Knut M Haugland is dead

It is with sadness that I note from AltForNorge the passing of Knut Haugland.

Haugland was highly thought of in the UK especially by Colonel Wilson - Head of Norwegian Section - SOE as well as Sir Charles Hambro - Head of SOE and of course Winston Churchill, who were all heavily involved with the Telemark Raid and understood the enormity of the undertaking of the operation. Haugland was regarded as the best SOE radio operator above all. He went on to train others in the difficult art of telegraphy. His 'touch' was very distinctive and well known to the British FANYS who had received his messages from occupied Norway.

Knut Haugland's exploits have been widely read and appreciated, especially his work with the Swallow/Grouse/Gunnerside teams as well as with the Kon-Tiki expedition. Some of those on that expedition were ex-SOE/SIS as well as former scouts - a testimony in itself to their prior training. Later, he became Director of the Resistance Museum (Hjemmefrontmuseet) in Oslo, retiring in the early 1980s.

Sadly, but understandably one of Norway's greatest soldiers and adventurers of modern times has taken his rest.

Hallo,
so wie ich es verstanden habe, war der Verstorbene einer oder der vielleicht der herausragenste norwegische Soldat im 2. Weltkrieg.
Wir müssen uns damit abfinden, dass die Veteranen allmählich nicht mehr bei der Informationsgewinnung zur Verfügung stehen. Leider. Ich hätte gerne meinem Vater auch noch so einige Fragen gestellt.
Gruss
Rainer

Gluckligerweise haben die meistens von diese leute nach dem Krieg mit Information um der Krieg arbeitet.

Further to my earlier posting: the news of the passing of Knut Haugland has been mentioned on the BBC. Please see link:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8431459.stm

Upon checking the net the news has also been broadcast in that august American newspaper, ''The New York Times'. Various forums and websites are also carrying the sad news.

The following link may be of interest to readers. The obituary is from The Daily Telegraph - a UK newspaper publication:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/special-forces-obituaries/6901543/Knut-Haugland.html

Bob

A very fine obituary. In many ways it shows that UK apreciated much more what this men did, than we are here in Norway. In Norwegian newspapers there was only a short article, but I expect TV fottage from his funeral.