Eiliv Austlid (6 May 189915 April 1940) was a
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
* Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including ...
farmer and army officer who played a pivotal role in assuring the escape of the Norwegian government during the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
invasion in 1940. Killed in action, he was discredited during and following the war, but his record was restored as a result of a series of articles in the newspaper
Dagningen
''Dagningen'' was a Norwegian newspaper, published in Lillehammer in Oppland county.
History and profile
''Dagningen'' was started in 1924. The paper was affiliated with the Labour Party. It had its headquarters in Lillehammer.
In 1997 the pap ...
. In 2010, he received posthumously the
War Cross with Sword
The War Cross with Sword ( Norwegian Bokmål: ''Krigskorset med sverd, '' Norwegian Nynorsk: ''Krigskrossen med sverd'') is the highest ranking Norwegian gallantry decoration. It is awarded for extraordinary brave actions or extraordinary leader ...
, Norway's highest
military decoration
Military awards and decorations are distinctions given as a mark of honor for military heroism, meritorious or outstanding service or achievement. DoD Manual 1348.33, 2010, Vol. 3 A decoration is often a medal consisting of a ribbon and a med ...
for valor.
Biography
Austlid's father was a
folk high school
Folk high schools (also ''Adult Education Center'', Danish: ''Folkehøjskole;'' Dutch: ''Volkshogeschool;'' Finnish: ''kansanopisto'' and ''työväenopisto'' or ''kansalaisopisto;'' German: ''Volkshochschule'' and (a few) ''Heimvolkshochschule ...
principal from
Gausdal
Gausdal is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Segalstad bru. Other villages in Gausdal include Follebu, Forset, ...
. After completing
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 1 ...
and
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...
education, he enrolled and completed the higher division at the Norwegian Military Academy in 1923, followed by the winter warfare division in 1923–24. In 1924 he purchased the farm Såstad Søndre in
Stange
is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Hedemarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Stangebyen. Other villages include Bekkelaget, Espa, Bottenfjellet, Ilseng ...
. He served as an aviator scout in the Norwegian army and received
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and m ...
training. He was promoted to captain in 1938.
Battle at Hagevollen
Following the
invasion
An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishing co ...
of Norway on April 9, 1940, the Norwegian government fled north to avoid German capture. At Dovre was the crossroads between the route to
Ã…ndalsnes
is a town in Rauma Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Åndalsnes is in the administrative center of Rauma Municipality. It is located along the Isfjorden, at the mouth of the river Rauma, at the north end of the Romsdalen valley. ...
on the coast and the main north–south route between
Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
and
Trondheim
Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, an ...
.
When the German invasion became known on April 9, Austlid was a reserve officer whose mobilization point was at Madlamoen (now
KNM Harald Haarfagre) in
Stavanger
Stavanger (, , US usually , ) is a city and municipality in Norway. It is the fourth largest city and third largest metropolitan area in Norway (through conurbation with neighboring Sandnes) and the administrative center of Rogaland county. T ...
. Cut off by the invasion from reaching this base, he instead reported at
Terningmoen
Terningmoen is a military camp (or base) in Elverum in Norway.
The base trains and houses parts of the Norwegian Army such as:
* His Majesty the Kings's Guard (HMKG) (First two months of service)
* Norwegian Home Guard HV-05 (district 5 of the Hom ...
, where he was assigned a reduced infantry
company consisting of reserve soldiers. Stationed in
Hamar
Hamar is a town in Hamar Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. Hamar is the administrative centre of Hamar Municipality. It is located in the traditional region of Hedmarken. The town is located on the shores of Mjøsa, Norway's largest lake ...
, he received orders a few days later to lead his troops north on a "special mission" for the Norwegian cabinet.
Once his unit had caught up with cabinet's
convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be use ...
near
FÃ¥vang
Fåvang is a village in Ringebu Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. The village is located in the Gudbrandsdal valley, along the Gudbrandsdalslågen river, about north of the town of Lillehammer. The European route E6 highway runs throug ...
, he learned that their mission was to form the
vanguard
The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force.
History
The vanguard derives f ...
for the advancing convoy as it proceeded north through
Gudbrandsdalen
Gudbrandsdalen (; en, Gudbrand Valley) is a valley and traditional district in the Norwegian county of Innlandet (formerly Oppland). The valley is oriented in a north-westerly direction from Lillehammer and the lake of Mjøsa, extending towa ...
. Arriving just short of Hagevollen, situated between the villages of Dovre and
Dombås
is a village or small town in Dovre Municipality in northern Innlandet county, Norway. The village serves as the commercial centre for the upper Gudbrandsdalen valley. It lies at an important junction of roads with the European route E6 highwa ...
, a
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
position was discovered ahead. In keeping with military practices of the time, Austlid advised that an infantry
reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities.
Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops ( skirmishe ...
squad move ahead while the convoy waited.
Trygve Lie
Trygve Halvdan Lie ( , ; 16 July 1896 – 30 December 1968) was a Norwegian politician, labour leader, government official and author. He served as Norwegian foreign minister during the critical years of the Norwegian government in exile in Lo ...
, who at the time was
Minister of Provisioning, dismissed this course of action and ordered Austlid to make a
frontal attack on the position. Austlid accepted the order but mentioned to a subordinate that such mission amounted to
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and ...
.
[
Meanwhile, Norwegian forces had engaged the German position with ]machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifl ...
fire, which was returned with precise sniper fire. Two Norwegian soldiers were killed. Under cover of machine gun fire, Austlid and six volunteers ran 90 meters across open terrain. At 50 meters' range from the German positions, Austlid ordered his men to mount bayonets. He was himself only armed with a handgun. As they stormed up the hill toward their objective, Austlid was shot in the chest and apparently died on the spot. The assault disintegrated after that, and the convoy made a disorderly retreat southwards. Nevertheless, it was clear that Austlid's operation has secured the convoy's progress and was therefore a tactical success.
Aftermath
After the war, the aforementioned Trygve Lie
Trygve Halvdan Lie ( , ; 16 July 1896 – 30 December 1968) was a Norwegian politician, labour leader, government official and author. He served as Norwegian foreign minister during the critical years of the Norwegian government in exile in Lo ...
wrote in his memoirs that Austlid and his men had walked unawares into a German ambush, and that his actions were hasty and reckless. Lie "washed his hands" of the matter and argued rhetorically that "what could we civilians do." In an authoritative war history written by Otto Munthe-Kaas repeated this version of events, though Munthe-Kaas called for a further investigation of the matter "in fairness to Austlid and his boys."[
An article series by Minda Flattum in the Norwegian regional newspaper Dagningen showed discrepancies between the official version, as reflected in Trygve Lie's memoirs, and eyewitness reports. Austlid's son Bjørnar Austlid conducted a private investigation by finding his father's brother in arms and other witnesses and found that previous accounts of combat operations had been factually misleading and libelous of captain Austlid.
An article in the journals of the historical association at Stange, the efforts of retired colonel Ulmar Wollan, and the interest of ]Minister of Defence
A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...
Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen
Anne-Grete Hjelle Strøm-Erichsen (born 21 October 1949 in Bergen) is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. She served as Minister of Defence from 2005 to 2009 and again from 2012 to 2013. She also served as Minister of Health and Care S ...
led to the restoration of Austlid's reputation. It became clear that while Trygve Lie clearly did not have the command authority he sought to impose on Austlid, Austlid nevertheless made an assault characterized by competence and courage.
On March 24, 2010, prime minister Jens Stoltenberg
Jens Stoltenberg (born 16 March 1959) is a Norwegian politician who has been serving as the 13th secretary general of NATO since 2014. A member of the Norwegian Labour Party, he previously served as the 34th prime minister of Norway from 2000 t ...
attended the posthumous award of the War Cross with Sword to Eiliv Austlid, represented by three of his children. This was the first time in 60 years that the medal has been awarded.[
The site of Austlid's assault is visible from ]European route E6
European route E6 ( no, Europavei 6, sv, Europaväg 6, or simply E6) is the main north-south thoroughfare through Norway as well as the west coast of Sweden. It is long and runs from the southern tip of Sweden at Trelleborg, into Norway and ...
north of Dovre at
On April 15, 2010, on the 70th anniversary of Austlid's death, Stange historielag (Stange historical association) published a book about Austlid's contributions, how his reputation was mistreated by historians, bureaucratic obstacles to restoring it, and how individuals succeeded in ascertaining the true facts.[ The book itself is ]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Austlid, Eiliv
1899 births
1940 deaths
People from Ullensvang
Norwegian Army personnel of World War II
Norwegian military personnel killed in World War II
People from Stange
Recipients of the War Cross with Sword (Norway)
Deaths by firearm in Norway