Birger Kristian Eriksen
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| Birger Kristian Eriksen | |
|---|---|
| 17 November 1875 – 16 July 1958 | |
 Birger Kristian Eriksen with the War Cross with sword, Légion d'honneur and Croix de guerre. |
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| Place of birth | Moskenes, Lofoten |
| Place of death | Oslo |
| Allegiance | Royal Norwegian Army |
| Years of service | ?–1940 |
| Rank | Oberst (Colonel) of the Royal Norwegian Army |
| Commands held | Commander of: • Tønsberg Fortifications (1915)[1] • Agdenes Fortress (1915-1931)[2] • Bergen Fortress (1931-1933)[2] • Oscarsborg Fortress (1933-1940)[3] |
| Battles/wars | World War II: • Battle of Drøbak Sound |
| Awards |  War Cross with sword[4][5] Croix de guerre[4][6] Légion d'honneur[4][6] |
Birger Kristian Eriksen 17 November 1875 - 16 July 1958)[6] was a Norwegian officer (Oberst = Colonel) who was instrumental in stopping the first wave of Gruppe 5 of the German invasion force outside Oslo.
Eriksen was born in Moskenes in Lofoten. He was the commander of Oscarsborg Fortress when Nazi Germany attacked Norway in the early hours of 9 April 1940. He gained lasting recognition for ordering the fortress under his command to open fire on the vanguard forces of Operation Weserübung and sinking the 14,000 ton heavy cruiser Blücher.
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[edit] Early life
Born in 1875 to a merchant family in Moskenes, Lofoten in North Norway,[6] Birger Eriksen left home at age 12 to go to Kristiania (as Oslo was known as at the time) to study.[6]
[edit] Military career
When Eriksen had completed high school he attended technical college in Berlin, Germany before returning home and starting his military career[7] at military college. At age 25 he had reached the rank of Kaptein (Captain) in the Norwegian Army.
Eriksen went home to Moskenes every summer to visit his mother until she passed away in 1936, having been a widow for fifty years.[6]
In 1931 he reached the rank of Oberst (Colonel) and two years later he obtained the position of commander of Oscarsborg Fortress, a position he would hold until that fateful morning of 9 April, 1940.
Before his Oscarsborg command Eriksen had commanded the fortresses of Tønsberg, Agdenes and Bergen.
[edit] Post-WWII investigations
| "The Commission of 1946 finds no reason to make anyone juridically responsible in connection with the surrender of the fortress at the time it occurred" |
| —The Military Investigative Commission of 1946[8] |
Although Eriksen was honoured for his efforts after the war, he also came under criticism by governmental investigators who felt he had surrendered his fortress sooner than what had been necessary. Eriksen defended himself and stated that he had been acting under enormous pressure and that he had in fact opened fire against the German invaders contrary to standing Norwegian military orders to first fire warning shots at intruders.[8]
In the following investigations by both the Investigative Commission of 1945 and the Military Investigative Commission of 1946 Eriksen was confirmed to have carried out his duties to the full during the German invasion.[8]
[edit] Legacy
Birger Eriksen died as a celebrated war hero in 1958. The funeral service took place at Oslo New Crematorium and the urn with Eriksen's ashes was buried at Drøbak Church. Following a private initiative and the formation of a honorary comity, Eriksen's ashes were exhumed on 4 October 1977 and moved to the honorary burial ground of Vår Frelsers gravlund in Oslo.[8]
The final recognition of Eriksen's efforts, and rebuttal of the early post-war criticisms of some of his actions, took place during the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. On 6 May, 1995 King Harald V unveiled a statue of Eriksen[9] on the Borggården square at Oscarsborg's Main Fort, cementing the Colonel's position among the foremost Norwegian leaders of World War II.[8]
[edit] Quotations
| “ | Either I will be decorated or I will be court-martialed. Fire. | ” |
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— Birger Kristian Eriksen, as he gave orders to fire at the German heavy cruiser Blücher[10]
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| “ | It's not really hard to fire guns, but it's immensely hard to make the decision to fire. | ” |
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— Post-war statement with regards to his decision to open fire[8]
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[edit] Awards
- War Cross with sword (Norwegian) - 16 November, 1945[4]
- Croix de guerre (French) - May 1946[4]
- Légion d'honneur (French) - May 1946[4]
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ Fjeld 1999: 404
- ^ a b Fjeld 1999: 405
- ^ Fjeld 1999: 403
- ^ a b c d e f Fjeld 1999: 410
- ^ The War Cross: The War Cross with swords (Norwegian)
- ^ a b c d e f Jan Dagfinn Monssen website: Nordlendingen som senket "Blücher" (Norwegian)
- ^ Eriksen, Birger (Kristian), Norgeslexi.com (Norwegian)
- ^ a b c d e f Kongsberg Defence Association: Oberst Birger Kristian Eriksen (Norwegian)
- ^ National Fortresses of Norway: Statue of Birger Eriksen in the Main Fort at Oscarsborg (Norwegian)
- ^ Lofoten War Museum: 9 APRIL (Norwegian)
[edit] Literature
- Fjeld, Odd T. (ed.): "Klar til strid - Kystartilleriet gjennom århundrene", Kystartilleriets Offisersforening, Oslo 1999 ISBN 82-995208-0-0 (Norwegian)
[edit] External links
- Jan Dagfinn Monssen website, section "Birger Eriksen" (Norwegian)
- The Lofoten War Museum (Norwegian)
