Reidun Røed, née Hjartøy (22 March 1921 – 5 April 2009) was a
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
*Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
*Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including the ...
Rjukan
Rjukan () is a town and the administrative centre of Tinn municipality in Telemark, Norway. It is situated in Vestfjorddalen, between Møsvatn and Lake Tinn, and got its name after Rjukan Falls west of the town. The Tinn municipality council grant ...
, but the family moved to
Jar
A jar is a rigid, cylindrical or slightly conical container, typically made of glass, ceramic, or plastic, with a wide mouth or opening that can be closed with a lid, screw cap, lug cap, cork stopper, roll-on cap, crimp-on cap, press-on c ...
in her youth, and she
finished
Finished may refer to:
* ''Finished'' (novel), a 1917 novel by H. Rider Haggard
* ''Finished'' (film), a 1923 British silent romance film
* "Finished" (short story), a science fiction short story by L. Sprague de Camp
See also
*Finishing (disa ...
her secondary education at
Stabekk Stabekk is a suburban centre in the municipality of Bærum, Norway, west of Oslo. It is predominantly a residential area, with many residents commuting to Oslo. As of 2005 the population was 6,261.
Bærum has the highest income per capita and the hi ...
Upper Secondary School. She studied chemistry at the
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top universit ...
, but this ended when the university was closed by the Nazi occupiers (1940–1945) of Norway following the 1943 University of Oslo fire. She worked as an assistant at the
Norwegian Radium Hospital
Oslo University Hospital, Radiumhospitalet ( no, Oslo universitetssykehus, Radiumhospitalet) is one of the four campuses of Oslo University Hospital in Oslo, Norway, and is dedicated to cancer treatment. This part of the hospital is the most specia ...
until 1944, when she was hired as a secretary for the leader of
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 ...
's District 13 based in Norway's capital.
She started working for Major Oliver H. Langeland, the first leader of D13. In July 1944 Langeland received orders from London to leave the country, and travelled to England via Sweden, and
Lorentz Brinch
Lorentz Wilhelm Brinch (9 May 1910 – 20 May 1953) was a Norwegian barrister, military officer, banker and politician for the Conservative Party.
Pre-war life
He was born in Kristiania as a son of barrister Christian Nicolay Brinch (1861– ...
took over as the new leader of D13. Hjartøy was one of district leader Brinch's closest helpers. Brinch, Hjartøy and
Andreas Tømmerbakke
Andreas Tømmerbakke (24 July 1910 – 3 November 1994) was a Norwegian actuary and resistance member against the Nazi occupation of Norway.
He was born in Bergen, and finished his secondary education at Bergen Cathedral School in 1929. He stu ...
were the three people usually present at the district's main office, where sub-leaders (intelligence, weapons, sabotage, provisions) came in to file reports during the day. As the highest-serving woman in the district she was often called "Milorg D 13's first lady".
She was decorated with the
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 ...
. After the war's end she was given a scholarship to complete her studies in the United States. Here she met Per Røed, a prolific saboteur from Milorg's District 13, whom she married. Røed and Hjartøy were old acquaintances from secondary school. They coincidentally met again at a Christmas celebration in a cover-up apartment in December 1944. They engaged in 1945, and married in the US in 1947. They lived at Jar. She died in April 2009 and was buried at
Haslum
Haslum is a district in the municipality of Bærum, Norway. Its population (2007) is 6,041.Cemeteries in Bærum /ref>