John Peder Ditlev-Simonsen (18 October 1898 – 10 January 2001) was a Norwegian

sailor A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship. While the term ''sailor'' ...

who competed in the

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XI Olympiad () and officially branded as Berlin 1936, were an international multi-sport event held from 1 to 16 August 1936 in Berlin, then capital of Nazi Germany. Berlin won the bid to ...

. In 1936 he won the silver medal as crew member of the Norwegian boat ''Silja'' in the 8 metre class event. During the Second World War Ditlev-Simonsen was amongst a number of prominent Norwegians arrested as hostages by the Germans during their

occupation of Norway The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany during the Second World War began on 9 April 1940 after Operation Weserübung. Conventional armed resistance to the German invasion ended on 10 June 1940, and Nazi Germany controlled Norway until th ...

. Following his arrest on 26 April 1943 he was transferred to

Grini concentration camp Grini prison camp (, ) was a Nazi concentration camp in Bærum, Norway, which operated between 1941 and May 1945. Ila Detention and Security Prison is now located here. History Grini was originally built as a women's prison, near an old croft ...

two days later and given prisoner number 7449, being released on 5 May 1945. His brother

Olaf Olaf or Olav (, , or differences between General American and Received Pronunciation, British ; ) is a Dutch, Polish, Scandinavian and German given name. It is presumably of Proto-Norse origin, reconstructed as ''*Anu-laibaz'', from ''anu'' "ances ...

was also arrested and held as a hostage by the Germans.

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* * 1898 births 2001 deaths Grini concentration camp survivors Medalists at the 1936 Summer Olympics Norwegian bandy players Norwegian men centenarians Norwegian male sailors (sport) Olympic medalists in sailing Olympic sailors for Norway Olympic silver medalists for Norway Sailors at the 1936 Summer Olympics – 8 Metre 20th-century Norwegian sportsmen {{Norway-yachtracing-bio-stub