I was born in Copenhagen in 1922 the son of Typographer Knud Kryger. Not really knowing what I wanted to do I worked as a "Bud" for Hovedstadens Brugsforening in Hellerup until I was 16 years of age, at which time I transferred to Christianshavn. When I was 17 I applied to the Danish Navy for admission to the cadet corps. I was accepted and was to report in the fall of 1940. This gave me a chance to spend some time on a merchant ship, and since the war had just started in Europe in Sept. 1939.

I had no trouble finding a berth. I signed on as a messboy on the icebreaker "Thor". This ship had been mounted with 2 small guns and was anchored in Copenhagen harbor, acting as a pilot supply vessel to ships entering and leaving Copenhagen through the minefield which had been laid by the Danish Navy. When the "Thor" was needed for ice breaking the "Gertrud Rask" took its place, and I was transferred to that ship.

In March 1940 We were all laid off because the ship was to be readied for it¹s voyage to Greenland. I then got a job on the oil tanker "Calliope" as a messboy. Said vessel was in England, and abt. 17 Danes were sent by plane to join the vessel. When we arrived in New York late April 1940 I signed off, and after a stint as O.S. on the "Penelope" I signed on the "Intrepido" as Ablebodied Seaman. I made one trip abd. this horrible vessel, from N.Y. around Cape of Good Hope up to Egypt, to India, to South Africa, to Brazil and back to N.Y. A trip that took 11 months and 3 weeks.

When I arrived back in New York in Sept. 1941 I decided I wanted a rest. I just wanted to stay ashore for a little while. At that time we were allowed 60 days shore leave before shipping out again, but as a seaman I was not allowed to work ashore. However, as I soon found out nobody paid much attention to that and I soon found myself working as an elevator Operator at the Hotel "Greystone" on Broadway and 91st street. These were happy days for me. People were nice, I had a girlfriend, I felt I belonged.