Gunnerside Honor Roll (The Gunnerside and Grouse Teams joined)
Joachim Holmboe
|
Knut Haukelid |
Hans Storhaug |
Fredrik Kayser |
Ensign Kasper Idland |
"Joachim Ronneberg, 1st in command and leader of the sabotage team, was the leader of the factory saboteurs. Joachim was a good listener and a fluent speaker, with a perfect command of English. He had no trouble choosing five men he wanted to go with him to sabotage the plant. His superiors wrote of him: "he was fully alive to all the difficulties and dangers of his position and demonstrated the virtues of steadiness and inspiration in a high degree."
Gallagher, Assault in Norway, p. 40, 41. |
"Knut is described in S.O.E. reports as being "the calculating type, who should give a very good account of himself in a tight corner... Has no fear." He was one of the leaders in the heavy water factory raid, and later planted the bombs that sank the Hydro, for which he earned the Distinguished Service Order. He died in 1994."
PBS Hitler's Sunken Secret |
"Lieutenant Sergeant Hans Storhaug, was an "unassuming-heroic-looking man, niether brawny nor tall nor powerful, but with that special quality of common sense that Ronneberg was looking for. Storhaug became affectionately known as "The Chicken" by his comrades after he was caught by Scottish gamekeeper, gutting a pheasant. Storhaug slipped free with his prize in hand."
Gallagher, Assault in Norway, p. 41. |
"Kayser was one of the first two saboteurs to enter the Vemork facility on 27 February, crawling through a cable shaft, the other being the team leader,Joacim Ronneberg. Kayser, at the time a sergeant,and Rønneberg went in to the plant to place explosive charges on the heavy water cylinders in the factory. Two more members of the Gunnerside team later joined Kayser and Rønneberg by climbing through a window. During the operation a Norwegian watchman was temporarily detained, and guarded by Kayser, being released 30 seconds before the explosives went off. "
Mears, Ray. PBS Documentary. |
"Kasper Idland was
Second Lieutenant who became a member of the factory demolition party. His "quiet intensity matched his brooding hatred of the Nazis. He was anxious to contribute in some way to the freeing of his country. Like the leader Ronneberg, he made a point while in the factory to show his British stripes, so the Nazis would think British commandos had done the job and not local Norwegians. He could barely ski at all but, nevertheless survived a 15-day, 250-mile escape on skis into neutral Sweden after the attack. He earned the Military Cross." Gallaher, Assault in Norway, p. 42 |