Gunvald Tomstad
Encyclopedia
Gunvald Jørg Tomstad was a Norwegian resistance
member during World War II
. From 1941 to 1943 he was a double agent
and radio operator in the Flekkefjord
area.
He was born in Nes, Vest-Agder
as a son of a farmer. His father died 1918, so Tomstad was raised by his maternal grandfather. In addition to working as a farmer, he was a typographer in the newspaper Agder, but the newspaper was closed due to the Nazi German takeover of Norway
. He soon became the operator of an illegal radio, brought to his farm by Norwegian Independent Company 1
member Odd Starheim
. The radio served to contact exiled Norwegians in the United Kingdom
. The operation was named Cheese
, and was organized by the Special Operations Executive
. His personal codename was Tom.
When the Nazi authorities confiscated all radios in 1941, Tomstad started distributing the illegal newspaper Kongsposten. However, he had joined the Fascist party Nasjonal Samling (NS) and the Hird as a double agent earlier that year, and since NS members were allowed to own a radio, he circumvented the confiscation. For two years he supplied the officers in the United Kingdom with intelligence about German warship movements, troop movements, supply lines and military construction projects. He had several helpers, including the dairy worker Sofie Rørvik (1920–2002), whom he married in September 1945. The actual operation of the radio was conducted by Andreas Lone. As an NS member, Tomstad actually rose to become a leading party member and ideologist in the Flekkefjord district—until being discovered in 1943.Quote: In English: "The resistance man Tomstad eventually became a leading NS man and prominent Nazi ideologist within the party in the Flekkefjord district". Cited from Norsk biografisk leksikon
. With the NS he was actually responsible for helping the Germans to find illegal radio sets, but instead was able to protect those operating the sets. After a party of 40 men was landed in South Norway to attack shipping, the lengths to which he had to go to try to protect the men eventually meant he was discovered; he fled to the United Kingdom via Sweden. He underwent further training in the United Kingdom with the intention that he should return to Norway, but as a result of the stress he had been under as a double agent, his health was not good enough.
He was decorated for his resistance efforts, and received a certificate of commendation from the British, but reportedly buried his medals in his garden after the war. He was weary of war and agentry in general, and bitter due to the loss of several friends. In addition, most of the local populace had been unaware of his resistance role and it was thus socially and emotionally fatiguing to act like a Nazi. During the war he had also inflicted a motorcycling injury upon himself to avoid being sent to the Eastern Front
. He died in 1970, before his 52nd birthday. His experiences were made into a book by Per Hansson
, named Det største spillet ('The Greatest Gamble'), and later a film
of the same name. A bust
of Tomstad was raised in Flekkefjord.
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...
. From 1941 to 1943 he was a double agent
Double agent
A double agent, commonly abbreviated referral of double secret agent, is a counterintelligence term used to designate an employee of a secret service or organization, whose primary aim is to spy on the target organization, but who in fact is a member of that same target organization oneself. They...
and radio operator in the Flekkefjord
Flekkefjord
is a town and municipality in the county of Vest-Agder, Norway.The town of Flekkefjord was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . The rural municipalities of Bakke, Gyland, Hidra, and Nes were merged with Flekkefjord on 1 January 1965.Flekkefjord is the westernmost town of the...
area.
He was born in Nes, Vest-Agder
Nes, Vest-Agder
Nes is a former municipality in Vest-Agder county in Norway. It is located in the southwestern part of the present-day municipality of Flekkefjord.-Name:...
as a son of a farmer. His father died 1918, so Tomstad was raised by his maternal grandfather. In addition to working as a farmer, he was a typographer in the newspaper Agder, but the newspaper was closed due to the Nazi German takeover of Norway
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...
. He soon became the operator of an illegal radio, brought to his farm by 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...
member Odd Starheim
Odd Starheim
Odd Kjell Starheim, DSO was a Norwegian resistance fighter and SOE agent during the Second World War. He died when a Norwegian ship he had captured off the coast of Norway was sunk by German bombers on its way back to the United Kingdom.-Early life:Born in Lista, Vest-Agder, Odd Starheim was the...
. The radio served to contact exiled Norwegians in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The operation was named Cheese
Operation Cheese
Operation Cheese was an intelligence operation carried out by Special Operations Executive in Norway during World War II. Key persons were Odd Starheim and Gunvald Tomstad, who established radio communications with UK and developed an intelligence network in Southern Norway. The radio station was...
, and was organized by the Special Operations Executive
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
. His personal codename was Tom.
When the Nazi authorities confiscated all radios in 1941, Tomstad started distributing the illegal newspaper Kongsposten. However, he had joined the Fascist party Nasjonal Samling (NS) and the Hird as a double agent earlier that year, and since NS members were allowed to own a radio, he circumvented the confiscation. For two years he supplied the officers in the United Kingdom with intelligence about German warship movements, troop movements, supply lines and military construction projects. He had several helpers, including the dairy worker Sofie Rørvik (1920–2002), whom he married in September 1945. The actual operation of the radio was conducted by Andreas Lone. As an NS member, Tomstad actually rose to become a leading party member and ideologist in the Flekkefjord district—until being discovered in 1943.Quote: In English: "The resistance man Tomstad eventually became a leading NS man and prominent Nazi ideologist within the party in the Flekkefjord district". Cited from Norsk biografisk leksikon
Norsk biografisk leksikon
Norsk biografisk leksikon is the largest Norwegian biographical encyclopedia.The first edition was issued between 1921 and 1983, including 19 volumes and 5,100 articles...
. With the NS he was actually responsible for helping the Germans to find illegal radio sets, but instead was able to protect those operating the sets. After a party of 40 men was landed in South Norway to attack shipping, the lengths to which he had to go to try to protect the men eventually meant he was discovered; he fled to the United Kingdom via Sweden. He underwent further training in the United Kingdom with the intention that he should return to Norway, but as a result of the stress he had been under as a double agent, his health was not good enough.
He was decorated for his resistance efforts, and received a certificate of commendation from the British, but reportedly buried his medals in his garden after the war. He was weary of war and agentry in general, and bitter due to the loss of several friends. In addition, most of the local populace had been unaware of his resistance role and it was thus socially and emotionally fatiguing to act like a Nazi. During the war he had also inflicted a motorcycling injury upon himself to avoid being sent to the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
. He died in 1970, before his 52nd birthday. His experiences were made into a book by Per Hansson
Per Hansson (journalist)
Per Hansson was a Norwegian journalist.He was born in Kragerø. He was the editor-in-chief of the newspapers Sør-Trøndelag from 1949 to 1954 and Akershus Folkeblad from 1954 to 1958. In 1958 he was hired as a journalist in Dagbladet, where he stayed until 1970...
, named Det største spillet ('The Greatest Gamble'), and later a film
Det største spillet
Det største spillet is a 1968 Norwegian war drama directed by Knut Bohwim, starring Gard Øyen, Carl Henrik Størmer and Sverre Anker Ousdal. The film tells the story about Norwegian resistance member Gunvald Tomstad, and his experience as a double agent during World War II....
of the same name. A bust
Bust (sculpture)
A bust is a sculpted or cast representation of the upper part of the human figure, depicting a person's head and neck, as well as a variable portion of the chest and shoulders. The piece is normally supported by a plinth. These forms recreate the likeness of an individual...
of Tomstad was raised in Flekkefjord.