Gustav Puntervold: a dutiful consul
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Frantz Gustav Puntervold was born in Grimstad on 23 December 1880, the son of Karl Gustav Puntervold, as sea captain, and his wife Franziska Marie Falsh, the youngest of seven children. Two of Gustav's brothers achieved prominence, Ole Puntervold (1874-1940) as an engineer and priest of the Seamen's Mission, and Michael Puntervold (1879-1937) as a lawyer and Labour Party politician.
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Gustav Puntervold was a prominent figure in Norwegian fishing industry with an impressive background. His knowledge and experience in fishing made him both highly regarded and highly respected.
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He followed in his father's footsteps by going to sea including a period from 1906 to 1908 as skipper of a fishing boat. He then worked in fisheries management; firstly as supervisor of the cod fishing for Møre between 1908 and 1918 and then, secondly, as Director of the State Fisheries Centre from 1918 to 1921.
He was an early pioneer of cooling systems and refrigeration, being the founding Director of Statens Fryseri in Ålesund (the State Refrigeration unit). He was a strong advocate of fishermen forming themselves into effective organisations and he was founding chair of the Storsildlaget (the herring association). Fishermen have to wake up and realise that the order of the day is organisation. Stand shoulder to shoulder, as they say, in a strong formation. … Times have changed, my good people. We must listen to their unavoidable message and keep up with it, otherwise we will be crushed by the huge wheel called competition. |
He was an conscientious and well-regarded manager, versatile, dedicated and both politically shrewd and well-connected. He was a member of Venstre (the Liberal Party) serving both as its chair in Ålesund and representing it on the town council.
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Having managed to escape Norway after the invasion, he was appointed Royal Norwegian Consul in Buckie 1940 and his time in the town was extraordinarily busy with the constant influx of Norwegians, some directly from Norway, many relocated to the town having escaped on the Shetland Bus and more passing through in transit to join the Free Norwegian forces elsewhere in the United Kingdom.
Additionally, he worked directly with the government-in-exile in London and with the consulate in Aberdeen. Gustav Puntervold lived at Alney Villa on Great Western Road, the first house entering Buckie on the road from Port Gordon. |
Alney Villa, Great Western Road, where Gustav Puntervold lived.
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One of his most important roles was attempting to sort out housing for Norwegians and the Buckie Town Council minutes record a number of letters from Puntervold in connection with this. There was a particular flurry of activity on housing in September 1941 when the Town Council minutes show that the Burgh approached the owners of vacant properties to ask them to sub-let to Norwegians with properties in James Street, Linn Crescent and Mill Crescent being identified. Puntervold was also actively involved the negotiations with the Council around the acquisition of the site for the Norwegian Slip and Repair Shops and the tenancy of the outer basin of the harbour.
In February / March 1942, he undertook some sort of mission to Reykjavik in Iceland. He is recorded returning to Aberdeen from Reykjavik on board D/S Spica 19 March 1942. Details of this trip, presumably on behalf of the Norwegian Government-in-Exile, are largely missing.
Buckie Town Council minutes note (26 October 1942) that Gustav Puntervold had retired as consul in the town owing to ill-health and that he was replaced by a Vice Consul in Aberdeen, Per Johan Sandvik. Early in 1943, Sverre Brosvik who had been a clerk in the Consulate in Buckie was appointed as resident consul in Buckie, working alongside Thor Iversen who managed the fisheries.
In February / March 1942, he undertook some sort of mission to Reykjavik in Iceland. He is recorded returning to Aberdeen from Reykjavik on board D/S Spica 19 March 1942. Details of this trip, presumably on behalf of the Norwegian Government-in-Exile, are largely missing.
Buckie Town Council minutes note (26 October 1942) that Gustav Puntervold had retired as consul in the town owing to ill-health and that he was replaced by a Vice Consul in Aberdeen, Per Johan Sandvik. Early in 1943, Sverre Brosvik who had been a clerk in the Consulate in Buckie was appointed as resident consul in Buckie, working alongside Thor Iversen who managed the fisheries.
Gustav Puntervold did not live to enjoy his liberated homeland very long. He died in Ålesund on 27 July 1945 at the age of 64. He is buried in Nørre Gravlund Cemetery. His wife, Gudrun, died in 1966 and is buried beside him.
In Norway today, the name Puntervold is best recognised for apple juice. The firm in Grimstad being the descendants of Gustav Puntervold's brother.
