Erik Welle-Strand
Encyclopedia
Erik A. L. Welle-Strand was a Norwegian mining engineer and resistance
member during World War II
. He is best known as leader of the illegal radio post Skylark B
.
. He was a brother of Erling Welle-Strand
. In his teenages he was active in the theatre Den Nationale Scene
, before carrying through his compulsory military service from 1935. He also worked briefly as a coal miner for Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani
, before enrolling at the Norwegian Institute of Technology
in 1936.
to guard the Norwegian neutrality
in World War II
. However, on 9 April Nazi Germany
invaded Norway
. Welle-Strand became involved in the subsequent fighting
, first at the anti-air battery, later during a retreat to the mountains of Hardanger
. The Norwegian troops went to Voss
and Leikanger
; Welle-Strand then parted ways with them and fled via Finland
and Finnmark
to Tromsø
. He fled from there to England with the abandoned naval
ship Heilhorn.
In September 1940 the Secret Intelligence Service
established two stations for radio communication; the so-called Skylark A was led by Sverre Midtskau
in Oslo
while Skylark B
was to be led by Erik Welle-Strand in Trondheim
. He travelled the Norwegian Sea
with the cutter Nordlys, landed in Florø
together with Sverre Midtskau, Sverre Haug
and Finn Juell and continued to Trondheim with Juell. In this city he had attended the Institute of Technology. Skylark B was operated by students of the institute, and after technical difficulties in the initial phase, they established regular contact with the intelligence in London
in January 1941. Professor of chemistry at the Institute of Technology, Leif Tronstad
, was also affiliated with the group.
Among others, the group helped spread vital information about German
activity at Vemork
heavy water
plant. Messages about German troop and naval movements were also sent via Skylark. Welle-Strand was ordered to leave Norway for London in May 1941, and Egil Reksten
took over as leader of Skylark B. In September the same year, however, Gestapo
managed to track the Skylark B transmitting activity. Egil Reksten and others were arrested and shipped to Nacht und Nebel
camps. Reksten survived—barely, while seven of his ten inmates associated with Skylark B died. Welle-Strand continued his resistance while based in the United Kingdom, and participated in raids towards the coast of Western Norway. He quit the military after the war's end in 1945, having gone from Second Lieutenant to Captain in rank in those four years. He was decorated with the St. Olav's Medal With Oak Branch
, the Haakon VII 70th Anniversary Medal and the Defence Medal 1940 – 1945
.
in 1951, but later returned to Norway and Argo. Welle-Strand was married and had four children. He lived in Oslo in his later life, and died in July 2001 at Aker Hospital.
Norwegian resistance movement
The Norwegian resistance to the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany began after Operation Weserübung in 1940 and ended in 1945. It took several forms:...
member during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He is best known as leader of the illegal radio post Skylark B
Skylark B
Skylark B was a radio communications group that operated in Trondheim during the German occupation of Norway. The group was established and led by Erik Welle-Strand, who was a student in Trondheim. Preparations were done in 1940, when a transmitter was brought in from the United Kingdom, and the...
.
Early life
He was born in June 1915 in BergenBergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
. He was a brother of Erling Welle-Strand
Erling Welle-Strand
Erling Welle-Strand is a Norwegian writer and resistance member.-Early life:He was born in Bergen as a son of novelist and journalist Edvard Welle-Strand and teacher Elsa Kielland, née Lindhé . Erling's father was a sub-editor in a local newspaper, Bergens Aftenblad, and was also known to some as...
. In his teenages he was active in the theatre Den Nationale Scene
Den Nationale Scene
Den Nationale Scene is the largest theatre in Bergen, Norway. Den Nationale Scene is also one of the oldest permanent theatre in Norway.-History:...
, before carrying through his compulsory military service from 1935. He also worked briefly as a coal miner for Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani
Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani
Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani , or simply Store Norske, is a Norwegian coal mining company based on the Svalbard archipelago. It was formed in 1916, after a Norwegian purchase of the American Arctic Coal Company ....
, before enrolling at the Norwegian Institute of Technology
Norwegian Institute of Technology
The Norwegian Institute of Technology, known by its Norwegian abbrevation NTH was a science institute in Trondheim, Norway. It was established in 1910, and existed as an independent technical university for 85 years, after which it was merged into the University of Trondheim as an independent...
in 1936.
World War II
He returned to Bergen in January 1940, stationed at an anti-air batteryAnti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
to guard the Norwegian neutrality
Neutrality (international relations)
A neutral power in a particular war is a sovereign state which declares itself to be neutral towards the belligerents. A non-belligerent state does not need to be neutral. The rights and duties of a neutral power are defined in Sections 5 and 13 of the Hague Convention of 1907...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. However, on 9 April Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
invaded Norway
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
. Welle-Strand became involved in the subsequent fighting
Norwegian Campaign
The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force...
, first at the anti-air battery, later during a retreat to the mountains of Hardanger
Hardanger
Hardanger is a traditional district in the western part of Norway, dominated by the Hardangerfjord. It consists of the municipalities of Odda, Ullensvang, Eidfjord, Ulvik, Granvin, Kvam and Jondal, and is located inside the county of Hordaland....
. The Norwegian troops went to Voss
Voss
is a municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Voss. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Vossevangen....
and Leikanger
Leikanger
is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sogn. The administrative center is the village of Leikanger, which is also the administrative center of Sogn og Fjordane county....
; Welle-Strand then parted ways with them and fled via Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and Finnmark
Finnmark
or Finnmárku is a county in the extreme northeast of Norway. By land it borders Troms county to the west, Finland to the south and Russia to the east, and by water, the Norwegian Sea to the northwest, and the Barents Sea to the north and northeast.The county was formerly known as Finmarkens...
to Tromsø
Tromsø
Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...
. He fled from there to England with the abandoned naval
Royal Norwegian Navy
The Royal Norwegian Navy is the branch of the Norwegian Defence Force responsible for naval operations. , the RNoN consists of approximately 3,700 personnel and 70 vessels, including 5 heavy frigates, 6 submarines, 14 patrol boats, 4 minesweepers, 4 minehunters, 1 mine detection vessel, 4 support...
ship Heilhorn.
In September 1940 the Secret Intelligence Service
Secret Intelligence Service
The Secret Intelligence Service is responsible for supplying the British Government with foreign intelligence. Alongside the internal Security Service , the Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence Intelligence , it operates under the formal direction of the Joint Intelligence...
established two stations for radio communication; the so-called Skylark A was led by Sverre Midtskau
Sverre Midtskau
Sverre Midtskau was a Norwegian resistance member during World War II. He is best known as leader of the illegal radio post Skylark A.-World War II:...
in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
while Skylark B
Skylark B
Skylark B was a radio communications group that operated in Trondheim during the German occupation of Norway. The group was established and led by Erik Welle-Strand, who was a student in Trondheim. Preparations were done in 1940, when a transmitter was brought in from the United Kingdom, and the...
was to be led by Erik Welle-Strand in Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
. He travelled the Norwegian Sea
Norwegian Sea
The Norwegian Sea is a marginal sea in the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of Norway. It is located between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea and adjoins the North Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Barents Sea to the northeast. In the southwest, it is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a...
with the cutter Nordlys, landed in Florø
Florø
is a town and the administrative centre of Flora municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is also a former municipality that existed for just over 100 years. The town was founded on the Florelandet island between the Botnafjorden and Solheimsfjorden by royal decree in 1860. In...
together with Sverre Midtskau, Sverre Haug
Sverre Haug
Sverre Haug was a Norwegian resistance member and pilot who died during World War II.He was born in Stokke in 1907. He was married and had one child, and had taken radio and telegraph education...
and Finn Juell and continued to Trondheim with Juell. In this city he had attended the Institute of Technology. Skylark B was operated by students of the institute, and after technical difficulties in the initial phase, they established regular contact with the intelligence in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in January 1941. Professor of chemistry at the Institute of Technology, Leif Tronstad
Leif Tronstad
Leif Hans Larsen Tronstad DSO, OBE was a Norwegian scientist, intelligence officer and military organizer. He graduated from the Norwegian Institute of Technology in 1927 and was a prolific researcher and writer of academic publications...
, was also affiliated with the group.
Among others, the group helped spread vital information about German
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
activity at Vemork
Vemork
Vemork is the name of a hydroelectric power plant outside Rjukan in Tinn, Norway. The plant was built by Norsk Hydro and opened in 1911, its main purpose being to fix nitrogen for the production of fertilizer. Vemork was later the site of the first plant in the world to mass-produce heavy water...
heavy water
Heavy water
Heavy water is water highly enriched in the hydrogen isotope deuterium; e.g., heavy water used in CANDU reactors is 99.75% enriched by hydrogen atom-fraction...
plant. Messages about German troop and naval movements were also sent via Skylark. Welle-Strand was ordered to leave Norway for London in May 1941, and Egil Reksten
Egil Reksten
Egil Reksten was a Norwegian engineer and resistance member during World War II. He is best known as leader of the illegal radio post Skylark B.-World War II:...
took over as leader of Skylark B. In September the same year, however, Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
managed to track the Skylark B transmitting activity. Egil Reksten and others were arrested and shipped to Nacht und Nebel
Nacht und Nebel
Nacht und Nebel was a directive of Adolf Hitler on 7 December 1941 signed and implemented by Armed Forces High Command Chief Wilhelm Keitel, resulting in the kidnapping and forced disappearance of many political activists and resistance 'helpers' throughout Nazi Germany's occupied...
camps. Reksten survived—barely, while seven of his ten inmates associated with Skylark B died. Welle-Strand continued his resistance while based in the United Kingdom, and participated in raids towards the coast of Western Norway. He quit the military after the war's end in 1945, having gone from Second Lieutenant to Captain in rank in those four years. He was decorated with the St. Olav's Medal With Oak Branch
St. Olav's Medal With Oak Branch
St. Olav's Medal with Oak Branch is a Norwegian military award, which was instituted by King Haakon VII of Norway on 6 February 1942. In Norway, the medal is considered as a separate award from the civilian St...
, the Haakon VII 70th Anniversary Medal and the Defence Medal 1940 – 1945
Defence Medal 1940 – 1945
The Defence Medal 1940 – 1945 is the award rewarded to those military and civilian personnel who participated in the fight against the German invasion and occupation of Norway between 1940 and 1945....
.
Post-war life
After the war Welle-Strand started his own engineering company, Argo, together with Reksten and other friends. He founded his own company in CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1951, but later returned to Norway and Argo. Welle-Strand was married and had four children. He lived in Oslo in his later life, and died in July 2001 at Aker Hospital.