Was Norway one of the allies?

[Erik E]

This interesting question showed up on a Norwegian Forum, and people can`t agree......

Was Norway one of the allies, or "just" a occupied neutral country?

Erik E

[Harri]

It depends which Norway you mean.

There were two different kinds of Norways during the war. Original "Royal" Norway led by the King was for sure an allied country since it was occupied by the Germans in spring 1940. There was also another Norway, "Nazi-Norway", between 1940 and 1945, which had puppet leaders and was totally under german control.

A few Norwegian war ships (small destroyers, I don't remember how many) of "Royal Norway" sailed with the allied vessels and even partisipated in the Normandy landing.

[Madsen]

Norway was an ally. they bought/rent the ships,planes and other eq. they used instead of just borrow it. in my oppinion that makes them an ally.
I think(Dont shoot me if im wrong ) that The Royal Norwegian Navy in the war had 58 ships in duty as combat ships. Subs, MTB's, Destroyers,
Eskorts, and other ships. not all at the same time.
there was at least two ships that took part in Overlord. KNM SVENNER(Wich was hit by a torpedo and sunk) and KNM STORD who was one of the heros from the North Cape battle 26.12.43 when SCHARNHOST was sunked.
A Norwegian company of the famus Commandos was in action under the fighting for the island of Walcheren ? in Holland

A norwegian sq of spitfires had the day record of enemy planes taken down over England for some time.

anti sub planes from Norway (330sq (Now the Norw resc. heli sq.))
operated from Island and later from Scotland.

I think that is enough to say that Norge/Norway was an ally
And do not forget the NORTRASHIP.
Bjørn

[Helmut Wick]

I think so, yes they were allies...........
(Remember vidkun Erik?)........................

[Lord Gort]

Yes they were allies. It was the Norweigian governemnts decision to send all Norwegian ships to Britian before the Quisling governemnt gave new orders that gave the UK more ships for the atlantic battles, Yes Norway was an ally.

[Erik E]

Glad to see that you all agree, which is not the fact elsewhere..........

Some people means that Norway lost this status when the army laid down their weapons in June 40.
The fact that Norwegian soldiers joined RAF and the regular army, doesn`t make the entire country an ally. These were Norwegian volunteers fighting the war in British uniforms and equipment.
Only the navy had official status as Norwegian (HmsNor) and of course the Nortraship.

The agreement between Norway`s exile government and Britain, (about freeing Norway) was made on the 28 May 1941. This was the first allied agreement Norway ever made.

As I can see Norway became an ally on 28 may 1941, before that they more like did a service for the allies, by supplying some 1000-1500 merchant ships and tankers. Norway actually got well paid for these services.........

EE

[Peter]

Gentlemen
either way we were very glad for the help of our Norwegian Allies and think that men like Leif Larsen DSO DSC CGM DSM showed enormous bravery fighting for the Allied Cause and liberation of Norway.

cheers
Pete

[Musashi]

A norwegian sq of spitfires had the day record of enemy planes taken down over England for some time.
Bjørn

Are U sure? Could U write the record and number of the squadron?
Of course for me Norway was an ally.
The Norwegians destroyed a German factory to produce "heavy water" for atomic bomb

[Oleg Grigoryev]

Norwegian troops were used by Soviet Army during its Petsamo-Kirkiness operation (probably butchered that one) as far as I know they were regarded by RKKA as regular unit of an allied Army.

[Peter]

I guess you are thinking of 331 and 332 Spitfire squadrons.

I can see that the Norwegian 330 and 333 Squadrons make a significant contribution to the war against U-boats, either sinking or damaging U240, U958, U862, U804, U423, U863, U244, U387, U322 and U251.

cheers
Pete

[Lars EP]

Glad to see that you all agree, which is not the fact elsewhere..........

Some people means that Norway lost this status when the army laid down their weapons in June 40.

EE

That would mean that France wasn't an allied country either.... which would be nonsense...

Regards --- Lars

[Andy H]

Allies without a shadow of doubt

[Nagelfar]

Didnt the Norwegian government sign peace with the germans, before fleeing to britian to continue the battle against them, against all rules to war?.. thats how it was from what I knew...

I consider Quislings government as much Norwegian, as the Nazi government was German... if the Nasjonal Samling wasnt the norwegian government by how they appropriated it, then neither was the National Socialists for germany. unless of course, you think the british isle is norway.

[Peter]

Not sure that I understand what you are saying there but I regard any nation who were invaded and occupied against their will, and who fought back both at home and from any base abroad, as ALLIED.

You'll be saying next that the French, Dutch, Belgians, etc, etc were not ALLIES ??

Pete

[Ike_FI]

Norwegian troops were used by Soviet Army during its Petsamo-Kirkiness operation (probably butchered that one) as far as I know they were regarded by RKKA as regular unit of an allied Army.

Hmm, found something but not good info on the Norwegian participation.

http://www.nuav.net/soviet.html

The soviets "invade"; Norway.

At the begining of Oct. 1944 the 53,000 men of the 19th Mountain corps were still some 45 miles inside Russia along the Litsa River and the neck of the Rybachi peninsula. The plan was for them to reach Lakselv some 160 miles West in Norway by 15th Nov.
On the 7th Oct. however the Soviet 14th Army and Northern fleet of some 133,500 men under Field Marshall Kirill Meretskov smashed into the weakest point of the German line, the junction between the 2nd and 6th Mountain Divisions.
A Soviet Naval Brigade was also landed to the West of Rybachi thereby outflanking the Germans. Rendulic fearing an encirclement of his forces ordered the 19th Mountain Corps to fall back into Norway. With the Soviets hard on their heels the Corps had reached Kirkenes by 20th Oct.

This is an interesting issue, and the operation is apparently quite forgotten part of WWII history, compared to scale of the battle.
All in all, the total number of attacking troops (including land froces) was rather significant - comparable to the number of men landed on Normandy Beaches on D-Day.
I wonder how large amphibious troops were used there?