Haldis Elisabeth Arentz Sveri (21 October 1927 – 30 January 2018) was a Norwegian military officer. She was known for being a pioneer among Norwegian

women in the military Women have been serving in the military since the inception of organized warfare, in both combat and non-combat roles. Their inclusion in combat missions has increased in recent decades, often serving as pilots, mechanics, and Infantry, in ...

. Despite her young age, Sveri was a member of

Milorg Milorg (abbreviation of militær organisasjon – military organization) was the main Norwegian resistance movement during World War II. Resistance work included intelligence gathering, sabotage, supply-missions, raids, espionage, transport of ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. In 1946, she started a regular military career as platoon leader in ''Kvinnekompaniet''. She was later in ''Hærens Samband''. From 1959 to 1987 she served as inspector of women in the

Norwegian Army The Norwegian Army () is the land warfare service branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces. The Army is the oldest of the Norwegian service branches, established as a modern military organization under the command of the King of Norway in 1628. The ...

. In 1982, she reached the rank of lieutenant colonel, and became the first female senior official in the Norwegian military. Sveri was also an advisor to

Queen Sonja Sonja (born Sonja Haraldsen; 4 July 1937) is Queen of Norway as the wife of King Harald V. Sonja and the then Crown Prince Harald had dated for nine years prior to their marriage in 1968. They had kept their relationship a secret due to the ...

from 1980 to 1987. From 1961 to 1987 the represented the Norwegian Army in the Committee on Women in the NATO Forces. She has been a member of the

World Federalist Movement World federalism or global federalism is a political ideology advocating a democratic, federal world government. A world federation would have authority on issues of global reach, while the members of such a federation would retain authority ove ...

council since 1992 and has also been president. She has been active in Norges Forsvarsforening, chairing the

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) 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 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

branch from 1989 to 1997. She chaired the

Akershus Akershus () is a county in Norway, with Oslo as its administrative centre, though Oslo is not located within Akershus. Akershus has been a region in Eastern Norway with Oslo as its main city since the Middle Ages, and is named after the Akers ...

county chapter of the Pensioners Party from 1998 to 2007, and has been a member of Akershus

county council A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries. Australia In the Australian state of New South Wales, county councils are special purpose ...

. She has been decorated with the National Service Medal, ''Forsvarsmedaljen'', ''Forsvarsmedaljen med laurbærgren'' and the Knight of the 1st Class of the

Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav (; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav II, known to posterity as St. Olav. Just be ...

. She resided in

Eiksmarka Eiksmarka ("Oakfield") is an affluent suburb of the Norwegian municipality of Bærum in the Greater Oslo Region with around 4,000 inhabitants. It is located just west of the border of Oslo, Oslo municipality, but within the contiguous urban are ...

. She died in 2018.Death announcement, ''

Budstikka ''Budstikka'' (The Bidding Stick), prior to 2004 known as ''Asker og Bærum Budstikke'', is a daily local newspaper published out of Billingstad in Asker, Norway. It covers the municipalities of Asker and Bærum, and is the only newspaper iss ...

'' 1 February 2018 p. 32

References

1927 births 2018 deaths Norwegian resistance members Female resistance members of World War II Norwegian Army personnel Norwegian female military personnel Pensioners' Party (Norway) politicians Bærum politicians Norwegian women in politics Norwegian women in World War II 20th-century Norwegian women 20th-century Norwegian people People from Akershus {{Norway-mil-bio-stub