Erling Welle-Strand
Encyclopedia
Erling Welle-Strand is a Norwegian
writer and resistance
member.
as a son of novelist and journalist Edvard Welle-Strand
(1884–1964) and teacher Elsa Kielland, née Lindhé (1888–1979). Erling's father was a sub-editor in a local newspaper, Bergens Aftenblad
, and was also known to some as an anti-Semitic writer. Himself, Erling Welle-Strand belonged to the "radical wing of the Labour Party
" before World War II. He grew up in Bergen and finished
his secondary education at Bergen Cathedral School in 1935. He worked briefly as a press secretary for the theatre Den Nationale Scene
before studying at the University of Oslo
.
by Nazi Germany, and his studies were interrupted; instead he fought in Valdres
in the Norwegian Campaign
. He participated in a Norwegian victory at Bagn
, but Norway lost in the end and was and occupied
. Welle-Strand fled the country for Shetland in 1941, together with Reidar Kvinge and Per Hysing-Dahl
. He worked as a journalist for the Norwegian government-in-exile for eight months before attending military college. He graduated from military college in 1943, then spent some time in a Officer Cadet Training Unit before serving on a Norwegian
Motor Torpedo Boat
(MTB). He was then enrolled into the Norwegian Independent Company 1
, and on 31 December 1944 he was parachuted over Hadeland
såsen to work as an agent in his home country. He established an anti-sabotage training school at nearby Svartåsseter. His main task was to secure important facilities, hereunder electricity and telecommunications, in case the Germans lost the war and would withdraw using a scorched earth
tactic. The operation was called the "Foscot plan", and Welle-Strand cooperated with Milorg
's District 13. His nom de guerre was "David".
He was decorated with the Defence Medal 1940–1945, the War Medal and the Haakon VII 70th Anniversary Medal. His brother Erik Welle-Strand
was a resistance member too.
, in the organization Norway Travel Association . He headed their office in Stockholm
from 1946 to 1950 and the office in Oslo from 1950 to 1955. From 1955 he worked as a freelance writer, but still in the field of tourism and travelling. He issued books about travelling with Hurtigruten
in 1953 and 1966, and several books about domestic tourism. The book Reiseliv og samfunn was written for the 75th anniversary of the Norway Travel Association in 1978. Between 1964 and 1979 he edited six editions of the road map issued by the Norwegian Automobile Federation, NAFs veibok. In his later career he began writing books about the Second World War. Three collections of war stories came in 1989, 1990 and 1991. In 2000 he released Vi vil verne vårt land. Antisabotasje i Norge 1944–1945.
Welle-Strand was married twice. His daughter Ragni (b.1946) was married to famous writer Edvard Hoem
from 1982 to 1995.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
writer and resistance
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.
Early life
He was born 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 , ....
as a son of novelist and journalist Edvard Welle-Strand
Edvard Welle-Strand
Edvard Welle-Strand was a Norwegian journalist and novelist.-Career:Edvard Welle-Strand was born in Vesterålen, Norway. Welle-Strand wrote newspaper articles from his district in 1900, sending them to the newspaper Nidaros in Trondhjem. In 1905, he was hired by Nidaros. He later studied journalism...
(1884–1964) and teacher Elsa Kielland, née Lindhé (1888–1979). Erling's father was a sub-editor in a local newspaper, Bergens Aftenblad
Bergens Aftenblad
Bergens Aftenblad was a Norwegian daily newspaper, published in Bergen, Norway from 1880 to 1942. It supported the Conservative Party.The paper was started in 1880, and absorbed the long-running Bergens Adressecontoirs Efterretninger in 1889....
, and was also known to some as an anti-Semitic writer. Himself, Erling Welle-Strand belonged to the "radical wing of the Labour Party
Norwegian Labour Party
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....
" before World War II. He grew up in Bergen and finished
Examen artium
Examen artium was the name of the academic certification conferred in Denmark and Norway, qualifying the student for admission to university studies. Examen artium was originally introduced as the entrance exam of the University of Copenhagen in 1630...
his secondary education at Bergen Cathedral School in 1935. He worked briefly as a press secretary for 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 studying at the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
.
World War II
In 1940 Norway was invadedOperation 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...
by Nazi Germany, and his studies were interrupted; instead he fought in Valdres
Valdres
Valdres is a traditional district in central, southern Norway, situated between Gudbrandsdal and Hallingdal.Administratively, Valdres belongs to Oppland. It consists of the municipalities Nord-Aurdal, Sør-Aurdal, Øystre Slidre, Vestre Slidre, Vang and Etnedal. The main town in the region is...
in the Norwegian Campaign
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...
. He participated in a Norwegian victory at Bagn
Bagn
Bagn is the administrative centre of Sør-Aurdal municipality, Norway. Its population is 607.Attractions include the Valdrestunet mall as well as Bagn Bygdesamling....
, but Norway lost in the end and was and occupied
Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
. Welle-Strand fled the country for Shetland in 1941, together with Reidar Kvinge and Per Hysing-Dahl
Per Hysing-Dahl
Per Hysing-Dahl was a Norwegian resistance member, pilot, industry manager and politician for the Conservative Party....
. He worked as a journalist for the Norwegian government-in-exile for eight months before attending military college. He graduated from military college in 1943, then spent some time in a Officer Cadet Training Unit before serving on a Norwegian
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...
Motor Torpedo Boat
Motor Torpedo Boat
Motor Torpedo Boat was the name given to fast torpedo boats by the Royal Navy, and the Royal Canadian Navy.The capitalised term is generally used for the Royal Navy boats and abbreviated to "MTB"...
(MTB). He was then enrolled into the Norwegian Independent Company 1
Norwegian Independent Company 1
Norwegian Independent Company 1 was a British SOE group formed in March 1941 originally for the purpose of performing commando raids during the Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany. It was organized under the leadership of Captain Martin Linge...
, and on 31 December 1944 he was parachuted over Hadeland
Hadeland
Hadeland is a traditional district in the south-eastern part of Norway. It is located around the southern part of lake Randsfjorden in Oppland county, and consists of the municipalities of Gran, Jevnaker and Lunner. Hadeland occupies the area north of the hills of Nordmarka close to the Norwegian...
såsen to work as an agent in his home country. He established an anti-sabotage training school at nearby Svartåsseter. His main task was to secure important facilities, hereunder electricity and telecommunications, in case the Germans lost the war and would withdraw using a scorched earth
Scorched earth
A scorched earth policy is a military strategy or operational method which involves destroying anything that might be useful to the enemy while advancing through or withdrawing from an area...
tactic. The operation was called the "Foscot plan", and Welle-Strand cooperated with Milorg
Milorg
Milorg was the main Norwegian resistance movement in World War II....
's District 13. His nom de guerre was "David".
He was decorated with the Defence Medal 1940–1945, the War Medal and the Haakon VII 70th Anniversary Medal. His brother Erik Welle-Strand
Erik Welle-Strand
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.-Early life:...
was a resistance member too.
Post-war life
After the war he resumed his studies, and graduated with a cand.philol. degree in history in 1945. He took up a career in the travel industryTourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, in the organization Norway Travel Association . He headed their office in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
from 1946 to 1950 and the office in Oslo from 1950 to 1955. From 1955 he worked as a freelance writer, but still in the field of tourism and travelling. He issued books about travelling with Hurtigruten
Hurtigruten
Hurtigruten or Hurtigruta is a Norwegian passenger and freight line with daily sailings along Norway's western and northern coast. Sometimes referred to in English as Norwegian Coastal Express, Hurtigruten ships sail almost the entire length of the country, completing the roundtrip journey in 11...
in 1953 and 1966, and several books about domestic tourism. The book Reiseliv og samfunn was written for the 75th anniversary of the Norway Travel Association in 1978. Between 1964 and 1979 he edited six editions of the road map issued by the Norwegian Automobile Federation, NAFs veibok. In his later career he began writing books about the Second World War. Three collections of war stories came in 1989, 1990 and 1991. In 2000 he released Vi vil verne vårt land. Antisabotasje i Norge 1944–1945.
Welle-Strand was married twice. His daughter Ragni (b.1946) was married to famous writer Edvard Hoem
Edvard Hoem
Edvard Hoem is a Norwegian novelist, dramatist, lyricist and psalmist. He made his literary debut in 1969, with the poetry collection Som grønne musikantar. He was awarded the Norwegian Critics Prize for Literature in 1974 for the novel Kjærleikens ferjereiser...
from 1982 to 1995.