Charles Oluf Herlofson, (28 March 1916 – 4 December 1984) was a Norwegian naval officer. He was highly decorated for his achievements during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Personal life

Herlofson was born in

Kristiania 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 ...

Charles Herlofson Charles Herlofson (15 June 1891 – 9 November 1968) was a Norwegian footballer. He was born in Kristiania. He played for the club Mercantile, and also for the Norwegian national team. He competed at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. He was ...

and Ellinor Boe. He graduated as naval officer in 1939. In 1945 he married Lydia Grace Edney.

Career

During

he joined the Norwegian forces in the United Kingdom. He served with the Norwegian Motor Torpedo Boat flotilla at

Shetland Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands and formerly Zetland, is a subarctic archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands and Norway. It is the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the no ...

, and took part in several raids to the coast of

occupied 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 the ...

. Among his war decorations were the War Cross with two Swords, the St. Olav's Medal with Oak Branch, the British Distinguished Service Cross and the

Atlantic Star The Atlantic Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for award to British Commonwealth forces who took part in the Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous campaign of the Second World War. Two cla ...

, and he was twice

Mentioned in dispatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

. After the war he assumed various positions in the

Royal Norwegian Navy The Royal Norwegian Navy ( no, Sjøforsvaret, , Sea defence) is the branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces responsible for naval operations of Norway. , the Royal Norwegian Navy consists of approximately 3,700 personnel (9,450 in mobilized state, 3 ...

. Between 1955 and 1958 he also contributed to the development of the

Ethiopian Navy The Ethiopian Navy (), known as the Imperial Ethiopian Navy until 1974, was a branch of the Ethiopian National Defense Force founded in 1955. It was disestablished in 1996 after the independence of Eritrea in 1991 left Ethiopia landlocked. The ...

. He was Officer of the American

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

, and Officer of the Ethiopian

Order of Menelik II The Imperial Order of Emperor Menelik II is an Ethiopian order established in 1924 by then-Regent Tafari Makonnen, during the reign of Empress Zewditu I, in order to honor the memory of Emperor Menelik II. The Imperial Order was often referred t ...

References

1916 births 1984 deaths Military personnel from Oslo Royal Norwegian Navy personnel of World War II Royal Norwegian Navy admirals Norwegian expatriates in Ethiopia Recipients of the War Cross with Sword (Norway) Recipients of the St. Olav's Medal with Oak Branch Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) Foreign recipients of the Legion of Merit Ethiopian military personnel Recipients of orders, decorations, and medals of Ethiopia {{Norway-mil-bio-stub