The War Cross with Sword (

Norwegian Bokmål 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 ...

: ''Krigskorset med sverd, '' Norwegian Nynorsk: ''Krigskrossen med sverd'') is the highest ranking

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 ...

gallantry decoration. It is awarded for extraordinary brave actions or extraordinary leadership during combat. A recipient deemed worthy of additional citations will receive up to an additional two swords on the medal ribbon in addition to the "standard" single sword. Additional citations are rare:

Gunnar Sønsteby Gunnar Fridtjof Thurmann Sønsteby DSO ( 1918 – 10 May 2012) was a member of the Norwegian resistance movement during the German occupation of Norway in World War II. Known by the nickname "Kjakan" ("The Chin") and as "Agent No. 24", ...

is the only person to have received the War Cross with three swords (more appropriately known as "War Cross with sword and two swords").

History

The medal was established on 23 May 1941 by royal resolution of King Haakon VII, who was in London with the

government in exile A government in exile (abbreviated as GiE) is a political group that claims to be a country or semi-sovereign state's legitimate government, but is unable to exercise legal power and instead resides in a foreign country. Governments in exile ...

due to 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 th ...

. At that time, "royal" awards were made (to members of the British Royal family for example) and awards could be made for meritorious activities not associated with combat (extraordinary achievements or contributions for Norway's cause and war effort): these were made without the sword. The statutes were amended on 18 May 1945, restricting awards to the actions of military personnel in combat situations, thus all subsequent decorations would to be "with sword". At the same time, Haakon VII's Freedom Cross was established to replace the War Cross for civilian achievements. Awards of the War Cross ceased in 1949, but on 26 June 2009 the statutes were again revised to permit awards for actions after 1945. In 2022 the Norwegian Armed Forces commissioned

Marcus Paus Marcus Nicolay Paus (; born 14 October 1979) is a Norwegian composer and one of the most performed contemporary Scandinavian composers. As a classical contemporary composer he is noted as a representative of a reorientation toward tradition, tonal ...

to write a major work to tell the stories of the War Cross recipients. The Armed Forces said the idea is that the work will be a major "identity-building and unifying" work for the armed forces.

Recipients

Since its inception, the War Cross has been awarded to 126 non-Norwegians. These awards were mostly for actions during the Norwegian Campaign of 1940. The number of recipients from various nations: *66 France (mostly

French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (french: Légion étrangère) is a corps of the French Army which comprises several specialties: infantry, cavalry, engineers, airborne troops. It was created in 1831 to allow foreign nationals into the French Army ...

and

Chasseurs Alpins The ''chasseurs alpins'' ( en, Alpine Rangers) are the elite mountain infantry force of the French Army. They are trained to operate in mountainous terrain and in urban warfare. History France created its own mountain corps in the late 19th ...

). *42 UK (including a gracious award to their Majesties, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, King Haakon's host and hostess "for the duration"). *13 Poland (the

Polish Independent Highland Brigade The Polish Independent Highland Brigade () was a Polish military unit created in France in 1939, after the fall of Poland, as part of the Polish Army in France. It had approximately 5,000 soldiers trained in mountain warfare and was commanded ...

). * 2 US. * 1 Denmark (but serving with the

Royal Norwegian Air Force The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) ( no, Luftforsvaret, , The Air Defence) is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian Armed Forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peacetime establishment is approximatel ...

). * 1 Greece (a "courtesy award" to his kinsman George II, King of the Hellenes). * 1 Canada (serving with the

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is head ...

Canadian recipient

Gazetted 11 August 1942 while serving with the British Army: List of most

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...

recipients, granting them permission to wear the decoration (referred to as the Norwegian Military Cross), on their British uniforms * Lt (temp Capt) Harry FitzGibbon Boswell,

(RE) (later Col & OBE)

Norwegian recipients

(with three swords) for his work as a Norwegian resistance fighter during World War II. *

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

Max Manus (with two swords) for his work as a Norwegian resistance fighter during World War II. *

Leif Larsen Leif Andreas Larsen DSO, DSC, CGM, DSM and Bar (9 January 1906 – 12 October 1990), popularly known as "Shetlands Larsen", was a highly decorated Norwegian sailor. He was arguably the most famous of the men who operated the Shetland bus es ...

(with two swords). * Oluf Reed-Olsen for his work as a Norwegian resistance fighter during World War II. * Erik Gjems-Onstad for his work as a Norwegian resistance fighter during World War II. *

Hugo Munthe-Kaas Hugo Conrad Munthe-Kaas DSM (3 February 1922 – 19 March 2012) was a Norwegian intelligence agent and resistance fighter during World War II. He received seventeen decorations for his war service. From the 1970s he was active in the Progress ...

for his efforts in Operation Upsilon III during World War II. *

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

Birger Eriksen Birger Kristian Eriksen (17 November 1875 – 16 July 1958) was a Norwegian officer (with the rank of Oberst) who was instrumental in stopping the first wave of ''Gruppe 5'' of the German invasion force outside Oslo. Eriksen was the comman ...

for his command of the

Oscarsborg Fortress Oscarsborg Fortress ( no, Oscarsborg festning) is a coastal fortress in the Oslofjord, close to the small town of Drøbak in Viken county, Norway. The best known part is situated on two small islets. The main artillery batteries are on the island ...

in the

Battle of Drøbak Sound The Battle of Drøbak Sound took place in Drøbak Sound, the northernmost part of the outer Oslofjord in southern Norway, on 9 April 1940. It marked the end of the " Phoney War" and the beginning of World War II in Western Europe. A German fle ...

. *Captain

Martin Linge Martin Jensen Linge, (11 December 1894 – 27 December 1941) was a Norwegian actor who, in World War II, became the commander of the Norwegian Independent Company 1 (NOR.I.C.1) (pronounced as ''Norisen'' by the Norwegians), formed in March 19 ...

(with one sword) for his command of the

Norwegian Independent Company 1 Norwegian Independent Company 1 (NOR.I.C.1, pronounced ''Norisén'' (approx. "noor-ee-sehn") in Norwegian) was a British Special Operations Executive (SOE) group formed in March 1941 originally for the purpose of performing commando raids during ...

* Boy Rist for outstanding efforts during the execution of special missions, as Leader for Polar Bear 1, Narvik. * Eiliv Austlid was awarded the citation on 2 October 2009, for actions in April 1940, settling a case that had been discussed in the press for some time. The new award raised the total number of persons awarded The War Cross to 275 and the total number of awards, which includes seven French military colours, to 282. It has been revealed that at least one soldier is being considered for the award after action with the

International Security Assistance Force The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was a multinational military mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. It was established by United Nations Security Council United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386, Resolution 1386 pursua ...

in the Afghanistan war. *

Lieutenant Commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding ran ...

Trond André Bolle Trond André Bolle (5 July 1968 – 27 June 2010) was a Norwegian military officer and a commando of Marinejegerkommandoen (Norwegian Navy Special Operations Command, NORNAVSOC), with the rank of '' orlogskaptein''. He was awarded the War Cross. ...

was awarded the War Cross with Sword (posthumously) on 21 January 2011. The decision was announced by the Minister of Defence,

Grete Faremo Grete Faremo (born 16 June 1955) is a Norwegian politician, lawyer and business leader. From August 2014 to May 2022, she held the post of Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). ...

, shortly after the cabinet session the same day. Lt. Cmdr. Bolle receives the award for his actions and behaviour during his command of the Norwegian Special Operations Force Task Group II in support of

Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 a ...

in Afghanistan's Helmand province from October 2005 to February 2006. According to the Minister of Defence, Lt. Cmdr Bolle performed "above and beyond the call of duty" on numerous occasions during this period, his leadership was described as "exemplary". Lieutenant Commander Trond André Bolle was killed in action on 27 June 2010, in an IED incident in Afghanistan's Faryab province. Three other soldiers, Christian Lian, Simen Tokle and Andreas Eldjarn were also killed in the incident, which happened on the road between Khwaja Gawhar and Almar Bazar. The vehicle was the fourth vehicle in a row of four vehicles. This award marks the first award of the War Cross with Sword for actions performed after the end of

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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. The award was presented on Veterans day (also

Victory in Europe Day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easte ...

), 8 May 2011. *

Eirik Johan Kristoffersen was awarded the citation on 8 April 2011, for outstanding leadership and bravery during operations in Afghanistan. The award was presented on Veterans day (also

), 8 May 2011. *

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Jørg Lian of Special Forces FSK was awarded the citation on 8 April 2011, for outstanding leadership and bravery during operations in Afghanistan. The award was presented on Veterans day (also

), 8 May 2011. *

Lars Kristian Lauritzen for bravery and courage in combat during international operations in Afghanistan (

ISAF ' ps, کمک او همکاري ' , allies = Afghanistan , opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda , commander1 = , commander1_label = Commander , commander2 = , commander2_label = , commander3 = , command ...

) in 2007.To nye krigskors tildelt
forsvaret.no, retrieved 5 April 2013 *

Major Major ( commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicato ...

Kristian Bergh Stang for particularly excellent courage and leadership in combat during international operations in Afghanistan (ISAF) in 2008. *''

Marinejegerkommandoen ''Marinejegerkommandoen'' (MJK) ( en, Naval Special Operations Command) is the maritime/naval special warfare unit of the Norwegian Armed Forces and was established in 1953. The MJK is under the command of the Norwegian Special Operations Com ...

'' operator Ken Andersen for "extraordinary courage" in two separate counter-terror operations in

Kabul Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into #Districts, 22 municipal dist ...

, Afghanistan, the first responding to the

2015 Park Palace guesthouse attack On 13 May 2015, three gunmen stormed the Park Palace guesthouse in Kabul, Afghanistan. The attack is believed to be part of the Taliban's annual spring offensive against NATO's presence in the country. Background Shortly before a concert was ...

on 13 May 2015, the second in response to an attack on the Russian embassy on 6 October 2015. Recipients of the War Cross are ranked 33 in the national

Norwegian order of precedence {{precedence The Norwegian order of precedence is the hierarchy of officials in the Government of Norway used to direct seating and ranking on formal occasions, decided by the King, which came into effect from 1 July 1993. I. The President of the ...

, after bearers of Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav with collar and before recipients of the Medal for Outstanding Civic Achievement.

Polish recipients

If not stated otherwise, all recipients were soldiers of the

(''Samodzielna Brygada Strzelcow Podhalanskich''), awarded 1942. *Gen

Władysław Sikorski Władysław Eugeniusz Sikorski (; 20 May 18814 July 1943) was a Polish military and political leader. Prior to the First World War, Sikorski established and participated in several underground organizations that promoted the cause for Polish i ...

- Prime Minister and C-in-C of the

Polish Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland ( pl, Siły Zbrojne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, abbreviated ''SZ RP''; popularly called ''Wojsko Polskie'' in Poland, abbreviated ''WP''—roughly, the "Polish Military") are the national armed forces of ...

(1943-posthumously) *Maj-Gen

Zygmunt Bohusz-Szyszko Zygmunt Piotr Bohusz-Szyszko (1893 in Chełm – 1982 in London) was a Polish general. During World War I he served in the Imperial Russian army. In 1940, he was Commanding Officer Polish Independent Highland Brigade (''Samodzielna Brygada Strz ...

- Commander of the Polish Independent Highland Brigade *Lt-Col Janusz Iliński *Lt-Col Wacław Kobyliński *Maj Andrzej Stańczyk *Capt Rudolf Marian Neuman *Lt Kazimierz Kędzierski *Lt Brunon Utnicki *2nd Lt Piotr Szewczyk *Cadet Leon Słupieński *Cpl Kazimierz Dziedzioch *Pte Wasyl Cykwas *Pte Jan Lasowski

UK recipients

All the awards were made in 1942, unless stated: Royal Family: *

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...

Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to: Queens regnant * Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland * Elizabeth II (1926–2022; ), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms * Queen ...

Royal Navy:

Gazetted A gazette is an official journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper. In English and French speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name ''Gazette'' since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers ...

13 October 1942 List of most

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...

and

Royal Marines The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious warfare, amphibious light infantry and also one of the :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, five fighti ...

recipients, granting them permission to wear the decoration (referred to as the Norwegian War Cross), on their British uniforms *

Capt Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Bernard Armitage Warburton Warburton-Lee VC, (

2nd Destroyer Flotilla The British 2nd Destroyer Flotilla (also styled as Second Destroyer Flotilla) was a naval formation of the Royal Navy from 1909 to 1943 and again from 1945 to 1946. History The 2nd Destroyer Flotilla originated in early 1907 as a part of a Home ...

). *Capt Louis Henry Keppel Hamilton. HMS ''Aurora''. (later

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet ...

& KCB) *Capt John Graham Hewitt DSO * Cdr Richard Been Stannard VC ( HMT ''Arab'') *Acting Skpr David George Spindler CGM * PO George Campbell Skene CGM Gazetted 23 March 1943: * Lt-Cdr Sir Alexander "Sandy" Glen, DSC*, CBE (1964), KBE (1967), Czechoslovak War Cross, Patron's medal of the Royal Geographical Society (1940), the silver Polar medal (1942), and the Bruce medal of the Royal Society of Edinburgh—whilst attached to the SOE Other *Lt-Cdr John W. Waterhouse Royal Marines: Gazetted 13 October 1942 * Cpl Roy David Page DSM Army: Gazetted 11 August 1942 * Lt-Col (acting

Col In geomorphology, a col is the lowest point on a mountain ridge between two peaks.Whittow, John (1984). ''Dictionary of Physical Geography''. London: Penguin, 1984, p. 103. . It may also be called a gap. Particularly rugged and forbidding co ...

) Arthur Joseph Beveridge OBE MC,

Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. The RAMC, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Royal Army Dental Corps ...

(RAMC) * Maj (temp Lt-Col, actg

Brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the latter part ...

) Millis Rowland Jefferis MC,

(RE) *Maj (temp Lt-Col) Andrew Daniel Clinch,

King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army. It officially existed from 1881 to 1968, but its predecessors go back to 1755. In 1968, the regiment was amalgamated with the Somerset and Cornwall ...

(KOYLI) *Maj Patrick George John Mary Davies Bulfin,

Green Howards The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment), frequently known as the Yorkshire Regiment until the 1920s, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, in the King's Division. Raised in 1688, it served under vario ...

(temp Maj actg Lt-Col) Arthur Stuart Talbot Godfrey, RE *Capt (temp Maj) Charles Julian Deedes, KOYLI *Capt (acting Maj) Richard Oswald Spotswood Dimmock,

York and Lancaster Regiment The York and Lancaster Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1881 until 1968. The regiment was created in the Childers Reforms of 1881 by the amalgamation of the 65th (2nd Yorkshire, North Riding) Regiment ...

*Capt William Millar Burgess, RAMC *Lt (acting Capt) Reginald George Coleman,

Leicestershire Regiment The Leicestershire Regiment (Royal Leicestershire Regiment after 1946) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, with a history going back to 1688. The regiment saw service for three centuries, in numerous wars and conflicts such as both W ...

*Lt Charles Joseph Rowlinson, Leicestershire Regiment *

Sgt SGT may refer to * Sergeant, a rank in many uniformed organizations * Scotland's Great Trails * Singapore Standard Time or Singapore Time * Society of Glass Technology {{disambiguation ...

Clarence Peacock MM,

*Sgt William Alexander Liddell Wilkinson,

Sherwood Foresters The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for just under 90 years, from 1881 to 1970. In 1970, the regiment was amalgamated with the Worcestershire Regiment to ...

*Cpl Albert Neal, Leicestershire Regiment * Pte Ernest Monkman, KOYLI *Pte James Mountford, KOYLI *Roy Hughes Irish Guards Royal Air Force:

6 October 1942 *Acting Grp Cpt Kenneth Brian Boyd Cross DSO DFC 46 Squadron (later

Air Chief Marshal Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer originating from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. An air chief marshal is equivalent to an Admi ...

& KCB, CBE). *Acting Wg Cdr John Collins Mayhew *Acting Wg Cdr Francis Davies Stephen Scott-Malden (later

Air Vice-Marshal Air vice-marshal (AVM) is a two-star air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes ...

& DSO DFC*,

Order of Orange-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau ( nl, Orde van Oranje-Nassau, links=no) is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands. The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has ...

) *Acting

Sqn Ldr Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is al ...

William James Pond MM *Acting

Flt Lt Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in air forces that use the Royal Air Force (RAF) system of ranks, especially in Commonwealth countries. It has a NATO rank code of OF-2. Flight lieutenant is abbreviated as Flt Lt in the India ...

Herbert Horatio Kitchener DFM 263 Squadron (later W/C) * W/O George Wyndham Parker MM * W/O Anthony Paul Reen DFM * Flt Sgt Neville Willson Kemp *Sgt Thomas Laidlaw Humble *Cpl Reginald Bernard Coomber. Gazetted 18 December 1942: Lists the remainder of the RAF recipients, granting them permission to wear the decoration (referred to as the Norwegian War Cross), on their British uniforms *Grp Cpt. Richard Atcherley, OBE,

AFC AFC may stand for: Organizations * Action for Children, a UK children's charity * AFC Enterprises, the franchisor of Popeye's Chicken and Biscuits * Africa Finance Corporation, a pan-African multilateral development finance institution * A ...

(later Air Marshal & KBE, CB,

*). *Acting Air Commodore

Whitney Straight Air Commodore Whitney Willard Straight, (6 November 1912 – 5 April 1979) was a Grand Prix motor racing driver, aviator, businessman, and a member of the prominent Whitney family of the United States. Early life Born in New York City, Whitne ...

DFC, MC (later Air Commodore & CBE,

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 u ...

). *Acting Wg Cdr Edward James Fawdry *Flt Lt Dennis Edward Healy DSO 1943 Additions: *1943: Lt-Col.

Amherst Barrow Whatman Lieutenant colonel Amherst Barrow "Brownie" Whatman MBE (1 November 1909 – 5 November 1984), FIEE, was a British wireless operator and radio engineer. He was the only child of Major Amherst Blunt Whatman and Myrtle Ellen Waller Barrow. He fol ...

MBE *1943: Wg Cdr. Patrick G. Jameson 46 Squadron

US recipients

*CAPT Alfred Carini. died 1945. Master of SS ''Henry Bacon''. *LTC Keith N. Allen.

References

External links

* * {{Highest Awards for gallantry *

History

Recipients

Canadian recipient

Norwegian recipients

Polish recipients

UK recipients

US recipients

See also

References

External links