Richard Zeiner-Henriksen ( 1 August 1924 – 12 May 2016) was a Norwegian businessperson and

resistance Resistance may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Comics * Either of two similarly named but otherwise unrelated comic book series, both published by Wildstorm: ** ''Resistance'' (comics), based on the video game of the same title ** ''T ...

member during World War II.

World War II

On 9 April 1940, Nazi Germany

invaded An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishing con ...

and occupied Norway as a part of World War II. Young Zeiner-Henriksen became a member of the Norwegian Independent Company 1 ( no, Kompani Linge). From 1943 to 1944, he co-operated with Max Manus and

Oslogjengen Oslogjengen (lit. ''The Oslo Gang'', also called Kompani Linge's Oslo Detachment) was a sabotage group operating in Oslo from May 1944 to May 1945, during the last year of the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany. The group had its basis in both the ...

and, from 1944 to 1945, he participated in the Special Operations Executive operation GREBE in Dovrefjell and Rondane. He participated in the May 1944 sabotage of Arbeidstjenesten's offices. He obtained copy of the door key to the address ''Wergelandsveien 3'' (via an imprint in

plastilina Roma Plastilina is a brand of non-hardening modeling clay sold by Spanish company JOVI and its subsidiaries. JOVI Modeling Clay, Plastilina, is mainly composed of vegetable matter, making it lighter and giving 33% more volume. It is sold on the i ...

) together with

Roy Nielsen Roy Nielsen (27 March 1916 – 4 April 1945) was a Norwegian resistance member during World War II, a member of Milorg and involved in propaganda and sabotage. Among his sabotage operations was the destruction of 25 Messerschmitt fighter airc ...

. Nielsen was in charge of the strike towards ''Wergelandsveien 3'', but the mission was called off because there were people present at the office. Zeiner-Henriksen joined Max Manus,

Edvard Tallaksen Johan Edvard Tallaksen MC & Bar (17 August 1918 – 29 November 1944) was a Norwegian resistance member during World War II, serving as an ensign in the Oslo Gang and Norwegian Independent Company 1. Early life Tallaksen grew up with an older ...

and Gregers Gram to strike the address ''Kirkeveien 90''. Zeiner-Henriksen was placed outside the building, tasked with ringing the doorbell in case of peril. As the three main saboteurs had spent one-and-a-half hours burning Arbeidstjenesten's documents, they heard the doorbell as well as shooting. Four people from

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 ...

had been placed throughout the area to assist with firepower in case enemies showed up. Three of the four guards (Lars Eriksen, Jon Hatland and Per Stranger-Thorsen) were captured and executed, whereas the fourth guard, Hans-Peter Styren, survived. Tallaksen, Gram and Zeiner-Henriksen escaped on foot and Manus stole a bike from a passer-by. Only Zeiner-Henriksen, Manus and Styren survived World War II. It later became clear that troops showed up because the Nazi collaborator

Hans Eng Hans Eng (22 March 1907 – 18 May 1995) was a Norwegian physician and Nazi collaborator during World War II. World War II In 1940 he called for Norwegian soldiers in the Norwegian Campaign to lay down their weapons. He volunteered for front ...

stayed at the same address that day. The sabotage mission was portrayed in the 2008 film '' Max Manus''. Zeiner-Henriksen was decorated with the

Norwegian War Medal __NOTOC__ The War Medal ( no, Krigsmedaljen) is a Norwegian war decoration for service during Second World War, and later for meritous service during war. Criteria The Norwegian War Medal was instituted by King Haakon VII of Norway by Royal Decre ...

, the Defence Medal 1940–1945 and the British King's Medal for Courage in the Cause of Freedom. Zeiner-Henriksen, born in Leningrad, took his '' examen artium'' in 1943. He was a son of the diplomat Richard Zeiner-Henriksen and his wife Erica, ''née'' Wang. He was a nephew of the professor of medicine Knut Benjamin Zeiner-Henriksen. His brother, Erik Zeiner-Henriksen, was also a resistance member during the war, but was captured in May 1944 and died in

Dachau concentration camp , , commandant = List of commandants , known for = , location = Upper Bavaria, Southern Germany , built by = Germany , operated by = ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) , original use = Political prison , construction ...

in February 1945.

Post-war life

After the war, he took his education in business administration at the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated in 1948. After further studies in France and England he spent his professional life as a manager. He started his career in the family business in 1950, and went on to the Norwegian Engineering Export Organization in 1960. He was CFO in Kontorautomasjon from 1966 to 1970 and Singer Business Machines from 1970 to 1972 before being promoted to vice-president. In 1975, he was hired as CFO in Norges Varemesse, where he worked to 1990. He was also active in ''Lingeklubben'', an association for former Norwegian Independent Company 1 personnel. The association had 463 members in its heyday, but as many died from old age, it was decided to discontinue the organisation in 2007, when the membership was 63. Zeiner-Henriksen lives in Oslo.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zeiner-Henriksen, Dick 1924 births 2016 deaths Norwegian resistance members Norwegian Special Operations Executive personnel Businesspeople from Oslo Wharton School alumni Norwegian expatriates in the United States Recipients of the King's Medal for Courage in the Cause of Freedom