Section 'D' & Norwegian SOE names circa 1940

I am currently looking into activities of the men listed below. I am particularly interested in their whereabouts during the invasion and up to the capitulation. Interestingly, few of the men have records at the national Archives. The names are associated with Section D - the organisation prior to SOE and Operation Barbara - Munthe and Rognes' project. Where known I have given date and place of birth.

The names are:
Arne Fredriksen - 18-4-1917 - Oslo
Osmark Froiland - 14-3-1922 - Skoger
Thorlief Andersen - 21-12-1917 - Sarpsborg
Armand Trønnes - 16-5-1921 - Sarpsborg
Holger Westin - 24-2-1918 - Engerdalen (Swedish?)
Frans Johan Hellstrøm - 12-12-1915 - Drevsjø
Gudmund Nygård - 5-12-1906 - Bergen
Henning Werner Olsen - 1-5-1913 - Bergen
Sverre Thorsen
Leif Olsen
? Storemark
Sigfried Pettersen
Karsten Wang
Karl Kronberg - died 26th June 1940 or 41 - believed to be Swedish
Simon Field Sinclair
Henry Walle
Olav Martin Leirvvaag
Otto Aksdal
Asbjorn or Ashbjorn Kristiansen
Rangvald Torgersen

*******************
Nygaard and Kronberg have SOE files which are open, but provide few if any clues.
Thorlief Andersen and Otto Aksdal's files are still closed.

If anyone has information on the above then I would be very pleased to hear from them

Mvh

Bob

Alas, I have nothing to contribute to Bob's researth. Instead I challenge all members of NUAV. Pleas give his request priority.

Please note that I have mis-spelt Simon Sinclair-Fjeld. I previously wrote Field using an 'i' instead of a 'j' - that's the trouble with reading English documents, the spelling gets changed somewhat.

Thanks to 'Alt For Norge' for the challenge

Bob

An update to one of the names:

I have been informed that Mr Storemok's christian name is Mons.

I am aware there is a strong connection between the names listed and the following characters:

Lt James Chaworth-Musters RNVR
Major Malcolm Munthe
Kaptein John Rognes

Karsten Wang, Simon Sinclair Fjeld died early on in 1941. Karl Kronberg took his own life in June 1940. If anyone has a picture of Kronberg then please feel free to contact me. It would be very much appreciated.

What appears to be unknown at present is the actions and locations of these men between April 9th & June 7th. Any informaton, no matter how small or seemingly irrelevant would be welcome.

Kind regards

Bob

A Norwegian friend has kindly passed on the following information that may help jog someone's memory about the men or the operations. Please find below an update:

Mons Storemark from Fedje was the captain of a little boat ( I belive the boat was the Bergen re-registered vessel, 'Hospiz') that brought a group of saboteurs to Bjølvefossen elektrokjemiske fabrikk in Ålvik. This was the first sabotage raid in Norway ( 16.06.40 ).

Karsten Wang- Was exectued by the Germans on the 22 of october 1941 after illegal activity in the Bergen area.

Armand Trønnes- Attended a raid against Arendal Smelteverk on the 21 of november 1943 together with Edvard Tallaksen and Birger Rasmussen. It was a sucess and Trønnes became a sabotage instructor shortly after.

If anyone can add to the above about the raid on the Ålvik power station or know more about the men involved then I would be very pleased to hear from them.

Thanks again to 'Alt For Norge' for the challenge and to those who have assisted to date.

Hilsen,

Bob

Hello Bob,
My name is Pär Westin and Holger Westin is my father. It is correct that he is Swedish, he became an Norwegian citizen to be able to participate in the Norwegien resitance. Unfortunally he died in 1991 so he's not around to tell the story.
I do have an old interview tape (VHS) from 1980 with my father and Hellström, who also is Swedish, telling about an operation, I believe it was Barbarossa.

I have never done any research on this subject but the reason I found this forum was that earlier today a person (total stranger) called me and said that he was doing research about his onkel, and came across my fathers name.
My teenage daughter then found this link, I do believe that he probably knows more so I e-mailed him this link also, maybe he'll contact you.

Pär Westin

Sorry, operation Barbara of course...

Pär Westin

Holger Westin arrived to the shetland island 1941 ( vessel unknown ) after doing reconnosaince for the Barbara
group. He did eight trips with the shetland bus and was formally registered with the Norwegian section of SOE ( Naval Unit ) 1944. When the Barbara group was arrested in Sweden after the mission ( which was partially abandoned ) Westin was not a member of the demolition party and seemed to have stayed in shetland to become a member of the shetland Bus, I think he sailed some of the trips with skipper Andreas Närö. In Stockholm city archive there is a case (secret case 1941:5 Millar case ) which describes the Barbara operation in detail, westin is only mentioned as provider of a cabin for training. In the swedish intelligence papers about the Munthe organisation the organisation chart has Westin. Probably he played a bigger role but for some reason slipped away.

p.s.
I think that Armand Trönnas soe file is interesting concerning these operations and connction with names in early soe or D section

Many thanks to Pär & Joakim for their most informative replies. I will be contacting you off-forum very shortly.

Thanks again,

Bob

Dear Paal & Joakim,

I have tried to make contact via the 'Private Message' system, but think my messages didn't get through.

Please could you contact me at:

bakerstreetrebel@yahoo.co.uk

I have some important information for you.

Mvh

Bob

Hi Pär, if you check out the following link you will find the story about the ship M/T South Africa, where it looks like you father worked as Ordinary Seaman.
http://www.warsailors.com/singleships/southafrica.html

Bob
Here you will at least find some background info...
M/B Traust to England
http://www.warsailors.com/shetlandbus/boatst.html

10. mai 1940
M/B Wailet (V2S), skippered by Mons Storemark arrived Shetland with 5 refugees and the British manager of the convoy office in Bergen.
http://shetlopedia.com/1940

M/B Wailet (V 2 S)
Left Fedje on May 9-1940 with 6 people, including the British manager of the convoy office in Bergen, for whom the voyage was organized.
Others on board were:
Skipper Mons Storemark, Kristian Røre, Ditlef Mongstad, Johannes Daae Riisnes, Kåre Hosteland.
http://www.warsailors.com/shetlandbus/boatsw.html

A Mons Storemark was mayor in Fedje from 01.07 - 31.12.1947.
http://www.fedje.kommune.no/artikkel.aspx?MId1=1&MId2=6&AId=131&Back=1

Many thanks 'Cutstone' for your reply - very helpful and very useful. It is much appreciated.

Kind regards,

Bob

Hello

As you may know, the Ragnar Ulstein books (3) about the Norwegian intelligence activity during WW2 came in new edition few weeks ago.

Maybe you'll find things of interrest there?


Lars G,
Tyholt

Hei Lars

Mange takk for informasjon. Jeg vil skaffe boken.

Takk igjen

Bob

Hi ! Anyone who has a picture of Armand Trønnes?

http://www.aaks.no/Eydehavnsiten/sabotasje/tronnes1.JPG Not the best pictures of him, though. I have one in a book ("Oslogjengen") where he is younger and more visible. If you like, I can scan it in for you.

Henning Werner Olsen born 1.5.1913. Arrested 26.9.1941 near Rekkøy in Flatanger, North-Trøndelag, Mid-Norway, as one of the crew of VITA, skipper Ingvald "Old Joe" Johansen. Prisoner Vollan, Falstad, Grini, Sachsenhausen. A Henning Olsen is mentioned as one of the men in operation BARBARA, but it´s not verified if this is Henning Werner Olsen. Litterature: Howarth, David. 1952. Nordsjøbussen. Cappelen. / Ottosen, Kristian (red.). 2004. Nordmenn i fangenskap 1940-1945. Universitetsforlaget. 2nd edition. / Johansson, Anders. 2011. De glemte agentene. Pax.

One more Norwegian.
Helmer Bonnevier.
But he was more connected to Section D in Sweden and the group of Alan Rickman, who planned to blow up cranes loading iron ore in Oxeloesund.

Hi All
I am looking for new infomation about Per Ratvik and anyone who has an interest in his work during WWII.
Paul W

Surprisingly I found some exciting information in a anonymous file I copied at Kew last time Bob. The padre Leirvaag was quite a cool dude, who loved explosives. Check mail!

Hi Cutstone,

many thanks - will check mail. Good news for you as well on ACOS

Mvh

Bob