Johan Didrik Schlömer Beichmann KBE (30 May 1886 – 10 February 1966) was a Norwegian military officer, journalist and businessman. A resistance pioneer 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 the ...

, he fled to London and eventually served as head commander of the Norwegian Army-in-exile.

Personal life

Beichmann 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 ...

, the son of judge and civil servant Frederik Beichmann, and writer

Edle Hartmann Edle Hartmann (11 March 1862 – 29 June 1946) was a Norwegian writer. She was born in Larvik to Gudbrand Helenus Hartmann and Fredrikke Dorothea Christiane Michelet, and was a sister of jurist and publicist Egil Olaf Hartmann. She was married ...

. He was married three times, first to Eva Jacobsen, second to Mona Smith, and third time to Anne Sophie Amalie Troughton.

Career

Beichmann graduated as military officer from the

Norwegian Military Academy The Norwegian Military Academy (), in Oslo, educates officers of the Norwegian Army and serves as the King's Royal Guard. The academy was established in 1750, and is the oldest institution for higher education in Norway. History The Commander- ...

in 1907. He studied

electrical engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

at the

Technische Universität Darmstadt The Technische Universität Darmstadt (official English name Technical University of Darmstadt, sometimes also referred to as Darmstadt University of Technology), commonly known as TU Darmstadt, is a research university in the city of Darmstadt ...

(1908–1908), and graduated from the Norwegian Military College in 1911. He worked as journalist for the newspaper ''

Tidens Tegn ''Tidens Tegn'' (Norwegian: ''Sign of the Times'') is a former Norwegian newspaper, issued in Oslo from 1910 to 1941. Editors The founder and first editor-in-chief of ''Tidens Tegn'' was Ola Thommessen, who edited the newspaper until 1917. Tho ...

'' from 1911 to 1912. From 1912 to 1917 he headed Infantry Regiment 16, and was also periodically assigned as topographer for the

Norwegian Mapping and Cadastre Authority The Norwegian Mapping Authority (NMA) ( no, Statens kartverk or Kartverket) is Norway's national mapping agency, dealing with land surveying, geodesy, hydrographic surveying, cadastre and cartography. The current director is Johnny Welle. Its ...

. From 1918 to 1923 he was again journalist for ''Tidens Tegn'', and eventually manager for the newspaper from 1923 to 1933. He was promoted major in 1933, and in 1934 to lieutenant colonel and commander of the Alta Battalion. Beichmann was a resistance pioneer during the

. In 1941 he was in command of local so-called "fighting groups", which eventually developed to become part of the resistance organization

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 ...

. He had to flee from Norway in the autumn of 1941, and eventually reached London. From 1942 to 1945 he served as head of the Norwegian in London, with the rank of major general. His war decorations include the Norwegian

War Medal A war medal is a military decoration awarded in time of war, as opposed to a service medal. It may refer to, for example: *War Medal (Norway) *Campaign medal *Global War on Terrorism Service Medal *British War Medal, British Empire medal for servi ...

Defence Medal 1940–1945 The Defence Medal 1940–1945 () is the award rewarded to those military and civilian personnel who participated in the fight against the German invasion and occupation of Norway between 1940 and 1945. The Defence Medal 1940–1945 can be awarde ...

, and Haakon VII 70th Anniversary Medal, and he was decorated Knight Commander of the

Order of the British Empire 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 ...

. He died in

Oslo 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 ...

on 10 February 1966.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beichmann, Johan 1886 births 1966 deaths Norwegian Military Academy alumni Norwegian Military College alumni Norwegian Army personnel of World War II Norwegian Army generals 20th-century Norwegian journalists 20th-century Norwegian businesspeople Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire