Anne Margrethe Strømsheim
Encyclopedia
Anne Margrethe Strømsheim, née Bang (1914 - 6 October 2008) was a Norwegian
resistance member during the German occupation of Norway
during World War II
. She is best known for her participation in the defence of Hegra Fortress
in 1940 and her post-World War II war information work.
in 1914, the daughter of a medical doctor. Her father, a surgeon
, served as an inspiration for her. He had taken part in World War I
and the Balkan Wars
as a medical volunteer and was convinced that sooner or later the Germans
or Russia
ns would attack Norway. From the age of 11 Anne Margrethe was taught by her father how to disinfect medical equipment and perform first aid
. Although she wanted to become a professional nurse when World War II was over she lacked money to fund any education.
she took part in the Battle of Hegra Fortress
as a nurse. The battle saw a small force of Norwegian volunteers holding back German
forces for 25 days, with Hegra Fortress eventually capitulating on 5 May — after all other Norwegian forces in southern Norway had laid down their arms. The only woman at Hegra, Bang became known nationally as a resistance heroine and was given the nickname Lotten fra Hegra.
mountain station recovering from bronchitis
. As the news reached her she put on her skis and started off for Trondheim, catching a lift with a freight train
to Oppdal
. From Oppdal she took a taxicab
to Trondheim, arriving late in the evening of 9 April. After evacuating her mother from Trondheim she returned to the city before moving on Lake Selbusjø
where she encountered Norwegian Army Air Service
pilots who had evacuated from Værnes
. The pilots told her that fighting was expected in the area around Hegra and that the Norwegian forces there were lacking medical supplies. In response to these reports she gathered together medical supplies and went to Hegra. At Hegra, she met two childhood friends who had volunteered to fight the German invasion, both of whom were to die during the upcoming battle. Even before the fighting began she had to use her first aid skills when a civilian train was accidentally fired upon by the Norwegian soldiers blocking the Meråker Line rail line. After the incident, she tended a severely wounded Finnish
woman until the woman could be operated on at a hospital in Selbu
, singing a Finnish song to calm her down. On her way back to the fortress Bang had to pass through German road blocks
and for the last bit wade through deep snow.
but without a cap and with long, blonde hair at the fortress. The Germans took to calling her Jeanne d'Arc
. The cold and wet conditions within the fortress led to sickness amongst most of the Norwegian soldiers and Bang herself had to have several toes amputated after the battle.
by the Germans, although she was treated much better than her fellow male soldiers who were set to do forced labour. The PoWs from Hegra worked with lumber intended to be used for repairing bridges destroyed by Norwegian forces during the fighting. Only after she managed to contact the Norwegian Red Cross
did the PoWs receive medical treatment, with more than 40 men being hospitalised and several dying of tuberculosis
.
In the autumn of 1940 Bang was brought in for interrogation by the Gestapo
. When she was confronted with her resistance efforts at Hegra she quoted a section of Mein Kampf
that states that any country and people that does not intend to defend itself is not worthy of existence and should be exterminated. Continuing her activities in the Norwegian resistance Bang eventually had to flee Trøndelag
to avoid arrest, being warned in advance by a local Nazi.
, the Defence Medal 1940–1945 and the HM The King's Medal of Merit
in gold, as well as four others including one American
. Initially the Norwegian authorities were hesitant to give her the War Medal due to her gender, but she eventually received it.
On International Women's Day
(8 March) 2005 a street in Stjørdal
was named Anne Margrethe Bangs gate in honour of the sole female defender of Hegra Fortress. As she was told of the decision to name the street after her she stated that she glad of the honour, having been fond of the area since an early age.
In 2006 Strømsheim donated her medals to the museum at Hegra Fortress.
. Strømsheim expressed concern over the young Norwegian people being sent to conflict zones in the 21st century, stating that her own mother had not recognised her after the war. She also expresses grave concerns as to the condition of the Norwegian Defence Force
and its ability to defend Norway's oil and energy resources. In addition she stated that modern Norwegian youths were not given enough information on the realities of war by the government.
In her later years she lived in Bærum
, and died there on 6 October 2008.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
resistance member during the German occupation of Norway
Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She is best known for her participation in the defence of Hegra Fortress
Hegra fortress
Hegra Fortress is a small mountain fortress in the village of Hegra in the municipality of Stjørdal in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. Originally known as Ingstadkleiven Fort , it was built between 1907–1910 as a border fort as a defence against the perceived threat of a Swedish...
in 1940 and her post-World War II war information work.
Early life
Anne Margrethe Bang was born in TrondheimTrondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
in 1914, the daughter of a medical doctor. Her father, a surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
, served as an inspiration for her. He had taken part in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
as a medical volunteer and was convinced that sooner or later the Germans
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
or Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
ns would attack Norway. From the age of 11 Anne Margrethe was taught by her father how to disinfect medical equipment and perform first aid
First aid
First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care...
. Although she wanted to become a professional nurse when World War II was over she lacked money to fund any education.
World War II
During the Norwegian CampaignNorwegian Campaign
The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force...
she took part in the Battle of Hegra Fortress
Battle of Hegra Fortress
The Battle of Hegra Fortress was a twenty-five day engagement in the 1940 Norwegian Campaign which saw a small force of Norwegian volunteers fighting superior German forces...
as a nurse. The battle saw a small force of Norwegian volunteers holding back German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
forces for 25 days, with Hegra Fortress eventually capitulating on 5 May — after all other Norwegian forces in southern Norway had laid down their arms. The only woman at Hegra, Bang became known nationally as a resistance heroine and was given the nickname Lotten fra Hegra.
Outbreak of war
At the outbreak of the German invasion on 9 April 1940 she was at KongsvollKongsvoll
Kongsvoll lies along the Pilgrim´s Route or Old Kings' Road between Oslo and Trondheim in Norway. The shelter is located in the Drivdalen valley in the municipality of Oppdal in Sør-Trøndelag county....
mountain station recovering from bronchitis
Bronchitis
Acute bronchitis is an inflammation of the large bronchi in the lungs that is usually caused by viruses or bacteria and may last several days or weeks. Characteristic symptoms include cough, sputum production, and shortness of breath and wheezing related to the obstruction of the inflamed airways...
. As the news reached her she put on her skis and started off for Trondheim, catching a lift with a freight train
Freight train
A freight train or goods train is a group of freight cars or goods wagons hauled by one or more locomotives on a railway, ultimately transporting cargo between two points as part of the logistics chain...
to Oppdal
Oppdal
is a village and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Dovre region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Oppdal. Other villages in the municipality include Lønset, Vognillan, Fagerhaug, and Holan...
. From Oppdal she took a taxicab
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
to Trondheim, arriving late in the evening of 9 April. After evacuating her mother from Trondheim she returned to the city before moving on Lake Selbusjø
Selbusjø
Selbusjø or Selbusjøen is the 17th largest lake in Norway. It is located in Sør-Trøndelag county, primarily in the municipality of Selbu, although the western end of it lies in Klæbu. The lake is the largest lake in Sør-Trøndelag county...
where she encountered Norwegian Army Air Service
Norwegian Army Air Service
The Norwegian Army Air Service ' was established in 1914. Its main base and aircraft factory was at Kjeller. On 10 November 1944 the NoAAS was joined with the Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service to form the Royal Norwegian Air Force....
pilots who had evacuated from Værnes
Trondheim Airport, Værnes
Trondheim Airport, Værnes is an international airport located in Stjørdal, east of Trondheim, Norway. Operated by the state-owned Avinor, it shares facilities with Værnes Air Station of the Royal Norwegian Air Force. In 2010, the airport had 3,521,734 passengers and 55,747 air movements,...
. The pilots told her that fighting was expected in the area around Hegra and that the Norwegian forces there were lacking medical supplies. In response to these reports she gathered together medical supplies and went to Hegra. At Hegra, she met two childhood friends who had volunteered to fight the German invasion, both of whom were to die during the upcoming battle. Even before the fighting began she had to use her first aid skills when a civilian train was accidentally fired upon by the Norwegian soldiers blocking the Meråker Line rail line. After the incident, she tended a severely wounded Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
woman until the woman could be operated on at a hospital in Selbu
Selbu
Selbu is a municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Mebonden. Other villages in Selbu include Flora, Fossan, Hyttbakken, Innbygda, Selbustrand, Tømra, and Vikvarvet.-General information:...
, singing a Finnish song to calm her down. On her way back to the fortress Bang had to pass through German road blocks
Roadblock
A roadblock is a temporary installation set up to control or block traffic along a road. The reasons for one could be:*Roadworks*Temporary road closure during special events*Police chase*Robbery*Sobriety checkpoint...
and for the last bit wade through deep snow.
Under siege at Hegra
During the 25-day Battle of Hegra Fortress Anne Margrethe Bang tended the sick and wounded for 20 hours a day if there were no German attacks going on; during attacks she would work non-stop. The German besiegers soon noticed her as their observers spotted a person in military uniformMilitary uniform
Military uniforms comprises standardised dress worn by members of the armed forces and paramilitaries of various nations. Military dress and military styles have gone through great changes over the centuries from colourful and elaborate to extremely utilitarian...
but without a cap and with long, blonde hair at the fortress. The Germans took to calling her Jeanne d'Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
. The cold and wet conditions within the fortress led to sickness amongst most of the Norwegian soldiers and Bang herself had to have several toes amputated after the battle.
Prisoner of war
After Hegra Fortress surrendered on 5 May 1940 Bang was held as a prisoner of warPrisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
by the Germans, although she was treated much better than her fellow male soldiers who were set to do forced labour. The PoWs from Hegra worked with lumber intended to be used for repairing bridges destroyed by Norwegian forces during the fighting. Only after she managed to contact the Norwegian Red Cross
Norwegian Red Cross
The Norwegian Red Cross was founded September 22, 1865 by prime minister Frederik Stang. In 1907 the Norwegian Ministry of Defence authorized the organization for voluntary medical aid in war...
did the PoWs receive medical treatment, with more than 40 men being hospitalised and several dying of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
.
During the German occupation
After the end of the 1940 Campaign she continued her fight against the occupiers through participation in the Norwegian resistance movementNorwegian resistance movement
The Norwegian resistance to the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany began after Operation Weserübung in 1940 and ended in 1945. It took several forms:...
In the autumn of 1940 Bang was brought in for interrogation by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
. When she was confronted with her resistance efforts at Hegra she quoted a section of Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf is a book written by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. It combines elements of autobiography with an exposition of Hitler's political ideology. Volume 1 of Mein Kampf was published in 1925 and Volume 2 in 1926...
that states that any country and people that does not intend to defend itself is not worthy of existence and should be exterminated. Continuing her activities in the Norwegian resistance Bang eventually had to flee Trøndelag
Trøndelag
Trøndelag is the name of a geographical region in the central part of Norway, consisting of the two counties Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag. The region is, together with Møre og Romsdal, part of a larger...
to avoid arrest, being warned in advance by a local Nazi.
Honours
For her wartime efforts she was decorated with the Norwegian War MedalNorwegian War Medal
The War Medal is a Norwegian war decoration for service during Second World War.The Norwegian War Medal was instituted by King Haakon VII of Norway by Royal Decree on 23 May 1941 with the addition of the Royal Decree of 13 November 1942. It may be awarded to Norwegian and foreign members of the...
, the Defence Medal 1940–1945 and the HM The King's Medal of Merit
HM The King's Medal of Merit
The King's Medal of Merit is a Norwegian award. It was instituted in 1908 to reward meritorious achievements in the fields of art, science, business and public service. It is divided in two classes: gold and silver. The medal in gold is rewarded for extraordinary achievements of importance to the...
in gold, as well as four others including one American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Initially the Norwegian authorities were hesitant to give her the War Medal due to her gender, but she eventually received it.
On International Women's Day
International Women's Day
International Women's Day , originally called International Working Women’s Day, is marked on March 8 every year. In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women's economic, political and...
(8 March) 2005 a street in Stjørdal
Stjørdal
is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Stjørdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Stjørdal, also called Stjørdalshalsen...
was named Anne Margrethe Bangs gate in honour of the sole female defender of Hegra Fortress. As she was told of the decision to name the street after her she stated that she glad of the honour, having been fond of the area since an early age.
In 2006 Strømsheim donated her medals to the museum at Hegra Fortress.
Post-war life
After World War II Strømsheim worked for the benefit of blind children, war invalids and divers injured during oil exploration in the North SeaNorth Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. Strømsheim expressed concern over the young Norwegian people being sent to conflict zones in the 21st century, stating that her own mother had not recognised her after the war. She also expresses grave concerns as to the condition of the Norwegian Defence Force
Norwegian Defence Force
The Norwegian Armed Forces numbers about 23,000 personnel, including civilian employees. According to mobilisation plans , the strength during full mobilisation would be approximately 83,000 combatant personnel. Norway has mandatory military service for men and voluntary service for women...
and its ability to defend Norway's oil and energy resources. In addition she stated that modern Norwegian youths were not given enough information on the realities of war by the government.
In her later years she lived in Bærum
Bærum
is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandvika. Bærum was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. A suburb of Oslo, Bærum is located on the west coast of the city....
, and died there on 6 October 2008.