Sven Sømme (19 November 1904 – 2 December 1961) was a Norwegian zoologist and

ichthyologist Ichthyology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish, including bony fish (Osteichthyes), cartilaginous fish (Chondrichthyes), and jawless fish (Agnatha). According to FishBase, 35,800 species of fish had been described as of March 2 ...

. He was born in

Ringsaker Municipality Ringsaker () is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Br ...

to physician Jacob Dybwad Sømme and Helene Sofie Sørensen. He was a brother of zoologist

Iacob Dybwad Sømme Iacob Dybwad Sømme (5 September 1898 – 3 March 1944) was a Norwegian ichthyologist and resistance member. Personal life He was born in Etnedal Municipality as a son of chief physician Jacob Dybwad Sømme (1866–1923) and Helene Sofie Søren ...

, and his sister Ingerid was married to ship owner

Sigval Bergesen the Younger Sigval Bergesen d.y. (27 April 1893 – 7 May 1980) was one of Norway’s leading shipping magnates and industrial entrepreneurs. Personal life He was born in Stavanger as a son of Sigval Bergesen (1863–1956), who was also a shipping magnate, a ...

. He chaired the fisheries school at

Aukra Municipality Aukra is List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Møre og Romsdal Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Districts of Norway, region of Romsdalen. The administrative centre is the village of Aukrasanden, Falkhytta, which ...

in 1940, and served as Norway's fisheries inspector from 1946 to 1952. He published works on fish biology, salmon migration and

entomology Entomology (from Ancient Greek ἔντομον (''éntomon''), meaning "insect", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study") is the branch of zoology that focuses on insects. Those who study entomology are known as entomologists. In ...

. During the

German 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 ...

he was active in the clandestine intelligence organization XU. After being caught by the German soldiers while photographing near a torpedo base on

Otrøya Otrøya is the largest island in Molde Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The island sits at the entrance to Romsdalsfjord, west of the island of Midøya and east of the mainland Romsdal peninsula. The highest point on the isla ...

(June 1944) he managed to escape from the guards at

Åndalsnes is a town in Rauma Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Åndalsnes is also 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 valle ...

. With the help of locals including mountaineer

Arne Randers Heen Arne Randers Heen (4 April 1905 – 7 February 1991) was a Norwegian mountain climber and member of the Norwegian resistance during World War II. Personal life Heen was born in Hen Municipality, and worked as a tailor in the nearby town of ...

he scrambled through the wild mountains between Isfjorden and

Eikesdalen Eikesdalen is a river valley and a small village in Molde Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The river Aura flows through the valley. The village is located at the south end of the lake Eikesdalsvatnet at the mouth of the river Aur ...

. He walked for days through the mountains to a hiding at

Atnsjøen Atnsjøen is a lake in Innlandet county, Norway. The lake lies along the border of Sør-Fron Municipality and Stor-Elvdal Municipality, just east of Rondane National Park. The Norwegian County Road 27 runs along the eastern shoreline of the enti ...

. He fled to

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

and eventually arrived in the United Kingdom.Sømme, Sven og Ellie Sømme Targett: ''Another Man's Shoes''. Polperro Heritage Press, Clifton-upon-Theme, United Kingdom, 2005. . Midfjorden Tautra

His brother

was executed in March 1944.

References

1904 births 1961 deaths People from Ringsaker 20th-century Norwegian zoologists XU Norwegian resistance members Norwegian escapees Escapees from German detention {{norway-scientist-stub