Torstein Raaby
Encyclopedia
Torstein Pettersen Raaby (6 October 1918, Dverberg
, Vesterålen
— 23 March 1964) was a Norwegian
telegrapher, resistance
fighter and explorer.
Raaby became a Secret Intelligence Service
officer, having entered training in 1943. He spent ten months in hiding in the village of Alta
, sending detailed reports on German warships and their radar installations to England via a hidden radio set surreptitiously connected to the antenna of a German officer. His reports were instrumental helping the RAF to find and permanently disable the battleship Tirpitz
. For that and other undercover operations during the war, Raaby was awarded the Royal Norwegian Olav Military Cross
. In 1944, he was awarded Norway's highest decoration for military gallantry, the War Cross with sword
. Raaby held the rank of Second Lieutenant (Fenrik
).
In 1947, he took part in Thor Heyerdahl
's "Kon-Tiki
" expedition from Peru
to Polynesia
as a radio operator, exchanging frequent messages with amateur radio enthusiasts in Chile
, the USA, and even Norway, on a tiny 6-watt
transmitter.
After the expedition he returned to northern Norway, until he, again as a radio operator, lived on the remote Bear Island, far north of the Arctic Circle
. From 1959 to 1961 he was a station controller of the radio station on the Arctic island of Jan Mayen
.
Raaby died in Greenland
of a heart condition while en route on an expedition to reach the North Pole
on skis. Torstein Raaby is buried at his birthplace of Dverberg
on Andøya
.
Dverberg
Dverberg is a small village in Andøya municipality in Nordland county, Norway.Dverberg was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 . Andenes and Bjørnskinn were separated from Dverberg January 1, 1924...
, Vesterålen
Vesterålen
Vesterålen is a district and archipelago in Nordland, Norway, just north of Lofoten.-The name:The Norse forms of the name were Vestráll and Vestrálar . The first element is vestr n west, the last element is áll m ' sound, strait'...
— 23 March 1964) was a Norwegian
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...
telegrapher, 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:...
fighter and explorer.
Biography
During World War IIWorld 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...
Raaby became a 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...
officer, having entered training in 1943. He spent ten months in hiding in the village of Alta
Alta, Norway
-Birdlife:For those interested in bird watching, the river outlet, known locally as Altaosen is well worth a visit. This tidal area is used as a stopover for many wetland species.-Transportation:...
, sending detailed reports on German warships and their radar installations to England via a hidden radio set surreptitiously connected to the antenna of a German officer. His reports were instrumental helping the RAF to find and permanently disable the battleship Tirpitz
German battleship Tirpitz
Tirpitz was the second of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the Imperial Navy, the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and launched two and a half years later in April...
. For that and other undercover operations during the war, Raaby was awarded the Royal Norwegian Olav Military Cross
The Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav
The Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav is a Norwegian order of chivalry that was instituted by King Oscar I of Norway and Sweden on August 21, 1847, as a distinctly Norwegian order. It is named after King Olav II, known for posterity as St. Olav. Nobility was abolished in Norway in 1821...
. In 1944, 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...
. Raaby held the rank of Second Lieutenant (Fenrik
Norwegian military ranks
The green part represents soldiers and the equivalent of non-commissioned officers. The blue part represents officers. Norway does not have a NCO-system and thus Sergeant and Quartermaster are grouped with the officers under the common designation befal...
).
In 1947, he took part in Thor Heyerdahl
Thor Heyerdahl
Thor Heyerdahl was a Norwegian ethnographer and adventurer with a background in zoology and geography. He became notable for his Kon-Tiki expedition, in which he sailed by raft from South America to the Tuamotu Islands...
's "Kon-Tiki
Kon-Tiki
Kon-Tiki was the raft used by Norwegian explorer and writer Thor Heyerdahl in his 1947 expedition across the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian islands. It was named after the Inca sun god, Viracocha, for whom "Kon-Tiki" was said to be an old name...
" expedition from Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
to Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
as a radio operator, exchanging frequent messages with amateur radio enthusiasts in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, the USA, and even Norway, on a tiny 6-watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
transmitter.
After the expedition he returned to northern Norway, until he, again as a radio operator, lived on the remote Bear Island, far north of the Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
. From 1959 to 1961 he was a station controller of the radio station on the Arctic island of Jan Mayen
Jan Mayen
Jan Mayen Island is a volcanic island in the Arctic Ocean and part of the Kingdom of Norway. It is long and 373 km2 in area, partly covered by glaciers . It has two parts: larger northeast Nord-Jan and smaller Sør-Jan, linked by an isthmus wide...
.
Raaby died in Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
of a heart condition while en route on an expedition to reach the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
on skis. Torstein Raaby is buried at his birthplace of Dverberg
Dverberg
Dverberg is a small village in Andøya municipality in Nordland county, Norway.Dverberg was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 . Andenes and Bjørnskinn were separated from Dverberg January 1, 1924...
on Andøya
Andøya
Andøya is the northernmost island in the archipelago of Vesterålen. Andøya is located in the Andøy municipality in Nordland county, Norway.The island has an area of 489 km², making it the tenth largest island in Norway. The island is connected to the neighboring island of Hinnøya using the...
.
Honours and awards
- Order of St. Olav
- War Cross with swordWar Cross with swordThe 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...
(Krigskorset med sverd) (1944) - Distinguished Service OrderDistinguished Service OrderThe 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...
(United Kingdom) - King's Medal for Courage in the Cause of FreedomKing's Medal for Courage in the Cause of FreedomThe King's Medal for Courage in the Cause of Freedom is a British medal instituted on 23 August 1945 to reward those, mainly foreigners, who during the Second World War with the danger of life had contributed to helping British military personnel to escape the enemy and escape from occupied areas...
(United Kingdom) - Croix de Guerre 1939-1945 (France)
Related Literature
- Heyerdahl, Thor (1950) The Kon-Tiki Expedition (George Allen & Unwin. translated by F.H. Lyon)