Leif Tronstad
Encyclopedia
Leif Hans Larsen Tronstad DSO
, OBE
(27 March 1903 – 11 March 1945) 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. A professor of chemistry
at the Norwegian Institute of Technology
from 1936, he was also among the pioneers of heavy water
research, and was instrumental when a heavy water plant was built at Vemork
.
During World War II
Norway was invaded by Germany and Tronstad conducted domestic resistance for one year before fleeing the country for England. Here, he gathered valuable intelligence from Norwegian sources, both on the development of the V-2 rocket and the growing German interest in heavy water. In 1943 Tronstad planned Operation Gunnerside, in which the German access to heavy water processing at Vemork was severely impeded. His information about the V-2 rocket contributed to the massive Allied bombing
of Peenemünde
.
For a long time Tronstad had wanted to return to Norway to organize resistance work, however he was prevented by the Norwegian military authorities in Britain. In 1944, however, he did travel to Norway, to organize Operation Sunshine, for the defence of Norwegian infrastructure. After five months in the country, he was murdered by Norwegian traitors.
; the son of Hans Larsen and Josefine Amalie Tronstad, Hans died three months before Leif was born. Leif thus grew up in Sandvika
with his mother and four siblings. He graduated from middle school in 1918, with top grades in mathematics. He then embarked on thirty months of professional practice in two local electricity companies, which was a requirement to enrol at Kristiania Technical School, a predecessor of the Faculty of Engineering at Oslo University College
. When he enroled in 1920 he chose technical chemistry instead of electronic engineering
. He graduated in 1922, the best chemistry student; a fellow student recalled that he "did not have to read anything more than once" in order to remember it. In the spring of 1923, he also took the examen artium
as an external candidate at Frogner
school. He was ready to enrol at the Norwegian Institute of Technology
, but waited one year, possibly wanting to strengthen his personal finances. In the meantime, he started on his compulsory military service.
He was an accomplished athlete and helped his hometown club Grane SK
to two Norwegian 4 x 1500 metres relay
records. The records were set in 1921 and 1923, but broken by the team IL i BUL
in 1926. His brother John, a bronze medalist in 1500 metres
at the 1917 Norwegian championships, was on the relay team as well. Both brothers used their father's name Larsen at the time; Leif took up his mother's name Tronstad later.
In 1924 Tronstad moved to Trondheim
to study at the Norwegian Institute of Technology
, graduating in 1927. His graduation paper was deemed exceptional and as such was reported to King Haakon of Norway
. Regarded as a fully-fledged academic work, it was published scientifically in 1928. Tronstad had taken various stray jobs while studying, and also finished his military service, reaching the rank of Second Lieutenant
in the Norwegian Army Corps of Weaponry in 1927. From 1927 to 1928 Tronstad worked briefly as an assistant at the Norwegian Institute of Technology as well as in a private company in Kristiansand
. In 1928 he returned to the Norwegian Institute of Technology as a research fellow
. In the same year, Tronstad married Edla Obel, who was nine years his junior, in Trondheim. The couple had two children.
in Dahlem, Berlin
. He studied the passivity
of metal surfaces, and made a breakthrough when he managed to measure extremely thin oxide
surface coatings, thus solving a problem dating from the time of Michael Faraday
. He continued to Stockholm to study metallography
under Carl Benedicks, and to elaborate further on his results from Berlin. The work was completed in 1931 and his thesis, spanning 250 pages, was published in German as Optische Untersuchungen zur Frage der Passivität des Eisens und Stahls. For it, he received the doctorate degree. He was hired at the Norwegian Institute of Technology as a lecturer in the summer of 1931, although he spent the first year at the University of Cambridge
, conducting further research with a scholarship from a memorial fund of Christian Michelsen
. The research at Cambridge was a continuation of his thesis work, but this time he tested his method on mercury
.
Following the death in 1934 of a professor of technical inorganic chemistry
at the Norwegian Institute of Technology, Tronstad was appointed his successor on 17 April 1936, effective from 1 May. At the time, he was one of the youngest professors in Norway. He was a member of the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters
, and in early 1940 he became vice president of the Norwegian Chemical Society
. During his short scientific career, Tronstad penned about eighty scientific publications, including fourteen on heavy water
-related topics.
The properties of heavy water had been discovered in 1932 by Harold Urey
. In 1933, Leif Tronstad and Jomar Brun, the head of Norsk Hydro Rjukan
, created a plan for industrial production of heavy water in Norway. As Norsk Hydro
were already producing ammonia
for nitrogen fertilizer, Tronstad and Brun had realized that large amounts of electrolyzed water were available. Tronstad was paid by Norsk Hydro as a consultant. Already in 1934, Norsk Hydro had opened a plant near the power station at Vemork
. This was the world's first plant for industrial mass production of heavy water. Both French and German scientists expressed interest in the project.
in the face of a military peril. When Germany invaded Norway
on 9 April 1940, he first informed his students of the situation, and then drove towards Oslo. He brought his wife and children with him, but having no intention of taking them to a possible theatre of war, he left them in the Drivdalen
valley. He continued alone but shortly after, upon learning that Oslo was the first city to fall to the invaders, he stopped at Dovre
. The family had a cabin in the vicinity. Here, he helped organize volunteers from local rifle associations to form a line of defence meant to repel any advancing German forces. German
Fallschirmjäger
did land at nearby Dombås
, but were surprised by a contingent of regular Norwegian forces
already in the area, who ensured a tactical victory for Norway in the ensuing Battle of Dombås
.
ended and the German occupation of Norway
was a reality, Tronstad became involved in resistance
work, largely based around the Norwegian Institute of Technology. He was associated with the radio agent group Skylark B
, which had regular contact with London from January 1941. Among other things, he sent reports on the interest shown by German authorities in the heavy water plant at Vemork. One source of this information was Tronstad's old companion, Jomar Brun, still in charge of the plant, who also helped people to flee the country by sea, via the Møre
coast. After revelation of the group in September 1941, Tronstad himself had to flee the country. Another resistance member, who had already been jailed, managed to warn Tronstad, who travelled from Trondheim to Oslo by train. The following day, the Gestapo
visited his house to arrest him. After a few days in hiding, Tronstad was driven by car to Østfold
, and then travelled on foot to Töcksfors
via Ørje
. From there he continued by plane to England, rejecting an offer of a civilian job in Sweden.
He reached England in October 1941. He already had a broad network of contacts there, stemming both from his academic career as well as from his radio operations. He also maintained several contacts abroad, including scientists whom he knew from the Norwegian Institute of Technology: Harald Wergeland
and Njål Hole. The opportunity to work directly for the British was presented to Tronstad, but instead he chose to aim his efforts towards disrupting the German occupation of Norway and improving the Norwegian resistance work. He even wanted to enrol in active duty, but was stopped by the Norwegian military command, who considered him "too valuable" for the war theatre. Tronstad's foremost skill was that of organization, which he owed to his experience in science. Thus, Tronstad became a part of the staff of the Ministry of Defence
, and later of the Norwegian High Command
. From 1943, he headed a section in department 4 (FO IV). This had been established in December 1942 under the leadership of Colonel Bjarne Øen
, and Tronstad was brought in as a reinforcement as the work burden increased. Also, he had recently been promoted from Captain to Major
. Tronstad's section was responsible for the special operation towards industry and shipping; training of the Norwegian Independent Company 1
(Kompani Linge); technical advice on sabotage, and towards the end of the war also the protection of Norwegian industry. He established the Norwegian High Command Technical Committee, which included other Norwegian scientists-in-exile such as Svein Rosseland
, Helmer Dahl
and Gunnar Randers
. The Technical Committee is considered as the precursor to the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment
, established in 1946.
, especially after Harold Urey visited the United Kingdom in November 1941. Tronstad later learned from Jomar Brun that further expansion of heavy water production was being discussed. Brun had been a part of a small conference on the issue, hosted by Kurt Diebner
in Berlin, in January 1942. Brun would later communicate with England through Einar Skinnarland
, a covert Special Operations Executive
agent hailing from Rjukan. In October 1942, Brun was summoned to England, reportedly at the request of Winston Churchill
. Instead, a team of agents were parachuted into the area to gather more intelligence, under the codename Operation Grouse.
The idea of subjecting the heavy water facility at Vemork to heavy air bombing surfaced, but Tronstad was a staunch opponent of such an idea, which he saw as too hazardous. He warned of the presence of civil housing, and argued that bombing was not even guaranteed to succeed, given that the heavy water facility was located in the armored basement of the electrolyzing plant. The first attempt to take out the facility, in November 1942, had consisted of British personnel
using gliders
to land near Vemork. The operation, codenamed Freshman
, was a catastrophe, as all units except for one towing aircraft perished, either due to crash landings or in German captivity.
Tronstad then organized the next attempt. He had wanted to take an active part in the sabotage mission, but again he was stopped by his commanders, who regarded him as inexpendable. Tronstad and Brun supplied the would-be saboteurs with extensive knowledge of the facility, and organized the training. The operation, codenamed Gunnerside and led by Joachim Rønneberg
, was carried out successfully between 27 and 28 February 1943. However, after three months, Germany managed to resume production. Against the will of Tronstad, in July 1943, an American-led squadron of 161 aircraft bombed Vemork as well as the shipment yard at Herøya
. The two bombings claimed the lives of 76 people, many of whom were civilian. The heavy water plant was not directly affected by the bombing, nevertheless production was halted due to a damaged generator. The Germans then tried to disassemble the production facility, followed by a retreat from Vemork with the remaining stock of heavy water. This resulted in the sinking of SF Hydro
by Norwegian saboteurs, halting the heavy water transport, but again claiming many civilian lives. Tronstad had given his consent to the latter operation, reportedly with a "heavy heart".
Concealed listening posts at Rjukan and Notodden also revealed high-level German discussions of long-range weaponry. The place name Peenemünde
was frequently mentioned. As this intelligence reaching Tronstad's ear via his contacts in Norway, he forwarded it to the British. As a result, Allied squadrons led by the Royal Air Force
bombed
the Army Research Center of Peenemünde. The bombing halted the weapons program there, which centered around development of the V-1 flying bomb
and the V-2 rocket. Fellow scientists Rideal and Evans later wrote that Tronstad "contributed directly to the speedy victory of the Allied Nations, besides saving the region which came to be known as 'Southern England
' from an even longer and more severe ordeal than it actually endured".
tactic as they retreated. Consequently, Tronstad started to plan how to organize a defence of industrial sites in Southern Norway. The first plan pertained to Øvre Telemark, and was codenamed Operation Sunshine. Its basic principle was to build a defence force from the existing Milorg
pockets in the district. Tronstad, who earlier had been stopped from travelling to Norway himself, did so this time. He felt that it was time to deal a decisive blow to a dwindling German war power, and called for the "full effort ... from all who would be called men".
Tronstad was parachuted into Hardangervidda
on 4 October 1944, together with eight Norwegian Independent Company 1 members. The group included Gunnar Syverstad
, Jens-Anton Poulsson
and Claus Helberg
. They lived in a small cabin built by Einar Skinnarland.
However, after a few months a situation arose that could compromise the operation. It was feared that the bailiff
installed by the Nazis in Rauland
municipality had become suspicious. Thus, the people behind Operation Sunshine created a plan to lure him to the mountains, and capture and interrogate him there. On 11 March 1945, resistance member Jon Landsverk managed to travel with the bailiff towards the mountains on the pretext of showing him some stolen goods. The two were soon met by Gunnar Syverstad and Einar Skinnarland, who captured the bailiff. He was taken to the alpine meadow Syrebekkstølen, where he was to be interrogated in a lodge by Landsverk, Syverstad and Tronstad. However on the same day, the bailiff's brother became suspicious and decided to follow the ski trails, which led him to Syrebekkstølen. Armed, he entered the lodge, firing several shots, one of which was fatal to Gunnar Syverstad. Tronstad charged at the bailiff's brother, but was killed under unclear circumstances. The bailiff freed himself, and the two brothers fled. Jon Landsverk survived, and together with Einar Skinnarland he disposed of the two bodies in a lake. However, the next day the bodies were found and burned by German forces. After the war, Jon Landsverk testified against the bailiff and his brother as a part of the legal purge in Norway after World War II
. While Landsverk claimed that Tronstad had been killed by a blow from the butt of a rifle held by the bailiff, the court found the bailiff's brother guilty of both murders, and the bailiff of attempted murder.
. They have been transcribed and made available to historians, and are regarded as an important source of information from the "outer front".
on 30 May 1945, being buried at Vestre gravlund
in Oslo. He was awarded Norway's highest decoration for military gallantry, the War Cross with sword
, as well as the Norwegian War Medal
and the Defence Medal 1940–1945. In addition to his Norwegian decorations, Tronstad received the Order of the British Empire
, Chevalier of the French Légion d'honneur
and Croix de guerre
and the US Medal of Freedom with bronze palm as well as the British Distinguished Service Order
.
A memorial stone was raised at Syrebekkstølen, commemorating the death of Tronstad and Gunnar Syverstad. Also, several streets in Norway have been named after him. A statue of Tronstad today stands at the square Leif Tronstads plass in Sandvika, the administrative centre of Bærum. It was commissioned in 1965 by the local Rotary
club, and erected in 1973. Abstract
, it was sculpted by Fritz Røed
.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(27 March 1903 – 11 March 1945) was a Norwegian scientist, intelligence officer and military organizer. He graduated from 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 1927 and was a prolific researcher and writer of academic publications. A professor of chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
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...
from 1936, he was also among the pioneers of 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...
research, and was instrumental when a heavy water plant was built 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...
.
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...
Norway was invaded by Germany and Tronstad conducted domestic resistance for one year before fleeing the country for England. Here, he gathered valuable intelligence from Norwegian sources, both on the development of the V-2 rocket and the growing German interest in heavy water. In 1943 Tronstad planned Operation Gunnerside, in which the German access to heavy water processing at Vemork was severely impeded. His information about the V-2 rocket contributed to the massive Allied bombing
Bombing of Peenemünde in World War II
Operation Hydra was a Royal Air Force attack on the Peenemünde Army Research Center on the night of 17/18 August 1943. It began the Operation Crossbow strategic bombing campaign against Nazi Germany's V-weapon programme...
of Peenemünde
Peenemünde
The Peenemünde Army Research Center was founded in 1937 as one of five military proving grounds under the Army Weapons Office ....
.
For a long time Tronstad had wanted to return to Norway to organize resistance work, however he was prevented by the Norwegian military authorities in Britain. In 1944, however, he did travel to Norway, to organize Operation Sunshine, for the defence of Norwegian infrastructure. After five months in the country, he was murdered by Norwegian traitors.
Early life
Tronstad was born in BærumBærum
is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandvika. Bærum was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. A suburb of Oslo, Bærum is located on the west coast of the city....
; the son of Hans Larsen and Josefine Amalie Tronstad, Hans died three months before Leif was born. Leif thus grew up in Sandvika
Sandvika
is the administrative centre of the municipality of Bærum in Norway. It was declared a city by the municipal council in Bærum on 4 June 2003.Sandvika is situated approximately west of Oslo. It is the main transportation hub for Western Bærum, and has a combined bus and railway station. Sandvika is...
with his mother and four siblings. He graduated from middle school in 1918, with top grades in mathematics. He then embarked on thirty months of professional practice in two local electricity companies, which was a requirement to enrol at Kristiania Technical School, a predecessor of the Faculty of Engineering at Oslo University College
Oslo University College
Oslo University College , Norwegian: Høgskolen i Oslo is the largest state university college in Norway, with more than 11,000 students and approx. 1100 employees...
. When he enroled in 1920 he chose technical chemistry instead of electronic engineering
Electronic engineering
Electronics engineering, also referred to as electronic engineering, is an engineering discipline where non-linear and active electrical components such as electron tubes, and semiconductor devices, especially transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, are utilized to design electronic...
. He graduated in 1922, the best chemistry student; a fellow student recalled that he "did not have to read anything more than once" in order to remember it. In the spring of 1923, he also took the examen artium
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...
as an external candidate at Frogner
Frogner
Frogner is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway. In addition to traditional Frogner, the borough incorporates Bygdøy, Uranienborg and Majorstuen....
school. He was ready to enrol 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...
, but waited one year, possibly wanting to strengthen his personal finances. In the meantime, he started on his compulsory military service.
He was an accomplished athlete and helped his hometown club Grane SK
Bærum SK
Bærum Sportsklubb is a Norwegian association football club founded on 26 March 1910. The men's team is currently playing in the Adeccoligaen, after being promoted from the Norwegian Second Division in 2011....
to two Norwegian 4 x 1500 metres relay
Relay race
During a relay race, members of a team take turns running, orienteering, swimming, cross-country skiing, biathlon, or ice skating parts of a circuit or performing a certain action. Relay races take the form of professional races and amateur games...
records. The records were set in 1921 and 1923, but broken by the team IL i BUL
IL i BUL
Idrottslaget i Bondeungdomslaget i Oslo is a sports club in Oslo, Norway, founded on 8 January 1913. It is one of several branches of Bondeungdomslaget i Oslo, a local chapter of Noregs Mållag and Noregs Ungdomslag....
in 1926. His brother John, a bronze medalist in 1500 metres
1500 metres
The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
at the 1917 Norwegian championships, was on the relay team as well. Both brothers used their father's name Larsen at the time; Leif took up his mother's name Tronstad later.
In 1924 Tronstad moved to 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...
to study 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...
, graduating in 1927. His graduation paper was deemed exceptional and as such was reported to King Haakon of Norway
Haakon VII of Norway
Haakon VII , known as Prince Carl of Denmark until 1905, was the first king of Norway after the 1905 dissolution of the personal union with Sweden. He was a member of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg...
. Regarded as a fully-fledged academic work, it was published scientifically in 1928. Tronstad had taken various stray jobs while studying, and also finished his military service, reaching the rank of Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the Norwegian Army Corps of Weaponry in 1927. From 1927 to 1928 Tronstad worked briefly as an assistant at the Norwegian Institute of Technology as well as in a private company in Kristiansand
Kristiansand
-History:As indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040...
. In 1928 he returned to the Norwegian Institute of Technology as a research fellow
Research fellow
The title of research fellow is used to denote a research position at a university or similar institution, usually for academic staff or faculty members. A research fellow may act either as an independent investigator or under the supervision of a principal investigator...
. In the same year, Tronstad married Edla Obel, who was nine years his junior, in Trondheim. The couple had two children.
Academic career
Tronstad spent the first year of a research period as an assistant to Herbert FreundlichHerbert Freundlich
Herbert Max Finlay Freundlich FRS was a German chemist.His father was Jewish descendable German, and his mother was from Scotland...
in Dahlem, Berlin
Dahlem (Berlin)
Dahlem is a locality of the Steglitz-Zehlendorf borough in southwestern Berlin. Until Berlin's 2001 administrative reform it was a part of the former borough of Zehlendorf. Dahlem is one of the most affluent parts of the city and home to the main campus of the Free University of Berlin with the...
. He studied the passivity
Passivation
Passivation is the process of making a material "passive", and thus less reactive with surrounding air, water, or other gases or liquids. The goal is to inhibit corrosion, whether for structural or cosmetic reasons. Passivation of metals is usually achieved by the deposition of a layer of oxide...
of metal surfaces, and made a breakthrough when he managed to measure extremely thin oxide
Oxide
An oxide is a chemical compound that contains at least one oxygen atom in its chemical formula. Metal oxides typically contain an anion of oxygen in the oxidation state of −2....
surface coatings, thus solving a problem dating from the time of Michael Faraday
Michael Faraday
Michael Faraday, FRS was an English chemist and physicist who contributed to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry....
. He continued to Stockholm to study metallography
Metallography
Metallography is the study of the physical structure and components of metals, typically using microscopy.Ceramic and polymeric materials may also be prepared using metallographic techniques, hence the terms ceramography, plastography and, collectively, materialography.-Preparing metallographic...
under Carl Benedicks, and to elaborate further on his results from Berlin. The work was completed in 1931 and his thesis, spanning 250 pages, was published in German as Optische Untersuchungen zur Frage der Passivität des Eisens und Stahls. For it, he received the doctorate degree. He was hired at the Norwegian Institute of Technology as a lecturer in the summer of 1931, although he spent the first year at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, conducting further research with a scholarship from a memorial fund of Christian Michelsen
Christian Michelsen
Peter Christian Hersleb Kjerschow Michelsen was a Norwegian shipping magnate and statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of an independent Norway from 1905 to 1907...
. The research at Cambridge was a continuation of his thesis work, but this time he tested his method on mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
.
Following the death in 1934 of a professor of technical inorganic chemistry
Inorganic chemistry
Inorganic chemistry is the branch of chemistry concerned with the properties and behavior of inorganic compounds. This field covers all chemical compounds except the myriad organic compounds , which are the subjects of organic chemistry...
at the Norwegian Institute of Technology, Tronstad was appointed his successor on 17 April 1936, effective from 1 May. At the time, he was one of the youngest professors in Norway. He was a member of the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters
Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters
The Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters is a learned society based in Trondheim, Norway.-History:DKNVS was founded in 1760 by bishop of Nidaros Johan Ernst Gunnerus, headmaster at the Trondheim Cathedral School Gerhard Schøning and Councillor of State Peter Frederik Suhm under the name...
, and in early 1940 he became vice president of the Norwegian Chemical Society
Norwegian Chemical Society
The Norwegian Chemical Society is a professional society for chemists. Formed in 1893, its purpose is to "promote the interest and understanding of chemistry and chemical technology"....
. During his short scientific career, Tronstad penned about eighty scientific publications, including fourteen on 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...
-related topics.
Harold Urey
Harold Clayton Urey was an American physical chemist whose pioneering work on isotopes earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1934...
. In 1933, Leif Tronstad and Jomar Brun, the head of Norsk Hydro Rjukan
Norsk Hydro Rjukan
Norsk Hydro Rjukan is an industrial facility operated by Norsk Hydro at Rjukan in Tinn, Norway, from 1911 to 1991. The plant manufactured chemicals related to the production of fertilizer, including ammonia, potassium nitrate, heavy water and hydrogen...
, created a plan for industrial production of heavy water in Norway. As Norsk Hydro
Norsk Hydro
Norsk Hydro ASA is a Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company, headquartered in Oslo. Hydro is the fourth largest integrated aluminium company worldwide. It has operations in some 40 countries around the world and is active on all continents. The Norwegian state holds a 43.8 percent...
were already producing ammonia
Ammonia
Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . It is a colourless gas with a characteristic pungent odour. Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by serving as a precursor to food and fertilizers. Ammonia, either directly or...
for nitrogen fertilizer, Tronstad and Brun had realized that large amounts of electrolyzed water were available. Tronstad was paid by Norsk Hydro as a consultant. Already in 1934, Norsk Hydro had opened a plant near the power station 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...
. This was the world's first plant for industrial mass production of heavy water. Both French and German scientists expressed interest in the project.
German invasion of Norway
Tronstad, holding a military rank, had a standing order to report to the Norwegian military headquarters in OsloOslo
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...
in the face of a military peril. When Germany 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...
on 9 April 1940, he first informed his students of the situation, and then drove towards Oslo. He brought his wife and children with him, but having no intention of taking them to a possible theatre of war, he left them in the Drivdalen
Drivdalen
Drivdalen is a valley located in the municipality of Oppdal in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The valley surrounds the river Driva. The European route E6 and the Dovrebanen railway line follow the river through much of the valley. The valley is the site of the "Old Kings' Road", Vårstigen, with...
valley. He continued alone but shortly after, upon learning that Oslo was the first city to fall to the invaders, he stopped at Dovre
Dovre
Dovre is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Dovre. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Dovre....
. The family had a cabin in the vicinity. Here, he helped organize volunteers from local rifle associations to form a line of defence meant to repel any advancing German forces. 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:...
Fallschirmjäger
Fallschirmjäger
are German paratroopers. Together with the Gebirgsjäger they are perceived as the elite infantry units of the German Army....
did land at nearby Dombås
Dombås
The village of lies in the Dovre municipality and serves as an administrative center in the upper Gudbrandsdal, Norway. It lies at an important junction of roads: south leading to the current capital of Norway, Oslo, west via Lesja leading to Åndalsnes on the sea and north to the old capital,...
, but were surprised by a contingent of regular Norwegian forces
Norwegian Army
Norway achieved full independence in 1905, and in the first century of its short life has contributed to two major conflicts, the Cold War and the War on Terror. The Norwegian Army currently operates in the north of Norway and in Afghanistan as well as in Eastern Europe. The Army is the oldest of...
already in the area, who ensured a tactical victory for Norway in the ensuing Battle of Dombås
Battle of Dombås
The Battle of Dombås was fought between Norwegian Army infantry forces and German Fallschirmjäger paratroops in mid-April 1940. As part of their conquest of Norway south of Trondheim, and as a countermeasure against reported allied landings in the Romsdal area of south western Norway, the Germans...
.
Resistance
When the Norwegian CampaignNorwegian 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...
ended and the German occupation 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...
was a reality, Tronstad became involved in 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:...
work, largely based around the Norwegian Institute of Technology. He was associated with the radio agent group 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...
, which had regular contact with London from January 1941. Among other things, he sent reports on the interest shown by German authorities in the heavy water plant at Vemork. One source of this information was Tronstad's old companion, Jomar Brun, still in charge of the plant, who also helped people to flee the country by sea, via the Møre
Møre og Romsdal
is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city.-The name:...
coast. After revelation of the group in September 1941, Tronstad himself had to flee the country. Another resistance member, who had already been jailed, managed to warn Tronstad, who travelled from Trondheim to Oslo by train. The following day, the 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...
visited his house to arrest him. After a few days in hiding, Tronstad was driven by car to Østfold
Østfold
is a county in southeastern Norway, bordering Akershus and southwestern Sweden , while Buskerud and Vestfold is on the other side of the bay. The seat of the county administration is Sarpsborg, and Fredrikstad is the largest city.Many manufacturing facilities are situated here. Moss and...
, and then travelled on foot to Töcksfors
Töcksfors
Töcksfors is a locality situated in Årjäng Municipality, Värmland County, Sweden with 1,062 inhabitants in 2005....
via Ørje
Ørje
Ørje is the administrative centre of Marker municipality, Norway, not far from the Swedish border. Its population is 1,763.Ørje is known for its canal museum and steamboat club. Engebret Soot made the first Norwegian canal locks at Ørje in about 1857-1860 . The total lift of the locks are 10...
. From there he continued by plane to England, rejecting an offer of a civilian job in Sweden.
He reached England in October 1941. He already had a broad network of contacts there, stemming both from his academic career as well as from his radio operations. He also maintained several contacts abroad, including scientists whom he knew from the Norwegian Institute of Technology: Harald Wergeland
Harald Wergeland
Harald Wergeland was a Norwegian physicist. He was a professor at the Norwegian Institute of Technology.Wergeland graduated as an engineer from the Norwegian Institute of Technology in 1936 and earned the dr.philos. degree in 1942...
and Njål Hole. The opportunity to work directly for the British was presented to Tronstad, but instead he chose to aim his efforts towards disrupting the German occupation of Norway and improving the Norwegian resistance work. He even wanted to enrol in active duty, but was stopped by the Norwegian military command, who considered him "too valuable" for the war theatre. Tronstad's foremost skill was that of organization, which he owed to his experience in science. Thus, Tronstad became a part of the staff of the Ministry of Defence
Norwegian Ministry of Defence
The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Defence is a Norwegian government ministry in charge of the formation and implementation of national security and defence policy, and for the overall management and control of the activities of subordinate agencies. The ministry is located at Glacisgata 1, Oslo,...
, and later of the Norwegian High Command
Norwegian High Command
The Norwegian High Command was Norway's top military leadership from 1970 to 2003. It was first established in Northern Norway in 1940 by General Otto Ruge. It was then re-established by the Norwegian Government-in-exile in London in 1942, lasting until 1946...
. From 1943, he headed a section in department 4 (FO IV). This had been established in December 1942 under the leadership of Colonel Bjarne Øen
Bjarne Øen
Bjarne Øen was a Norwegian pilot and military officer. During World War II he played a central role in building up the Norwegian Air Force in Canada and the United Kingdom....
, and Tronstad was brought in as a reinforcement as the work burden increased. Also, he had recently been promoted from Captain to Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
. Tronstad's section was responsible for the special operation towards industry and shipping; training of 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...
(Kompani Linge); technical advice on sabotage, and towards the end of the war also the protection of Norwegian industry. He established the Norwegian High Command Technical Committee, which included other Norwegian scientists-in-exile such as Svein Rosseland
Svein Rosseland
Svein Rosseland was a Norwegian astrophysicist and a pioneer in the field of theoretical astrophysics. -Biography:...
, Helmer Dahl
Helmer Dahl
Helmer Hartmann Dahl was a Norwegian engineer.He graduated as an engineer from the Norwegian Institute of Technology in 1931, and was hired at the Chr. Michelsen Institute in 1935. From 1942 to 1945 he was in exile in the United Kingdom...
and Gunnar Randers
Gunnar Randers
Gunnar Randers was a Norwegian physicist.He was employed at the Mount Wilson Observatory from 1939 to 1940, and at the Yerkes Observatory from 1940 to 1941. From 1942 to 1945 he was a part of the Technical Committee of the Norwegian High Command, together with scientists such as Svein Rosseland,...
. The Technical Committee is considered as the precursor to the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment
Norwegian Defence Research Establishment
The Norwegian Defence Research Establishment is a research institute that conducts research and development on behalf of the Norwegian Armed Forces and provides expert advice to political and military defence leaders...
, established in 1946.
Heavy water sabotage
Already in 1941, Tronstad was aware that heavy water production at Vemork had greatly increased. In the beginning, Tronstad had not been aware of the connection between heavy water and atomic weaponry, but it eventually became clear that Germany could be running a nuclear energy projectGerman nuclear energy project
The German nuclear energy project, , was an attempted clandestine scientific effort led by Germany to develop and produce the atomic weapons during the events involving the World War II...
, especially after Harold Urey visited the United Kingdom in November 1941. Tronstad later learned from Jomar Brun that further expansion of heavy water production was being discussed. Brun had been a part of a small conference on the issue, hosted by Kurt Diebner
Kurt Diebner
Kurt Diebner was a German nuclear physicist who is well known for directing and administrating the German nuclear energy project, a secretive program aiming to built weapon of mass destruction for the Nazi Germany during the course of World War II...
in Berlin, in January 1942. Brun would later communicate with England through Einar Skinnarland
Einar Skinnarland
Einar Skinnarland DCM was a Norwegian resistance fighter during the Second World War.Einar Skinnarland was born in Vinje, in Telemark county, Norway...
, a covert 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...
agent hailing from Rjukan. In October 1942, Brun was summoned to England, reportedly at the request of Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
. Instead, a team of agents were parachuted into the area to gather more intelligence, under the codename Operation Grouse.
The idea of subjecting the heavy water facility at Vemork to heavy air bombing surfaced, but Tronstad was a staunch opponent of such an idea, which he saw as too hazardous. He warned of the presence of civil housing, and argued that bombing was not even guaranteed to succeed, given that the heavy water facility was located in the armored basement of the electrolyzing plant. The first attempt to take out the facility, in November 1942, had consisted of British personnel
British Commandos
The British Commandos were formed during the Second World War in June 1940, following a request from the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, for a force that could carry out raids against German-occupied Europe...
using gliders
Military glider
Military gliders have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes, e.g...
to land near Vemork. The operation, codenamed Freshman
Operation Freshman
Operation Freshman was the codename given to a British airborne operation conducted in November 1942 during World War II. It was the first British airborne operation conducted using gliders, and its target was the Vemork Norsk Hydro chemical plant in Norway which produced heavy water for Nazi Germany...
, was a catastrophe, as all units except for one towing aircraft perished, either due to crash landings or in German captivity.
Tronstad then organized the next attempt. He had wanted to take an active part in the sabotage mission, but again he was stopped by his commanders, who regarded him as inexpendable. Tronstad and Brun supplied the would-be saboteurs with extensive knowledge of the facility, and organized the training. The operation, codenamed Gunnerside and led by Joachim Rønneberg
Joachim Rønneberg
Joachim Holmboe Rønneberg, DSO is a retired Norwegian officer and broadcaster. He is known for his resistance work during World War II and his post-war war information work.-Personal life:...
, was carried out successfully between 27 and 28 February 1943. However, after three months, Germany managed to resume production. Against the will of Tronstad, in July 1943, an American-led squadron of 161 aircraft bombed Vemork as well as the shipment yard at Herøya
Herøya
Herøya is a peninsula in the municipality of Porsgrunn, Norway. It is located between the fjords of Frierfjord to the west and Gunneklevfjord to the east, at the mouth of Telemarksvassdraget...
. The two bombings claimed the lives of 76 people, many of whom were civilian. The heavy water plant was not directly affected by the bombing, nevertheless production was halted due to a damaged generator. The Germans then tried to disassemble the production facility, followed by a retreat from Vemork with the remaining stock of heavy water. This resulted in the sinking of SF Hydro
SF Hydro
SF Hydro was a Norwegian steam powered railway ferry that operated on Tinnsjø in Telemark. The ferry operated between Mæl and Tinnoset between 1914 and 1944, connecting the two railways Rjukanbanen and Tinnosbanen. The railway was used to transport raw materials and fertilizer from Norsk Hydro's...
by Norwegian saboteurs, halting the heavy water transport, but again claiming many civilian lives. Tronstad had given his consent to the latter operation, reportedly with a "heavy heart".
Concealed listening posts at Rjukan and Notodden also revealed high-level German discussions of long-range weaponry. The place name Peenemünde
Peenemünde
The Peenemünde Army Research Center was founded in 1937 as one of five military proving grounds under the Army Weapons Office ....
was frequently mentioned. As this intelligence reaching Tronstad's ear via his contacts in Norway, he forwarded it to the British. As a result, Allied squadrons led by the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
bombed
Bombing of Peenemünde in World War II
Operation Hydra was a Royal Air Force attack on the Peenemünde Army Research Center on the night of 17/18 August 1943. It began the Operation Crossbow strategic bombing campaign against Nazi Germany's V-weapon programme...
the Army Research Center of Peenemünde. The bombing halted the weapons program there, which centered around development of the V-1 flying bomb
V-1 flying bomb
The V-1 flying bomb, also known as the Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug, was an early pulse-jet-powered predecessor of the cruise missile....
and the V-2 rocket. Fellow scientists Rideal and Evans later wrote that Tronstad "contributed directly to the speedy victory of the Allied Nations, besides saving the region which came to be known as 'Southern England
Southern England
Southern England, the South and the South of England are imprecise terms used to refer to the southern counties of England bordering the English Midlands. It has a number of different interpretations of its geographic extents. The South is considered by many to be a cultural region with a distinct...
' from an even longer and more severe ordeal than it actually endured".
Operation Sunshine
In 1944, when the tide of war was turning against Germany, the German forces started to retreat from Northern Norway. However, they used the scorched earthScorched 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 as they retreated. Consequently, Tronstad started to plan how to organize a defence of industrial sites in Southern Norway. The first plan pertained to Øvre Telemark, and was codenamed Operation Sunshine. Its basic principle was to build a defence force from the existing Milorg
Milorg
Milorg was the main Norwegian resistance movement in World War II....
pockets in the district. Tronstad, who earlier had been stopped from travelling to Norway himself, did so this time. He felt that it was time to deal a decisive blow to a dwindling German war power, and called for the "full effort ... from all who would be called men".
Tronstad was parachuted into Hardangervidda
Hardangervidda
The Hardangervidda is a mountain plateau in the Hardanger region of western Norway. It is the largest such plateau in Europe, with a cold year-round alpine climate and is the site of one of Norway's largest glaciers. Much of the plateau is protected as part of Hardangervidda National Park; it is a...
on 4 October 1944, together with eight Norwegian Independent Company 1 members. The group included Gunnar Syverstad
Gunnar Syverstad
Gunnar Bryde Syverstad was a Norwegian resistance member. He is known for his assistance at the Norwegian heavy water sabotage....
, Jens-Anton Poulsson
Jens-Anton Poulsson
Jens-Anton Poulsson DSO, was a Norwegian military officer. During the World War II he was a Norwegian resistance member, especially noted for his role in the heavy water sabotage 1942–1943...
and Claus Helberg
Claus Helberg
Claus Helberg was a Norwegian resistance fighter and mountain guide. He was a member of Company Linge, a resistance commando unit that was best known for carrying out Norwegian heavy water sabotage during World War II. After the war, he worked for the Norwegian Mountain Touring Association...
. They lived in a small cabin built by Einar Skinnarland.
However, after a few months a situation arose that could compromise the operation. It was feared that the bailiff
Bailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
installed by the Nazis in Rauland
Rauland
This article is about the former municipality in Norway. For the American diplomat, see Scott Rauland.Rauland is a former municipality in Telemark County, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Vest-Telemark....
municipality had become suspicious. Thus, the people behind Operation Sunshine created a plan to lure him to the mountains, and capture and interrogate him there. On 11 March 1945, resistance member Jon Landsverk managed to travel with the bailiff towards the mountains on the pretext of showing him some stolen goods. The two were soon met by Gunnar Syverstad and Einar Skinnarland, who captured the bailiff. He was taken to the alpine meadow Syrebekkstølen, where he was to be interrogated in a lodge by Landsverk, Syverstad and Tronstad. However on the same day, the bailiff's brother became suspicious and decided to follow the ski trails, which led him to Syrebekkstølen. Armed, he entered the lodge, firing several shots, one of which was fatal to Gunnar Syverstad. Tronstad charged at the bailiff's brother, but was killed under unclear circumstances. The bailiff freed himself, and the two brothers fled. Jon Landsverk survived, and together with Einar Skinnarland he disposed of the two bodies in a lake. However, the next day the bodies were found and burned by German forces. After the war, Jon Landsverk testified against the bailiff and his brother as a part of the legal purge in Norway after World War II
Legal purge in Norway after World War II
When the occupation of Norway ended in May 1945, several thousand Norwegians and foreign citizens were tried and convicted for various acts that the occupying powers sanctioned...
. While Landsverk claimed that Tronstad had been killed by a blow from the butt of a rifle held by the bailiff, the court found the bailiff's brother guilty of both murders, and the bailiff of attempted murder.
Diaries
Tronstad's coded diaries from 1941 to 1945 are preserved, and the 13 original books are kept by the National Archival Services of NorwayNational Archival Services of Norway
The National Archival Services of Norway is a Norwegian government agency that is responsible for keeping state archives, conducts control of public archiving and works to preserve private archives. It is subordinate to the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs and consists of the National...
. They have been transcribed and made available to historians, and are regarded as an important source of information from the "outer front".
Awards and legacy
Tronstad had a military funeralMilitary funeral
A military funeral is a specially orchestrated funeral given by a country's military for a soldier, sailor, marine or airman who died in battle, a veteran, or other prominent military figures or heads of state. A military funeral may feature guards of honor, the firing of volley shots as a salute,...
on 30 May 1945, being buried at Vestre gravlund
Vestre gravlund
Vestre gravlund is a cemetery in the Frogner borough of Oslo, Norway, located next to the Borgen metro station. At , it is the largest cemetery in Norway...
in Oslo. He was awarded Norway's highest decoration for military gallantry, the War Cross with sword
War Cross with sword
The War Cross with Sword is the highest ranking Norwegian gallantry decoration. It is awarded for extraordinary brave actions or extraordinary leadership during combat. A recipient deemed worthy of additional citations will receive up to an additional two swords on the medal ribbon in addition to...
, as well as the Norwegian War Medal
Norwegian War Medal
The War Medal is a Norwegian war decoration for service during Second World War.The Norwegian War Medal was instituted by King Haakon VII of Norway by Royal Decree on 23 May 1941 with the addition of the Royal Decree of 13 November 1942. It may be awarded to Norwegian and foreign members of the...
and the Defence Medal 1940–1945. In addition to his Norwegian decorations, Tronstad received the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, Chevalier of the French Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
and Croix de guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
and the US Medal of Freedom with bronze palm as well as the British Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
.
A memorial stone was raised at Syrebekkstølen, commemorating the death of Tronstad and Gunnar Syverstad. Also, several streets in Norway have been named after him. A statue of Tronstad today stands at the square Leif Tronstads plass in Sandvika, the administrative centre of Bærum. It was commissioned in 1965 by the local Rotary
Rotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
club, and erected in 1973. Abstract
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
, it was sculpted by Fritz Røed
Fritz Røed
Fritz Røed was a Norwegian sculptor. He is most associated with his work, Sverd i fjell, the commemorative monument which symbolizes the unification of the nation of Norway. -Biography:...
.