Erik Gjems-Onstad

Who was Erik Gjems-Onstad?

Erik-Ørn Gjems-Onstad, MBE was a Norwegian resistance member, officer, lawyer, sports official, politician, author and anti-immigration activist. Gjems-Onstad joined the Norwegian resistance movement after Nazi Germany invaded Norway in 1940. He was arrested in Sweden for his involvement with Norwegian resistance activity in the country in 1941. He was sent to the United Kingdom later the same year, where he joined the Norwegian Independent Company 1 and received British military training. He was deployed to Norway in 1943 as part of Lark, with the mission of establishing radio connection with London and to operate the radio transmitter. He led Lark in Trøndelag between 1943 and 1945, which constituted the leadership of Milorg in the region. His other activities included to assist with weapons smuggling, prepare the sinking of the German battleship Tirpitz and plotting to assassinate Nazi collaborator Ivar Grande. He also founded the Durham organisation for conducting psychological warfare towards the end of the war, and he took part in blowing up railway tracks. Gjems-Onstad's efforts during the Second World War led him to become one of Norway's highest decorated war heroes.