald Nilsen. Photo: Norwegian Polar Institute / National Library of Norway.
Gjertsen was determined after the expedition that the family of Hjalmar Johansen — who, after leaving Fram in Hobart, Tasmania, had returned alone to Norway and taken his life six months later — should receive the same financial award from the state as did the rest of expedition’s crew. During his eventually successful campaign, he stated to the press that he would not receive his reward until Johansen’s survivors were secured theirs 📜📜.
Still a serving naval officer, Gjertsen was given leave in 1913 to train as a pilot at Armand Depedussin’s flying school in France. Gjersten’s motivation came partly from Amundsen’s anticipated need for pilots on his planned expedition to the Arctic Ocean, but it was also reported in autumn 2014 that he would join the Briton Ernest Shackleton’s imminent trans-Antarctic expedition. In the event, the slow processing of Gjertsen’s application for permission from the Navy made this impossible 📜.
In 1918 he married Maren Dorthea Monsen, with whom he had four children.
After serving with a number of mine-laying and torpedo boat units during the First World War, Gjertsen returned to the polar regions in 1920 and 1921, when he took part in hydrographical research around Svalbard with the expedition vessel Farm, led by Adolf Hoell 📜📜. From 1923-26 he was engaged in whaling in the Ross Sea, Antarctica 📜. In 1929, he led a state-sponsored mission to Østisen — part of the Barents Sea west of Novaya Zemlya — to rescue Norwegian seal hunters whose vessels had been crushed and sunk in the ice. In 1933-35, Gjertsen was again in Antarctica, as deputy leader of the American Richard Byrd’s expedition 📜.
As a Norwegian naval officer, Gertsen was arrested during the Second World War and sent, first to Poland and then to a prisoner-of-war camp in Luckenwalde, Germany. On returning to Norway after the war, he became managing director at the Langesund shipyard until 1947.
In 1951, Gjertsen was one of several crew members from Fram to be interviewed on NRK radio, a recording of which is available online at the National Library of Norway 🔊.
Gjertsen was an enthusiastic public speaker and was often heard on the radio addressing such subjects as: “Om flyvning” [On aviation] (1914); “Luftfartøiers anvendelse i krig” [The use of aircraft in war] (1915); “Med ‘Michael Sars’ i Østisen” [With “Michael Sars” in Østisen] (1928); “Sælfangst i Østisen” [Seal hunting in Østisen] (1928); “Is og isfjell i Syd-Ishavet” [Ice and icebergs in the Southern Ocean] (1929); “Dyreliv i Nord-Ishavet I og II” [Wildlife in the Arctic Ocean, I and II] (1929); “Dyreliv i Sydhavet” [Wildlife in the Southern Ocean] (1929); “Litt om hvalarter i Nordishavet” [A little about whaling in the Arctic Ocean] (1929); “Parrys robåtekspedisjon fra Spitsbergen mot Nordpolen sommeren 1827. En sammenligning av is-strøm og værforholdene under Parrys isdrift 1827 og Andrees isdrift 1897” [Parry’s rowing boat expedition from Spitsbergen towards the North Pole in the summer of 1827. A comparison of ice current and weather conditions during Parry’s ice drift in 1827 and Andree’s ice drift in 1897 ] (1931); and “Roald Amundsen på Sydpolen for 20 år siden” [Roald Amundsen at the South Pole twenty years ago] (1931).
Gjertsen was also a keen article writer and contributed content on both seafaring and the polar regions to the newspapers. He was an able gymnast and was for several years chairman of the Horten gymnastic association.
One of the Netsilik Inuit Amundsen met during the expedition through the Northwest Passage, 1903-06. A tinted photograph of him hangs in Amundsen’s home.
The girls Nita and Camilla Carpendale went to Norway and Svartskog together with Amundsen in 1922 where they lived until 1924. The girls called Amundsen “Grandpa”.
Betty was one of the key women in Amundsen’s life. She was the nanny when he grew up, and when Amundsen moved to Svartskog, she joined him and moved into the gatehouse, which became “Betty’s house”.
Eivind Astrup became one of the world’s most experienced polar explorers of his time and a great role model for Roald Amundsen. He chose to end his life when only 24 years old.
Roald Amundsen had strong feelings for Kristine Elisabeth “Kiss” Bennett. She visited Uranienborg several times, but even though Amundsen transferred ownership of it to her, she never moved in.
The girls Nita and Camilla Carpendale went to Norway and Svartskog with Amundsen in 1922 and lived there until 1924. The girls called Amundsen “Grandpa”.
Sigrid Flood Castberg, often called “Sigg”, was one of the women Amundsen had a relationship with. But when Amundsen proposed, she was already married and wanted to wait, and when she was ready he wanted…
Håkon Hammer met Roald Amundsen in Seattle in 1921. He quickly became a collaborator and supporter, but was later named by Amundsen as one of the reasons for his personal bankruptcy.
Participated in the Maud expedition, but left the expedition in 1919, together with Peter Tessem. Both perished. What really happened to them is still unknown.
The Alaska Inupiaq called Elizabeth Magids “Queen of the Arctic”, Amundsen’s crew referred to her as “the mysterious lady”. Amundsen called her “Bess”. She went to live with Amundsen in Norway in 1928….
Participated as a research assistant on the Maud expedition, and as a meteorologist on the Norge expedition. Died on Umberto Nobile’s airship expedition in 1928.
One of the Netsilik Inuit Amundsen met during the expedition through the Northwest Passage 1903-06. A coloured picture of him decorates a window in Amundsen’s home.
Nobile was the airship engineer whom Amundsen criticized after the expedition in 1926. During the search for his wrecked expedition in 1928, Roald Amundsen disappeared.
Joined the Maud expedition after visiting the ship in Khabarovsk. Also participated in the Norge expedition, but was left out from the actual voyage across the Arctic Ocean.
One of the Netsilik Inuit Amundsen met during the expedition through the Northwest Passage 1903-06. A coloured picture of her hangs in Amundsen’s home.
One of the Netsilik Inuit Amundsen met during the expedition through the Northwest Passage 1903-06. A coloured picture of him decorates a door in Amundsen’s home.