The monument was erected in Narvik in 1979 through the efforts of the Polish authorities of the time. It was designed by Professor Jan Bohdan Chmielewski (1927–2014), a professor of sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and a member of the Council for the Protection of the Memory of Combat and Martyrdom.

The bronze casting depicts the muscular figure of a sailor (it is said that the sculptor was modelled on a famous ballet master from Kraków), who gazes out towards the fjord and the surrounding hill whilst holding an artillery shell. The figure is dynamic, focused on battle, and conveys resilience and fortitude. On 9 May 1940, the Polish destroyer ORP Grom sank in the waters of the nearby fjord whilst engaged in combat. A monument was erected near the site where the ship was lost, and the surrounding square was named Groms Plass, meaning ‘Grom’s Place’.

A brief history of ORP Grom

ORP Grom, a destroyer launched in the United Kingdom in 1936, took part in the Norwegian campaign of 1940 as part of the combined British-French-Polish forces. This modern Polish ship was the bane of the German forces at Narvik. Throughout the polar night, it patrolled the coastline, using its guns to destroy enemy units and fortifications. According to accounts by German soldiers, it was capable of ‘hunting down’ even individual soldiers, who were forced to take cover for hours, waiting for it to sail away. They nicknamed it ‘Verfluchte Polaken’ – ‘the cursed Pole’.

The ORP Grom set out on its final voyage on 4 May 1940 to tear down the German flag from a nearby hill. Unexpectedly, a German Heinkel He-111 bomber emerged from behind a range of hills and dropped a series of 50-kilogramme bombs. One of them struck the ship’s torpedo tube. A massive explosion split the hull in two. Fifty-nine sailors were killed in the space of a few moments.

Polish monument by the fjord

The monument depicting a Polish sailor loading a shell to attack the Germans on the hill has become one of the venues for commemorating the anniversary of the Battle of Narvik, which is regarded as the Allied forces’ first victory over the Wehrmacht in the Second World War. The combined British, French and Polish forces, including the Independent Podhale Rifle Brigade, finally managed to drive the Nazi troops out of Narvik at the end of May 1940.

According to Elżbieta Borgso, the eldest member of Narvik’s Polish community and a witness to the monument’s erection, the monument was shipped from Poland aboard a general cargo vessel, whose main purpose was to import iron ore. Accompanying the monument was a 10-member delegation from Poland, led by Janusz Wieczorek (1910‒1981), head of the Office of the Council of Ministers.

On arrival, it transpired that the Norwegian side had no idea just how imposing the monument was that had arrived in the town. Standing over 2 metres tall and weighing 3 tonnes, the statue required a suitable plinth and a crane, for which the municipality was ill-prepared. The cost of hiring the crane alone was estimated at 500 kroner, which was a considerable sum in 1979. The residents, however, were keen to raise funds for both the foundation and the crane, as the memory of the Poles’ participation in the war campaign was still very much alive.

The ‘Grom’ Warrior on Grom Square in Narvik

The selfless mobilisation of the Narvik community came to the monument’s aid once again. Around the year 2000, the steel mounting of one of the monument’s legs had corroded; the monument lost its stability and began to tilt. One day, some children playing in the area climbed onto the sculpture of the sailor, causing it to topple over and sustain serious damage – amongst other things, the right arm was torn off. The monument was moved to the basement of the local university of technology, and Grom Square was left deserted.

The cost of restoring the monument proved to be very high. At that time, several local residents – amateur musicians who played various instruments in their spare time, including the university rector, a teacher and a paramedic – formed the band Groms Plass and organised a charity concert to save the Polish monument. Especially for the occasion, they wrote the song ‘Krigeren Grom’ – ‘Warrior Grom’, whose lyrics, sung in Norwegian with a Polish passage, describe the unfortunate situation:

He lay in the cellar – covered in dust

A valiant giant – bleeding.

Alone, he remained from another age,

Evoking the taste of war.

A little boy wanted to match him,

But Grom could not bear it and collapsed.

There is such a square – bare and empty,

Where the warrior Grom once stood.

Passer-by, stop and look around,

He’s gone now – did he mean nothing?

The concert’s popularity exceeded all expectations. The required sum was raised, the statue was welded back together and returned to its plinth.

Today, Grom’s Square and the statue are looked after by the municipality of Narvik. Official ceremonies are held here every year, often in the presence of the Polish ambassador and Norwegian authorities. The band Groms Plass has gained fame extending beyond Narvik and Norway. They have released several albums and tour, including in Poland.

The authorities now have an expert report stating that the monument requires professional conservation, including the protection of the welds carried out in 2000 and the cleaning of the rusted surface. Discussions are ongoing regarding the division of costs between the Polish and Norwegian sides. The Grom warrior still stands guard over the fjord.