Gunnar Sønsteby

Gunnar Fridtjof Thurmann Sønsteby (Known as "Kjakan")

WWII Resistance Leader, Saboteur, Commander of the Oslo Gang, War Hero

Born 1918-01-11

Rjukan, Norway

Passed Away 2012-05-10 Oslo, Norway

Lifespan 94 years old

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Notice / Correction

"Freedom is not free; it requires vigilance, courage, and standing up to tyranny without hesitation."

Archival Overview

Norway's most decorated citizen and war hero who commanded the elite Oslo Gang resistance sabotage unit during World War II, operating under code name 'Kjakan' (No. 24).

Biographical Record

Gunnar Fridtjof Thurmann Sønsteby was born on January 11, 1918, in the industrial mountain town of Rjukan. When the Nazis invaded in 1940, he joined the underground Milorg resistance, establishing connections with the British Special Operations Executive (SOE).

As head of the famed 'Oslo Gang' (Oslogjengen), Sønsteby executed dozens of daring sabotage operations in the heart of occupied Oslo without suffering a single loss of his men. His targets included the Nazi forced labor registry archives, locomotive factories, and oil storage depots. He is the only person in history to be awarded the Norwegian War Cross with Three Swords, spending his post-war life educating youth about democratic values and peace.

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Rest in Peace Forever remembered and cherished Your legacy lives on in all of us With deep gratitude for your life and light

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Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial

Vestre gravlund
Oslo, Norway

                         GPS: 59.9281, 10.6978                    

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