| Page Created |
| April 27th, 2025 |
| Last Updated |
| April 27th, 2025 |
| Norway |
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| Additional Information |
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| Motto |
| – |
| Founded |
| July 1941 |
| Disbanded |
| July 25th, 1945 |
| Theater of Operations |
| Norway |
| Organisational History |
Even prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, British authorities had commenced planning offensive operations against German interests, although these early efforts require further clarification and proper sourcing. Following the onset of hostilities, preparations for such operations were intensified, with a greater number of missions conceived. Nevertheless, no operations were conducted in Norway until the Royal Navy began minelaying operations in Norwegian waters on 8 April 1940.
In the immediate aftermath of the German invasion of Norway, British forces launched four operations intended to assist Norwegian efforts against the occupiers. However, these initial interventions achieved only limited success. Amongst the early initiatives was the work of James Lawrence Chaworth-Musters, who assembled a group of Norwegian refugees in Shetland. On 30 May 1940, twelve of these men were landed near the Sognefjord with the objective of sabotaging industrial and communications infrastructure. Their operations included a successful attack against the Bjølvefossen power station. Chaworth-Musters himself had been present in Norway during the German invasion in April 1940, and historian Olav Riste suggests that he had already arrived in the country as a British agent before 9 April.
The activities of the group operating in the Sognefjord region demonstrated to the British authorities the potential of limited operations conducted by local agents against German-occupied areas. Such methods of warfare found a strong advocate in Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who famously called for Europe to be “set ablaze”. In the early period, however, multiple British departments were involved in clandestine warfare, leading to inefficiency and overlap. On 19 July 1940, “D Section” of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) was merged with “MI(R)” and “Electra House” of the War Office to form a new organisation, the Special Operations Executive. The Special Operations Executive subsequently established a dedicated Norwegian section in January 1942, under the leadership of Colonel John Skinner Wilson.
Although the formal Shetland operations under the Special Operations Executive began in December 1940, Chaworth-Musters and Major Boughton-Leigh had already been organising expeditions using Norwegian fishing vessels during the summer of that year. Chaworth-Musters would later play a significant role in the formation of Kompani Linge. Among the many Norwegian refugees who made the perilous journey across the North Sea, Boughton-Leigh and Chaworth-Musters identified several individuals they deemed well-suited for sabotage missions within occupied Norway. Figures such as Odd Starheim, Alf Lindeberg, Fridtjof Pedersen Kviljo, Ruben Langmo, Gunnar Fougner, and Nils Nordland reached Britain by late summer and became the first members of Kompani Linge. Shortly thereafter, Martin Linge, arriving from Åndalsnes, joined the effort. He was tasked with collaborating with Boughton-Leigh and Chaworth-Musters to recruit and train young Norwegian men for special missions under the auspices of the Special Operations Executive.
| Norwegian Independent Company 1 |
During the summer of 1940, a number of willing Norwegian volunteers gathered in London. A central figure among them was Martin Linge, who had arrived in May 1940 after sustaining injuries during the Norwegian campaign. Linge assumed the role of liaison officer for the Norwegian authorities and was entrusted with the responsibility of recruiting Norwegians for training in irregular warfare, which commenced in the autumn of 1940.
The British intended to employ Norwegian agents within larger raids conducted by the Combined Operations organisation. Beyond the immediate purpose of resisting German forces wherever possible, operations in Norway held particular strategic importance. The British were at that time considering the possibility of an invasion of the Norwegian coastline. Moreover, as the war progressed, German leader Adolf Hitler became increasingly convinced that such an invasion was imminent, prompting him to commit substantial army and naval forces to Norway throughout the conflict. The Norwegian authorities, however, remained unaware of these British plans.
The first British-led raid against Norway was the Svolvær Raid in March 1941. Following its success, the British resolved to train between twenty and fifty Norwegian volunteers per month. In addition, contact was established with the Norwegian Army High Command, and a request was made to form an independent company of Norwegian officers and privates under British command. As a result, the Norwegian Independent Company No. 1 was created in July 1941. Training initially took place at Fawley Court, Henley-on-Thames, beginning in June, before relocating to Special Training Sschool No. 26, Drumintoul Lodge, Aviemore, and Glenmore Lodge in Inverness-shire. There, the Norwegian Holding School and the main headquarters of the company, later known as Kompani Linge, were established in November 1941. This training centre remained operational until the end of the war. The company’s headquarters were situated at Drumintoul Lodge, Aviemore.
During the Måløy Raid on Christmas Eve 1941, Martin Linge was killed in action. Following his death, Captain Leif Tronstad assumed the role of liaison officer. After the two major, and in part unsuccessful, raids on Lofoten and Måløy, the morale within the company was considerably diminished. Some members even refused to participate in further raids until reassurances were provided that operations were sanctioned by the Norwegian government. This dissatisfaction stemmed from broader tensions in the relations between Norwegian and British authorities, as well as between the Norwegian home front and the Norwegian Legation in London.
In an effort to improve cooperation, the Special Operations Executive approached Norwegian Minister of Defence Oscar Torp in January 1942. It was agreed that a new forum would be established to plan, coordinate, and lead operations directed at Norway. Thus, the Anglo-Norwegian Collaboration Committee (ANCC) was formed. Captain Tronstad and Colonel John Skinner Wilson were appointed as its leaders. Their effective collaboration ultimately led to significant improvements in relations between the parties. This development had a direct impact on the status of Norwegian Independent Company No. 1, which, later that year, was officially integrated into the Norwegian Army.
Kompani Linge continued its operations until it was formally disbanded on July 25th, 1945, coinciding with the demobilisation of the Norwegian Home Forces.