As early as the beginning of 1909, Amundsen could announce that Navy captain Ole Engelstad had been chosen as deputy leader for the planned Fram expedition.
Engelstad trained as a second lieutenant in the navy in 1897 and was made captain in 1905. For participation in the expedition, he was granted four years’ leave from the Navy.
In the papers he was described as “brave and fearless, a solid, decent and good character, who won everyone’s sympathy and found affection in his immediate circle” 📜.
Engelstad was very involved in the expedition’s planning and in both the preparation of Fram and the testing of equipment.
In July 1909, he was at Vealøs outside Horten, where a specially built set of kites was being tested. To the newspapers, Engelstad described the kites thus:
“It all consists of two bottomless boxes of a light fabric, connected by thin rods. Wings are attached to one end to strengthen the lifting capacity. It actually takes six more kites, set on top of each other, to be able to lift man and gondola. – how high can you get? Up to 500 metres. And then you can make a good reconnaissance of the landscape. It could probably come in handy when it comes to finding a way through the ice. But if we set up a kite alone with no load, it can reach 8000 metres in the weather. Then one can hang instruments on it and take measurements of the temperature – and much more – high up in the air.“📜
On Thursday 22 July 1909, Engelstad visited Roald Amundsen at Svartskog together with marine scientist Bjørn Helland-Hansen. The next day, Engelstad was out again at Vealøs to continue the kite flying with the aviation pioneer Einar Sem-Jacobsen. As they were working on the kites, a thunderstorm came overhead and they decided to clear up the equipment. A kite was still in the air, tethered with a copper wire, and when Engelstad took hold of this, lightning struck. The current passed through Engelstad’s body and out of his hands and feet, leaving him unconscious. When attempts to revive him failed, he was taken by boat to Horten but died on the way in Sem-Jacobsen’s arms.
Two days after the death, Amundsen went to the hospital in Horten with Engelstad’s uncle. Engelstad’s father was on a mountain hike on Hardangervidda at the time, and was only later informed.
In the days following, several newspapers reported Engelstad’s death. Hortens Avis printed a poem entitled “Der skar et lyn” (There was a thunderbolt). 📜
Source: Hortens Avis 26.7.1909 / National Library of Norway.
Engelstad’s funeral took place in his home town of Porsgrunn, with Roald Amundsen and several others associated with the expedition present.
During the expedition to the South Pole, Amundsen named a peak in the Dronning Maud Mountains in honour of Ole Engelstad. In 1912, after returning to Norway, Amundsen also contributed to the erection of a monument in Porsgrunn to honour Engelstad. The memorial was unveiled by Kristian Prestrud.
The monument erected by the crew of the Fram expedition in memory of Ole Engelstad. This photograph was found at Roald Amundsen’s home. Photo: Follo Museum, MiA.
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.