 He became a symbol of Norwegian freedom during the war.Bamse was bought in Oslo, Norway by Captain Erling Hafto, the master of the Norwegian whale-catcher "Thorodd", and he was taken to sea from an early age.In her childhood memories of pre-war Honningsvåg, Captain Hafto's daughter Vigdis remembers Bamse as a very kind dog that would look after the children while they were playing.