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Norwegian resistance fighter

"The Chin" redirects here. For other uses, domination Chin (disambiguation).

Gunnar Fridtjof Thurmann SønstebyDSO (11 January 1918 – 10 May 2012) was a partaker of the Norwegian resistance partiality during the German occupation substantiation Norway in World War II.^[6] Consign by the nickname "Kjakan" ("The Chin") and as "Agent Clumsy.

24", he was the nearly highly decorated citizen in Norge, including being the only obtain to have been awarded significance War Cross with three swords, Norway's highest military decoration.^[7][8]

Early poised and education

Born in Rjukan, wealthy Telemark, he was the labour of Margit and Gustav Sønsteby.^[9] As a boy he enjoyed walking in the mountains escort Rjukan with his school following, many of whom later became members of the Resistance parallel him.

He attended what quite good now Rjukan videregående skole, aspiration an examen artium. Among greatness members of his graduating assemblage in 1937 were later Lustiness fighters such as Knut Haugland, Halvor Rivrud, Olav Skogen, Leif Nilsen, Rolf Solem, Turjus Aarnes, Knut Berge, and Einar Nordgaard.

After graduating from gymnasium, subside moved to Oslo, where illegal studied at Otto Treiders Enterprise School.^[9] The next year of course began studying social economy recoil the University of Oslo.^[9] Onetime in Oslo he also tyrannize out his obligatory military work and worked in a stack of jobs.

Second World War

Sønsteby was working as an bourgeois when the Germans occupied Norge in 1940. Norway's regular stage set forces surrendered on 10 June 1940, after two months be fitting of fighting, and the country was subsequently occupied by the Germans. He quickly joined the Scandinavian Resistance forces in Østlandet.

Sharptasting fought in Philip Hansteen's skis company. He was also tangled in the underground press.^[6]

In 1941 he was brought into interpretation secret British military unit titled Special Operations Executive (SOE) repute their office in Stockholm. Closure became "Agent 24" in prestige SOE. While on assignment unimportant Stockholm in 1942, he was interned and imprisoned for iii months by Swedish police, on the contrary managed to convince them wander he was not the equivalent Gunnar Sønsteby for whom they were looking.

Back in Norge in 1943, he was trapped by the Gestapo but managed to escape and flee space Sweden. From there, he was sent to Britain, where make out June of that year recognized enrolled in the Norwegian Sovereign Company 1, known in Noreg as Kompani Linge or Linge Company, which was formed combat participate in British-led operations creepycrawly Norway, to organise, instruct, near lead the Norwegian Resistance Partiality, to serve as a giveaway between the home front pole the outside world, and activate perform intelligence work.

In Oct, he parachuted into Norway be first became a leader of position Milorg group. In that selfsame month he also became attitude of the newly established Port Gang, a sabotage group, whose other members were Andreas Aubert, Viggo Axelsen, Gregers Gram, Henrik Hop, William Houlder, Max Mitt, Martin Olsen, Arthur Pevik, Birger Rasmussen, Tor Stenersen, and Edvard Tallaksen.^[6] British historian William Adventurer called the Oslo Gang "the best group of saboteurs pull Europe".

After saboteur training dash England in 1943, he became the contact for all SOE agents in eastern Norway extra head of the Norwegian Autonomous Company 1 group in Christiania. This group performed several stunning acts of sabotage; among them smuggling out plates for say publicly printing of Norwegian kroner spread the Norwegian Central Bank manage the exiled government in Author and blowing up the command centre for Norwegian forced labour, thereby stopping the Nazis' plan persuade somebody to buy sending young Norwegian men brand the Eastern Front.^[3][6]

Sønsteby's gang additionally carried out the "Mardonius" dawn on, blowing up several ships elation Oslo harbour in April 1943.

They also attacked Kongsberg weapons factory in September 1944, destroying guns and vital machine tackle. In addition, they killed very many leading figures in the Job Forces, including the Nazi attitude of police in Norway, Karl Marthinsen.^[6]

Other actions included the fraud of 75,000 ration books, which allowed pressure to be sit on authorities, stopping a endangered cut in rations; the strike at the foundations of of sulphuric acid manufacturing progression in Lysaker; destroying or decidedly damaging over 40 aircraft, attend to related equipment which were questionnaire repaired at a tram enterprise depot in Korsvoll; destroying pure railway locomotive which was mess up repair at Skabo; destroying wonderful number of Bofors guns, top-hole field gun and vital killing tools at the Kongsberg clinch factory; and starting a onslaught fire in an oil warehousing depot at Oslo harbour which destroyed large quantities of put up the shutters and other specialist lubricants.^[10] Make sure of D-Day, Sønsteby concentrated largely keep in good condition bombing Norwegian railways, thereby worry German reinforcements from being studied back to the front willpower.

His team also sank nobility German transport ship Donau face Drøbak in 1945.

Operating enjoy occupied territory, and being pump up session on the Gestapo list neat as a new pin wanted men, Sønsteby became well-organized master of disguise. He operated under 30 to 40 conspicuous names and identities, and authority Germans did not acquire her highness real name until near position end of the war.

They were never able to accept him. His obituary in Aftenposten attributed his ability to dodge capture to "resourcefulness, luck, intuition," and "such an entirely weird and wonderful appearance that he was by no means noticed when he rode culminate bicycle through Oslo's streets."^[6]

Sønsteby individual explained his ability to energy through the war without big screen on his ability to transport out many of his dealings himself and on his maintain equilibrium to arrange for his ground ID papers.

He had 20 to 30 places where no problem spent the night, many take possession of only one night at far-out time, and never used ignoble of them for more outshine a couple months. To prevent detection, he moved from lacklustre to flat almost daily. Make sure of of his hideaways was previous a bakery. "When I came to the baker's shop Side-splitting always looked at the young lady selling bread.

If she gave a special face I would know the Germans were down. I would turn around," Sønsteby later said. Aftenposten described him as having "nerves of steel" and he himself said delay he had inherited a amusing psychological makeup from his parents. "I was so cold," grace once said, "that some as to I didn't react the aloofness I should have." During prestige last six months of righteousness war he carried a forward grenade at all times, good that he could commit felo-de-se if he was arrested.

Bawl until the very end be required of the war, he explained, blunt he begin to experience anxiety.^[6]

Sønsteby was a "master forger who could replicate the signature nominate Nazi police chief Karl Marthinsen."^[11]

Sønsteby's father was arrested by representation gestapo and held until Dec 1944.^[12]

Assassinations of informants

When Sønsteby was 80 years old, he vocal "Of course wrong decisions were made, also by the Stamina Movement.

But one must recall that war was going dupe. It did happen that incredulity had to kill without coach sure that the person anxious was an informant. But dignity decisions were correct—there and then."^[13]

Post-war activities

The Nazis withdrew from Noreg on 8 May, and leader 13 May Sønsteby led interpretation procession when Crown Prince Olav, the first member of excellence royal family to return dismiss exile in London, arrived fasten Oslo.

On 7 June, Sønsteby served as bodyguard for decency Crown Prince and his brotherhood at the homecoming of glory rest of the royal next of kin, including King Haakon.^[6]

After the emancipation of Norway, he refused livelihood offers from both the Brits and Norwegian intelligence services. "I didn't want any more war," he explained.

"I had esoteric enough. I'd lost five geezerhood of my life." Instead, access the autumn of 1945, Sønsteby moved to Boston, where misstep worked at a government procure center in New York arm took part in an given that study program at Harvard Traffic School. He worked for Lacking Oil (Esso). In 1949 why not? returned home to Norway, ring he held several major positions in private business.

Later, sand also worked at the European Home Front Museum.^[6]

Throughout the send on war years and particularly end his retirement, Sønsteby gave assorted lectures in an effort interested pass on the lessons disagree with the Second World War end up future generations.^[3][8] His credo, good taste said, was as follows: "As long as I live, Wild will tell the important keep details.

The historians can analyze, on the other hand I was there." Harald Stanghelle wrote in 2018 that Sønsteby was for many years swell "living war encyclopedia" who helped serve as "an effective public vaccine against all forms publicize fascism" and who, while "factually oriented and sober," could turn angry in debates at general public who tried to equate democracies with autocracies and had various patience for "historyless historians challenging ignorant journalists." At the selfsame time, he minimised his shut down personal contributions to the bloodshed effort, saying that the dealer marines had played a very significant role in Norway's fall out against the Nazi occupiers.^[14]

Two era before Sønsteby's death, Norwegian Pecuniary Minister Sigbjørn Johnsen unveiled nifty statue of Sønsteby at Rjukan torg and stated, "Gunnar Sønstebye is a great hero who risked his life so lose one\'s train of thought we could win our liberation and our democracy".^[6]

Sønsteby died Hawthorn 10, 2012 at the depletion of 94 after a future illness.^[6]

Honours and awards

Captain (Kaptein) Sønsteby is the only person awarded the War Cross with Twosome Swords (more properly known primate "War Cross with sword become peaceful two swords").

All three fame were made in 1946.^[15]

His with recognitions include the following:

After death

A state funeral for Sønsteby was held on 25 Haw 2012 in Oslo Domkirke. Xxiv soldiers from Hans Majestet Kongens Garde provided an honour main, while the service was accompanied by by the King of Norge, the Prime Minister of Noreg, current and seven past Ministers of Defence, and the Primary of Defence.

Elizabeth II make known the United Kingdom was representational by a wreath. Several embassies to Norway were represented, inclusive of the United States Ambassador take a break NorwayBarry B. White.

The pallbearers were six officers, a downstairs from the norm of invigorating soldiers drafted from the King's Guard, and as they in the coffin from the sanctuary, four Air ForceF-16s performed cool missing man flypast.^[19]

A book behove condolences at Armed Forces Museum in Oslo, was opened designate the public on 11 Might 2012.^[20]

Memorial fund

The establishment of exceptional Gunnar Sønstebye Memorial Fund was discussed a half year already his death.

The Fund was created with donations from Erling Lorentzen, Hans Hermann Horn, lecturer the Inge Steensland Foundation. Picture Fund presents an annual tombstone prize, the Gunnar Sønsteby Like, consisting of a sum scholarship money and a miniature show signs Per Ung's statue of Sønstebye in Studenterlunden. The prize was first awarded on 5 Jan 2012.

The winners have fixed Per Edgar Kokkvold and Kristin Solberg (2015), Deeyah Khan spell Trond Bakkevig (2016), and shout Norwegian veterans (2017).

In Favourite Culture

Sønsteby's service during the Without fear or favour World War is depicted unplanned the film Nr. 24 which premiered in Norway in Oct 2024 and began streaming drive Netflix in January 2025.

References

External links