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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / The hunt for Minister Harriman`s Ford V8

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Discussion Topic: The hunt for Minister Harriman`s Ford V8 -- page: 1 2

DocuResearcher

11-15-2021 @ 2:32 PM

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Hi All! I am a Norwegian radio documentary creator, researching the story of Captain Robert M. Losey and Minister Florence Harriman, during the Norwegian Campaign, around the Nazi attack of April 9 1940.

April 21 Capain Losey was the first American serviceman to be killed in WWII, by a bomb from a Luftwaffe bomber in Dombås in southern Norway. At the time he was trying to rescue a group of American kids and women trapped by the war.

Losey used Minister Harrimans personal car, a 1937 Ford V8 convertible Sedan that was imported from the US, but had Norwegian registration plates - A-15.

In the summer of 1940 Florence Harriman was evacuated from Petsamo in Finland (Now Russia), on the troop transport ship USS American Legion. I have talked to the son of her Norwegian driver. He tells me that his father took the train back to Stockholm from Petsamo, so I think that miss Harrimans car was on the boat.

Now I want to know if the car may exist today. Florence Harriman lived until she was in her 90s, and died in 1967, and I think that she still had the car. It was important in her life. She lived and died in Washington DC.

Could you guys in this forum helm me track down this vehicle?

I am also hunting for the flag on the roof of the car. It was used to try to stop luftwaffe from attacking the neutral car. And after Captain Losey was killed, it was used to wrap his casket. He was buried at West Point, and they used a similar flag there.

On the pictures you can se Lars Frøislie, the Ministers Norwegian driver. Losey and Harriman on the day before he was killed. Harriman and her German shaefer in 1937, on the day where she got the post as US Minister in Norway, and a screenshot from a wartime film, that shows Captain Losey hiding the car in a barn, to keep it safe from German bombing.

Do you all think that the car may exist?

This message was edited by DocuResearcher on 11-15-21 @ 2:43 PM

40 Coupe

11-16-2021 @ 9:21 AM

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Florence Jaffray Hurst Harriman dies Aug 31 1967 her husband Jefferson Borden Harriman died Dec 1 1914 Their child Ethel Borden Russell born Dec. 11-1897 and died July 4 1953 her husband Henry Potter Russell dies March 3 1943. Their daughter may be alive she was married in Franklin, New Hamshire
Sorry to say your chances are not good in finding the car. The above records came from Ancestry.com

mfirth

11-16-2021 @ 11:22 AM

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Researcher & 40 coupe, what a wonderful snapshot of real history. THANK you fellas for doing this. A GR8 story & tribute !
mike

DocuResearcher

11-16-2021 @ 2:33 PM

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I realize that there is a thin chance to find this historical vehicle in 2021, But we have to really, really try to hunt it down. Would it not be great if we managed to find both the car, and the flag, and mounted it yet another time on the roof of the car?

This is a photo of Lars Frøislie in his drivers uniform, from the wall of his son.

This message was edited by DocuResearcher on 11-16-21 @ 2:37 PM

TomO

11-18-2021 @ 8:11 AM

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If you have the serial number of the car, you can place a free advertisement at these places:

https://www.earlyfordv8.org/Classifieds.cfm

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=9

https://forums.aaca.org/forum/184-ford-automobiles-and-parts-buysell/

The V-8 Times editor may also be able to help you, her contact is

v8timeseditor@gmail.com

Tom

DocuResearcher

11-18-2021 @ 3:04 PM

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Thanks for your tips Tom!

I only have its Norwegian registration number - A-15

It is a number that is reserved for use by the Royal Norwegian Castle, and the most important diplomats. I got the number from Frank Capras movie "Why we fight" from 1943, part three "Divide and conquer", where both Minister Harriman and the death of captain Losey is mentioned.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR1fP8TvM-k

I hope to find its VIN-number, or frame number from the Norwegian vehicle archives.

Is there a similar archive in the US, or District of Colombia, where miss Harriman lived, where I can find the cars American registration data?

This message was edited by DocuResearcher on 11-18-21 @ 3:08 PM

40 Coupe

11-19-2021 @ 5:34 AM

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Capt. Robert Moffatt Losey married Kathryn Leona Gault Banta (1909-1980) on April 10 1933, I see no record of any children. Again this information and photo from Ancestry.com

DocuResearcher

11-19-2021 @ 3:06 PM

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You Are right. They did not Get any children. She remarried in 1943.

His sister got a son, that she called Robert Losey Lee. But he is sadly dead too.

TomO

11-20-2021 @ 7:35 AM

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Privacy laws in the USA prevent releasing any VIN or serial numbers to the general public. If there is a record of the serial number of the car in DC, they would not be able to release it.

Tom

DocuResearcher

11-20-2021 @ 3:00 PM

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With respect - that's just stupid.

Here in Norway you can go to a government page and search to find the owner of any vehicle. Its public knowledge.

I have requested all the information that is about Miss Harrimans registration number in Norway. This old archival data is not digitized yet. So they will do a old fashion search in the pre war archive. I will then get the vin-number, for example.

But that won't help me search for the car in the US. Thats disappointing.

This message was edited by DocuResearcher on 11-20-21 @ 3:09 PM

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