Sunday, February 17, 2013

WANTED: 100000 NOK FOR INFORMATION ABOUT ASBJØRN SUNDE -CALLED "OSVALD"

" ... he was a good leader ... I liked him very much " - the statement is made by the Norwegian saboteur Harry Sønsterøy. He is 91 years old. He is still going strong. Harry was a young boy when the German soldiers attacked Norway in 1940. Harry is talking about the late and famous Norwegian
saboteur and leader of the secret resistance groups: Asbjørn Sunde - called " Osvald ". Harry Sønsterøy was disappointed in 1940 when he understood that the Norwegian soldiers had given up the fighting. The Norwegian government, the Royal family and many politicians had fled to London. Harry and his friends wanted to make a personal contribution to the fight against the German soldiers.
The former sailor, communist, a secret leader of the " Wollweber-group", the former freedom fighter in the Spanish Civil War, Asbjørn Sunde was contacted. The selection of acting men was a critical
selection and test to see if you could make it fighting the Germans. Harry was accepted. " ... I was always armed. I carried with me a British made sub-machine- a Sten Gun with a silencer ...but I never
killed anybody...I worked hard with security rules to make it possible to run away without using guns..." Harry told me during a talk with him in connection with a film I am making about his experience with Asbjørn Sunde during the Second World War and the German occupation of Norway. Harry was in control of dangerous situations where you used the gun and run away. Harry played it cool. Asbjørn Sunde was also never taken as prisoner but he survided due to his fighting spirit and battle experience during the Spanish Civil War. He did not ask too many questions before he used the gun. Asbjørn Sunde was an extraordinary leader. He was a good administrator andd he spent more time searching for food and money for his men than making the  work himself.
About 100 actions took place made by the members of the " Osvald- Group ". About 200 members
had to get money and a place to live while waiting for new missions. 100000 NOK would be given to the person who made it possible to capture Asbjørn Sunde. The money was never paid to anybody.
The Norwegian government in London disliked his work. Winston S. Churchill and Asbjørn Sunde
did not have much in common but both believed in military actions against the Germans in all countries occupied by the Germans. Winston S. Churchill lost the election in 1945. Asbjørn Sunde lost too. He was not made for daily life work. In 1954 he was sentenced for espionage in favour of Russia. The fight against any communist in Norway was not a new one. A spy or just a man who could not  adapt himself to daily life activities after the war?
The young Harry Sønsterøy. He went to Sweden later on and joined the Norwegian forces in Sweden.

Up-dating information only: Gunnar Kagge has written a report and interviewed Harry Sønsterød.

"...THE BANK ROBBER RETURNS TO THE SCENE OF THE CRIME..."
 On November 10, 2013, the Norwegian newspaper: " Aftenposten "  published a report about the resistance group called : " Osvald-Group ". The bank robber, Harry Sønsterød, is interviewed about the event when he and three of his friends had to rob the bank, Modum Savings Bank. Money was needed to support the resistance groups. Therefore banks had to be robbed. This time they made it getting about 3 million Norwegian kroner from the bank. Not bad at all.The robbery took place on April 17, 1944.
For your information only:
The Norwegian historian, Lars Borgersrud, has criticized the paper written by Gunnar Kagge. Lars Borgersrud has written a book about " The Oswald-Group ". The Norwegian newspaper " Aftenposten " has published the critic of  Lars Borgersrud on November 13, 2013.

The Norwegian film about Asbjørn Sunde -" Victim or Spy? " was released in February 2015. The
film was set up at the Ringen Kino in Oslo. Asbjørn Sunde was sailor, communist, saboteur against the Nazi occupation of Norway during the Second World War. He was the leader of the "Osvald-group ". In 1954 he was convicted for treason and espionage in favour of the former Soviet Union.
The Norwegian actor, Terje Ranes, is making a portraying the famous saboteur. The film was made due to hard work by many who wanted to publish the story about Asbjørn Sunde.

On May 1, 2015, a new memorial schulpture was set up in Oslo to honour those who fought against the Nazi-German occupation of Norway. The Norwegian saboteur Harry Sønsterød gave a speech
about the resistance work done by " The Osvald-Group " during the Second World War.


 Signe Raassum was member of " The Osvald-Group". She is 90 years of age and still active.
( Source: Kassekampen. December 12, 2014) (The lady with white hear sitting in the photo)
 Lars Borgersrud attended the ceremony. He has written books about " The Osvald-Group"

Harry Olaf Sønsterød.: Sad information
The famous Norwegian saboteur from the Second World War, Harry Olaf Sønsterød, died December 19, 2017.Age:96..He was buried January 4, 2018 at Aker Churchyard which is located not so far away from Oslo. I took part in the burial and the memorial party.