gunnar Sønsteby
the hero of the norwegian resistance was europe’s most effective saboteur
From the moment the Germans took control of Norway, many resistance movements were born. The most prominent was Milorg and one of those who signed up with Gunnar Sønsteby. His first act was to sign up to join the pro-nazi forces so that he could gather intelligence and over the next few years he’d evade the Gestapo by forging German papers, steal banknote-printing plates to help fund the Special Operations Executive, and undergo special saboteur training in England.
He returned to Norway in style, parachuting into Oslo ready to sabotage Nazi operations. Heading a group of resistance members, he destroyed official records to stop young Norwegian men from being sent to Russia. He blew up arms factories and German aircraft, and sank German merchant ships. When the Nazis wanted to reduce the rations that were already low, Sønsteby destroyed 75,000 ration books so that they couldn’t, and when he realised that he could stop armaments from moving south, he blew up the railways. After the war, he was awarded medals from Britain and the United States, but Norway remained the most appreciative of his efforts. He was given the War Cross with three swords, Norway’s highest military honour.
“if you are arrested you are no good. if you are shot and killed you are stupid”