Finn Nagell

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(6 August 1899 – 1977) was a Norwegian military officer, Milorg pioneer, economist and businessperson.

Personal life

He was born in Kristiania to Vilhelm Karl Nagell and Solveig Hansen, and married Lollik Eriksen in 1925.

Career

Nagell graduated as a military officer in 1921. From 1939, he headed the Rjukan and Herøya

anti-aircraft Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

command, and thus during the Norwegian Campaign. It was the only regular military command in Telemark that survived the first week after the

German invasion German invasion may refer to: Pre-1900s * German invasion of Hungary (1063) World War I * German invasion of Belgium (1914) * German invasion of Luxembourg (1914) World War II * Invasion of Poland * German invasion of Belgium (1940) ...

. Originally numbering 250 men, the forces at Rjukan increased to 1,000 men before their surrender in May 1940. From 1941 to 1944, he headed the intelligence office of the

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

of the Norwegian government-in-exile in London. After the Second World War, he remained in the military. From 1962, he worked as business executive in the mining industry. He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire and awarded 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 ...

References

1899 births 1977 deaths Military personnel from Oslo Norwegian Army personnel of World War II Officers of the Order of the British Empire Foreign recipients of the Legion of Merit {{Norway-mil-bio-stub