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Bjarne Keyser Barth

Bjarne Keyser Barth (14 April 1892 – 23 April 1972) was a Norwegian fortress artillery officer. A military officer from 1914, Barth took part in Norwegian neutrality protection duties during the First World War, mostly at Oscarsborg Fortress. Remaining in military service after the end of the First World War, he served at several different Norwegian fortresses, finally at Fossumstrøket Fortress in south-eastern Norway.

Bjarne Keyser Barth
Born(1892-04-14)14 April 1892
Kristiania, Norway
Died23 April 1972(1972-04-23) (aged 80)
Buried
Vestre Aker Cemetery, Oslo, Norway
Allegiance Norway
Service/branchNorwegian Army
Years of service1914–1952
RankCaptain
Unit
  • Oscarsborg Fortress (1914–1917)
  • 2nd Fortress Company (1917–1919, 1920–1926)
  • Tønsberg Fortifications (1919–1920)
  • Agdenes Fortress (1926–1930)
  • Fossumstrøket Fortress (1930–1940, 1945–1952)
Commands held
  • 16th Fortress Company (1926–1930)
  • Høytorp Fort (1940)
Battles/warsNorwegian Campaign (1940)
Awards
Spouse(s)
Madelaine Marie Quernel
(m. 1922)
(marriage dissolved)
Solveig Elfrida Bjørnstad
(m. 1926)
Relations
  • Christian Andreas Barth (father)
  • Marie Georgine Antoinette Keyser (mother)
Other work
  • Journalist
  • Magazine editor
  • Business owner

In the inter-war years, Barth continued his military career, as well as working as a journalist, schoolteacher and book editor, and ran a small business.

During the Second World War, Barth again took part in neutrality protection duties, until the German invasion of Norway in April 1940. Barth led the garrison of Høytorp Fort, which fought the German invasion forces before being encircled and surrendering. Close to two years later, in 1942, Barth was arrested by the German occupying authorities and sent as a prisoner of war to Germany.

In the post-war years, Barth was involved with officer associations, and edited several military professional magazines. In this role he was often critical of the political leadership of the Norwegian Armed Forces.

Early and personal life edit

Barth was born in Kristiania on 14 April 1892 to bank manager Christian Andreas Barth and Marie Georgine Antoinette Keyser.[1][2][3] Having attended Oslo Cathedral School,[4] he achieved his Examen artium student qualifications in 1910.[3]

He first married Frenchwoman Madelaine Marie Quernel in Paris on 6 July 1922,[3] having had wedding celebrations at the Hôtel Lutetia the day before.[5] The couple had a son,[3] born in Bordeaux in April 1923. The marriage was later dissolved.[6] He remarried to Solveig Elfrida Bjørnstad in Oslo, Norway, on 26 June 1926.[2][3] Barth and his second wife had two sons together, the first born in Oslo in October 1931 and the second born in October 1936.[7]

Barth was a freemason, having joined the Lodge St. Olaus to the white Leopard in January 1917.[6][8]

Career edit

He graduated as military officer from the Norwegian Military Academy in 1914,[3] becoming a first lieutenant in the Fortress Artillery on 13 October 1914.[9] He then graduated from the Norwegian Military College in 1919.[2] During the First World War he saw service on neutrality protection duties, serving from 1914 to 1917 at Oscarsborg Fortress in the Oslofjord, then from 1917 to 1919 with the 2nd Fortress Company. In 1919 to 1920 he served at Tønsberg Fortifications, before returning to the 2nd Fortress Company in 1920 and staying with that unit until 16 November 1926, when he was promoted to the rank of captain and transferred to Agdenes Fortress in the Trondheimsfjord. With his transfer to Agdenes he assumed command of the 16th Fortress Company. In 1930 he again transferred, this time to Fossumstrøket Fortress in the south-east of Norway. In connection with his military service he travelled to France for studies in 1921–1922, serving with the French Army's 157th Artillery Regiment and attending a French artillery school in Mailly.[3][6][10] In 1924, 1927 and 1930 he again travelled in Europe for studies, visiting France, Italy and Germany.[6] From 1935 to 1946 Barth was a member of the board of the Norwegian Army Regular Officers' Association.[11]

In addition to his military service, Barth had several civilian occupations. From 1920 to 1921 he worked as a schoolteacher, at a primary school in Kristiania and at his old secondary school Oslo Cathedral School. He also worked as chief of advertising at the advertising agency Høydahl Ohme. Starting in 1924, he ran an agency business in Oslo.[3][6][7] From 1924 to 1928 he worked as journalist, and was then working as a procurator at the finance magazine Økonomisk Revue from 1928 to 1942. He edited the book Norges militære embedsmenn 1929 with biographies of Norwegian regular military officers, published in 1930.[2] In 1924 he was the secretary of the Norwegian memorial committee for the Scandinavian Corps and the Battle of Magersfontein during the Second Boer War. In connection with his work on the committee, he was awarded the Swedish Magersfontein Memorial Medal.[3][6]

Second World War edit

After the outbreak of the Second World War, Barth was mobilized on 22 January 1940 for neutrality protection duties at Høytorp Fort, one of the forts belonging to Fossumstrøket Fortress. At Fossumstrøket Fortress he was the designated substitute for the fortress commander, Lieutenant Colonel Lauritz Rodtwitt, in cases where the commander was absent.[12]

 
Map of the Norwegian Campaign in the southern part of Norway, with the operations around Fossumstrøket Fortress occurring in the far south-east

When the Germans invaded Norway on 9 April 1940, Barth was in command of Fossumstrøket Fortress' signals unit.[13] Fossumstrøket Fortress' two forts immediately began mobilizing, although at Høytorp Fort this was hampered by ill-maintained and outdated fortifications and the poor quality of the other facilities. During the decade before 1940 the role of Høytorp Fort had been changed to one as a mobilization area for field artillery rather than a defensible fortification. At Trøgstad Fort artillery ammunition was in very short supply.[14] Captain Barth was placed in charge of Høytorp Fort, and took direct command of the fort's two 12 cm turreted artillery pieces.[15] After their initial landings along the coast, the Germans began their inland advance. The 196th Infantry Division was tasked with seizing the far south-east corner of Norway, including the Fossum area. The unit began its advance from Oslo on 12 April 1940.[16] When one of the advance columns of the 196th Infantry Division reached the Askim area on 13 April, the cannon at Høytorp Fort opened fire to cover the retreat of the Norwegian 1st Division. In the course of two hours a total of 100 high-explosive shells were fired from the fort in an indirect area bombardment without the aid of observers. The artillery fire was estimated by the Norwegians as having been reasonably effective. Having expended their stocks of artillery ammunition, the fort's crew redeployed for defence of the interior of the fort. In a post-action report, Barth praised the crew of Høytorp Fort for their "fire discipline and good attitude in action".[17] On 14 April 1940 Fossumstrøket Fortress surrendered after a meeting of the fortress commander and six of the other officers, including Captain Barth. The officers held a vote and unanimously agreed that the fortress could not continue fighting. At the time the fortress was encircled and under machine gun and artillery fire, while the Norwegian 1st Division had retreated from the area and no longer needed the fortress' support. Barth stated in connection with his vote that the fortress was in an impossible tactical situation, and was manned by poorly trained and demoralized crews.[18] Barth and another officer were appointed to approach the German forces and begin surrender negotiations on behalf of the fortress commander. The fortress guns were rendered inoperable by the destruction of vital parts at 14:05, and a flag of truce was raised over the fortress at 14:16.[19] In a report written in 1941, Lieutenant Colonel Rodtwitt praised Barth's efforts during the fighting, describing him as "loyal, devoted to duty, able and brave", pointing especially to his leadership of Høytorp Fort during the fighting and to his "rescue of important documents" after the surrender of the fortress.[12] Rodtwitt concluded his report by stating that under "normal circumstances" (rather than Norway being occupied) he would have recommended Barth for a promotion and an award.[12]

Barth was arrested by the Gestapo on 12 January 1942, held at the Grini detention camp from the day of his arrest. At Grini he was assigned prisoner number 1234. He was transferred as a prisoner of war to the officers' camp Oflag XXI-C in Skoki in German-annexed Poland on 5 February 1942. At Oflag XXI-C Barth was prisoner number 22, as one of the first officers to have been sent to the camp.[Note 1] He was released from captivity on 28 September 1942, due to having fallen severely ill during his captivity.[12][21][22][23] For his wartime service, Barth was decorated with the Defence Medal 1940–1945.[2] In addition he had the Det frivillige Skyttervesen rifle association's silver medal.[24]

Post-war years edit

In the post-war years, Barth edited the periodical Vår Hær from 1946 to 1964, and Norges Forsvar from 1964 to 1966.[2] Vår Hær was published by the Norwegian Army Regular Officers' Association and spoke on behalf of the association's members,[25] while Norges Forsvar was and still is the magazine of the Norges Forsvarsforening (Norwegian Defence Association).[26] In a 1946 leader, Vår Hær criticized the Norwegian Minister of Defence, Jens Christian Hauge and demanded his resignation.[25][27] The resignation demand, which included claims that Hauge had ignored the advice of military professionals and involved himself too much in the details of military matters in the post-war reconstruction of the Norwegian Armed Forces, led to a debate in the national newspapers. Barth stated in the debate that "most army officers" would agree with the criticism of Hauge. In the debate Barth was himself criticised by the Norwegian Army Officers' Association which said it was too soon to judge minister Hauge's efforts, and that Barth's statements were too broad in nature.[25] In the following years criticism of defence minister Hauge leadership increased among officers, media and politicians, and ended with Hauge announcing his resignation in late 1951. Barth wrote an editorial in Vår Hær after Hauge's resignation where he stated that in his view the defence minister had had "increasingly dictatorial tendencies over the years" and "lacked an ability to cooperate".[28]

Barth was given an honourable discharge from the Norwegian Armed Forces on 15 April 1952. His last military position was at Fossumstrøket Fortress.[29] Barth had applied unsuccessfully for several positions during his last seven years in the Norwegian Armed Forces, the first of his post-war applications being to the position of general inspector and commander of the Norwegian coastal artillery service in 1945.[30] In 1946, the officer appointed to the position for which Barth had applied the previous year, Colonel Gunnar Isaachsen Willoch, recommended that Barth should be promoted to the rank of colonel and given command of the coastal artillery in Western Norway. However, due to a bureaucratic mistake Barth was considered by the Commanding Admiral of the Royal Norwegian Navy, Admiral Elias Corneliussen, to be disqualified due to his age and another officer given the position. Admiral Corneliussen and army general Halvor Hansson had interpreted the age regulations for promotion to the rank of colonel without taking into account Barth's war service, which would have enabled him to be qualified for a promotion despite his age. Barth sent a written complaint after being disqualified. A parliamentary investigative commission concluded months later that Barth had been qualified for the position, and should be considered for other similar positions.[12] Barth's case was brought up at the Storting (Parliament of Norway) in 1948 by Conservative Party politician Carl P. Wright, who stated that Barth should be given the next coastal artillery position that became available. Minister of Defence Jens Christian Hauge replied to Wright's statement by pointing out that Barth had been removed from consideration quite early in the process in 1946 due to the mistake made regarding age limits, but that he was now free to apply for and be considered for any military position.[31] Wright brought up once more the cases of Barth and several other officers who claimed to have been unreasonably bypassed, in 1949.[32] In 1948 Barth applied unsuccessfully for the position of commander of Coastal Artillery Brigade Eastern Norway.[33] The next year he applied unsuccessfully for the position of director of the Norwegian Defence University College, and also for the position as military attaché at the Norwegian embassies in Copenhagen and Stockholm.[34] He died on 23 April 1972 at the age of 80,[35] having lived at Akersborg terrasse in Oslo.[11] He was buried on 5 June 1972 at Vestre Aker Cemetery in Oslo.[36]

References edit

Notes
  1. ^ In total some 1,300 Norwegian officers were arrested by the Germans and sent as prisoners of war to Oflag XXI-C, most being detained in August 1943. The Germans carried out mass arrests after learning that a number of the officers had been amongst the leadership of the Norwegian resistance movement, and that other officers had escaped occupied Norway to join the exiled Norwegian forces fighting from abroad.[20]
Citations
  1. ^ Gram, Harald; Steenstrup, Bjørn, eds. (1948). "Barth, Bjarne Keyser". Hvem er hvem? (in Norwegian). Oslo: Aschehoug.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Steenstrup, Bjørn, ed. (1968). "Barth, Bjarne Keyser". Hvem er hvem? (in Norwegian). Oslo: Aschehoug.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Barth, Bjarne Keyser, ed. (1930). "Barth, B. K.". Norges militære embedsmenn 1929 (in Norwegian). Oslo: A. M. Hanche. pp. 35–36.
  4. ^ Brochmann, Odd; Engelstad, Carl Fr.; Refsdal, Odd (1947). Oslo katedralskoles gymnasiesamfunn "Kattuglen" 100 år (in Norwegian). Oslo: Gymnasiesamfunnet. p. 14.
  5. ^ "Bryllup". Morgenbladet (in Norwegian). 4 July 1922. p. 3. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Bassøe, Bjarne, ed. (1935). "Barth, Bjarne Keyser". Studentene fra 1910: biografiske oplysninger samlet til 25-årsjubileet 1935 (in Norwegian). Oslo. pp. 31–32.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. ^ a b Bassøe, Bjarne, ed. (1960). "Barth, Bjarne Keyser". Studentene fra 1910: biografiske opplysninger samlet til 50-års jubileet 1960 (in Norwegian). Oslo. pp. 14–15.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  8. ^ Thorbjørnsen, Kristian (1949). St. Olai brødrene: blad av St.Johs. Logen St. Olaus til den hvide Leopards historie gjennom 200 år (in Norwegian). Oslo. p. XVII.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  9. ^ Woxen, Fr.; Soldan, J., eds. (1914). Departements-tidende (in Norwegian). Vol. 86. Christiania. p. 631.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  10. ^ Jensen, Rolf, ed. (1965). Sjømilitære samfunds kalender: 1814–1964 (in Norwegian). Horten: Sjømilitære samfund. p. 398.
  11. ^ a b G. (13 April 1972). "80 år". Arbeiderbladet (in Norwegian). p. 11. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  12. ^ a b c d e Stortingsforhandlinger. 1948 (in Norwegian). Vol. 6b. Oslo: Stortinget. 1948. pp. 8–10.
  13. ^ Faye, Wilhelm (1963). Krigen i Norge 1940. Operasjonene i Østfold (in Norwegian). Oslo: Forsvarets Krigshistoriske Avdeling / Gyldendal. p. 139.
  14. ^ Faye 1963, pp. 141–143.
  15. ^ Faye 1963, p. 224.
  16. ^ Faye 1963, pp. 152–153.
  17. ^ Faye 1963, pp. 224–225.
  18. ^ Faye 1963, pp. 317–318.
  19. ^ Faye 1963, p. 318.
  20. ^ Moland, Arnfinn (1995). "offiserer". In Dahl, Hans Fredrik (ed.). Norsk krigsleksikon 1940-45 (in Norwegian). Oslo: Cappelen. pp. 314–315. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  21. ^ Ottosen, Kristian (1995). Nordmenn i fangenskap 1940–1945 – alfabetisk register (in Norwegian). Oslo: Universitetsforlaget. p. 110. ISBN 82-00-22372-8.
  22. ^ Børre R. Giertsen, ed. (1946). "1234. Barth, Bjarne Keyser". Norsk fangeleksikon. Grinifangene (in Norwegian). Oslo: Cappelen. p. 47.
  23. ^ Tillegg til "I tysk krigsfangenskap 1942–1945". Navnefortegnelse (in Norwegian). Askim: Øvre Smaalenene – Askim boktrykkeri. 1952. p. 5. (a separate appendix to Spenning, Knut Lindboe, ed. (1950). I tysk krigsfangenskap. Norske offiserers opplevelser i Polen og Tyskland 1942–1945 (in Norwegian). Oslo: Gyldendal.)
  24. ^ "75 år". Arbeiderbladet (in Norwegian). 13 April 1967. p. 15. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  25. ^ a b c Kristoffersen, Roger (1995). HOF's historie (in Norwegian). Oslo: Hærens offisersforbunds legat. p. 27.
  26. ^ Ellingsen, Ellmann (1986). Forsvarssak er fredssak: 1886–1986: Norges forsvarsforening 100 år (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norges forsvarsforening. p. 51.
  27. ^ "En sommeroffensiv". Arbeiderbladet (in Norwegian). 3 August 1946. p. 4. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  28. ^ Ask, Alf Ole; Westlie, Bjørn (1991). Maktens ansikt: et portrett av Jens Chr. Hauge (in Norwegian). Oslo: Tiden. pp. 82–85. ISBN 8210034537.
  29. ^ "Statsråd". Arbeiderbladet (in Norwegian). 19 April 1952. p. 5. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
  30. ^ Stortingsforhandlinger. 1945/46 (in Norwegian). Vol. 5. Oslo: Stortinget. 1946. pp. 59–60.
  31. ^ Stortingsforhandlinger. 1948 (in Norwegian). Vol. 8. Oslo: Stortinget. 1948. p. 998.
  32. ^ Stortingsforhandlinger. 1949 (in Norwegian). Vol. 8. Oslo: Stortinget. 1949. pp. 688–690.
  33. ^ Stortingsforhandlinger. 1949 (in Norwegian). Vol. 5. Oslo: Stortinget. 1949. p. 121.
  34. ^ Stortingsforhandlinger. 1950 (in Norwegian). Vol. 5. Oslo: Stortinget. 1950. pp. 31, 88.
  35. ^ Steenstrup, Bjørn, ed. (1973). "Fortegnelse over personer som siste gang er omtalt i utgaven 1968 med angivelse av deres dødsdatum". Hvem er Hvem? (in Norwegian) (11 ed.). Oslo: Aschehoug. p. 624. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
  36. ^ "Gravnr: 16.011.04.004 Vestre Aker kirkegård". begravdeioslo (in Norwegian). Gravferdsetaten i Oslo kommune. Retrieved 29 March 2017.

bjarne, keyser, barth, april, 1892, april, 1972, norwegian, fortress, artillery, officer, military, officer, from, 1914, barth, took, part, norwegian, neutrality, protection, duties, during, first, world, mostly, oscarsborg, fortress, remaining, military, serv. Bjarne Keyser Barth 14 April 1892 23 April 1972 was a Norwegian fortress artillery officer A military officer from 1914 Barth took part in Norwegian neutrality protection duties during the First World War mostly at Oscarsborg Fortress Remaining in military service after the end of the First World War he served at several different Norwegian fortresses finally at Fossumstroket Fortress in south eastern Norway Bjarne Keyser BarthBorn 1892 04 14 14 April 1892Kristiania NorwayDied23 April 1972 1972 04 23 aged 80 BuriedVestre Aker Cemetery Oslo NorwayAllegiance NorwayService wbr branchNorwegian ArmyYears of service1914 1952RankCaptainUnitOscarsborg Fortress 1914 1917 2nd Fortress Company 1917 1919 1920 1926 Tonsberg Fortifications 1919 1920 Agdenes Fortress 1926 1930 Fossumstroket Fortress 1930 1940 1945 1952 Commands held16th Fortress Company 1926 1930 Hoytorp Fort 1940 Battles warsNorwegian Campaign 1940 AwardsSwedish Magersfontein Memorial Medal Defence Medal 1940 1945 Silver medal of the Det frivillige SkyttervesenSpouse s Madelaine Marie Quernel m 1922 wbr marriage dissolved Solveig Elfrida Bjornstad m 1926 wbr RelationsChristian Andreas Barth father Marie Georgine Antoinette Keyser mother Other workJournalist Magazine editor Business ownerIn the inter war years Barth continued his military career as well as working as a journalist schoolteacher and book editor and ran a small business During the Second World War Barth again took part in neutrality protection duties until the German invasion of Norway in April 1940 Barth led the garrison of Hoytorp Fort which fought the German invasion forces before being encircled and surrendering Close to two years later in 1942 Barth was arrested by the German occupying authorities and sent as a prisoner of war to Germany In the post war years Barth was involved with officer associations and edited several military professional magazines In this role he was often critical of the political leadership of the Norwegian Armed Forces Contents 1 Early and personal life 2 Career 2 1 Second World War 2 2 Post war years 3 ReferencesEarly and personal life editBarth was born in Kristiania on 14 April 1892 to bank manager Christian Andreas Barth and Marie Georgine Antoinette Keyser 1 2 3 Having attended Oslo Cathedral School 4 he achieved his Examen artium student qualifications in 1910 3 He first married Frenchwoman Madelaine Marie Quernel in Paris on 6 July 1922 3 having had wedding celebrations at the Hotel Lutetia the day before 5 The couple had a son 3 born in Bordeaux in April 1923 The marriage was later dissolved 6 He remarried to Solveig Elfrida Bjornstad in Oslo Norway on 26 June 1926 2 3 Barth and his second wife had two sons together the first born in Oslo in October 1931 and the second born in October 1936 7 Barth was a freemason having joined the Lodge St Olaus to the white Leopard in January 1917 6 8 Career editHe graduated as military officer from the Norwegian Military Academy in 1914 3 becoming a first lieutenant in the Fortress Artillery on 13 October 1914 9 He then graduated from the Norwegian Military College in 1919 2 During the First World War he saw service on neutrality protection duties serving from 1914 to 1917 at Oscarsborg Fortress in the Oslofjord then from 1917 to 1919 with the 2nd Fortress Company In 1919 to 1920 he served at Tonsberg Fortifications before returning to the 2nd Fortress Company in 1920 and staying with that unit until 16 November 1926 when he was promoted to the rank of captain and transferred to Agdenes Fortress in the Trondheimsfjord With his transfer to Agdenes he assumed command of the 16th Fortress Company In 1930 he again transferred this time to Fossumstroket Fortress in the south east of Norway In connection with his military service he travelled to France for studies in 1921 1922 serving with the French Army s 157th Artillery Regiment and attending a French artillery school in Mailly 3 6 10 In 1924 1927 and 1930 he again travelled in Europe for studies visiting France Italy and Germany 6 From 1935 to 1946 Barth was a member of the board of the Norwegian Army Regular Officers Association 11 In addition to his military service Barth had several civilian occupations From 1920 to 1921 he worked as a schoolteacher at a primary school in Kristiania and at his old secondary school Oslo Cathedral School He also worked as chief of advertising at the advertising agency Hoydahl Ohme Starting in 1924 he ran an agency business in Oslo 3 6 7 From 1924 to 1928 he worked as journalist and was then working as a procurator at the finance magazine Okonomisk Revue from 1928 to 1942 He edited the book Norges militaere embedsmenn 1929 with biographies of Norwegian regular military officers published in 1930 2 In 1924 he was the secretary of the Norwegian memorial committee for the Scandinavian Corps and the Battle of Magersfontein during the Second Boer War In connection with his work on the committee he was awarded the Swedish Magersfontein Memorial Medal 3 6 Second World War edit After the outbreak of the Second World War Barth was mobilized on 22 January 1940 for neutrality protection duties at Hoytorp Fort one of the forts belonging to Fossumstroket Fortress At Fossumstroket Fortress he was the designated substitute for the fortress commander Lieutenant Colonel Lauritz Rodtwitt in cases where the commander was absent 12 nbsp Map of the Norwegian Campaign in the southern part of Norway with the operations around Fossumstroket Fortress occurring in the far south eastWhen the Germans invaded Norway on 9 April 1940 Barth was in command of Fossumstroket Fortress signals unit 13 Fossumstroket Fortress two forts immediately began mobilizing although at Hoytorp Fort this was hampered by ill maintained and outdated fortifications and the poor quality of the other facilities During the decade before 1940 the role of Hoytorp Fort had been changed to one as a mobilization area for field artillery rather than a defensible fortification At Trogstad Fort artillery ammunition was in very short supply 14 Captain Barth was placed in charge of Hoytorp Fort and took direct command of the fort s two 12 cm turreted artillery pieces 15 After their initial landings along the coast the Germans began their inland advance The 196th Infantry Division was tasked with seizing the far south east corner of Norway including the Fossum area The unit began its advance from Oslo on 12 April 1940 16 When one of the advance columns of the 196th Infantry Division reached the Askim area on 13 April the cannon at Hoytorp Fort opened fire to cover the retreat of the Norwegian 1st Division In the course of two hours a total of 100 high explosive shells were fired from the fort in an indirect area bombardment without the aid of observers The artillery fire was estimated by the Norwegians as having been reasonably effective Having expended their stocks of artillery ammunition the fort s crew redeployed for defence of the interior of the fort In a post action report Barth praised the crew of Hoytorp Fort for their fire discipline and good attitude in action 17 On 14 April 1940 Fossumstroket Fortress surrendered after a meeting of the fortress commander and six of the other officers including Captain Barth The officers held a vote and unanimously agreed that the fortress could not continue fighting At the time the fortress was encircled and under machine gun and artillery fire while the Norwegian 1st Division had retreated from the area and no longer needed the fortress support Barth stated in connection with his vote that the fortress was in an impossible tactical situation and was manned by poorly trained and demoralized crews 18 Barth and another officer were appointed to approach the German forces and begin surrender negotiations on behalf of the fortress commander The fortress guns were rendered inoperable by the destruction of vital parts at 14 05 and a flag of truce was raised over the fortress at 14 16 19 In a report written in 1941 Lieutenant Colonel Rodtwitt praised Barth s efforts during the fighting describing him as loyal devoted to duty able and brave pointing especially to his leadership of Hoytorp Fort during the fighting and to his rescue of important documents after the surrender of the fortress 12 Rodtwitt concluded his report by stating that under normal circumstances rather than Norway being occupied he would have recommended Barth for a promotion and an award 12 Barth was arrested by the Gestapo on 12 January 1942 held at the Grini detention camp from the day of his arrest At Grini he was assigned prisoner number 1234 He was transferred as a prisoner of war to the officers camp Oflag XXI C in Skoki in German annexed Poland on 5 February 1942 At Oflag XXI C Barth was prisoner number 22 as one of the first officers to have been sent to the camp Note 1 He was released from captivity on 28 September 1942 due to having fallen severely ill during his captivity 12 21 22 23 For his wartime service Barth was decorated with the Defence Medal 1940 1945 2 In addition he had the Det frivillige Skyttervesen rifle association s silver medal 24 Post war years edit In the post war years Barth edited the periodical Var Haer from 1946 to 1964 and Norges Forsvar from 1964 to 1966 2 Var Haer was published by the Norwegian Army Regular Officers Association and spoke on behalf of the association s members 25 while Norges Forsvar was and still is the magazine of the Norges Forsvarsforening Norwegian Defence Association 26 In a 1946 leader Var Haer criticized the Norwegian Minister of Defence Jens Christian Hauge and demanded his resignation 25 27 The resignation demand which included claims that Hauge had ignored the advice of military professionals and involved himself too much in the details of military matters in the post war reconstruction of the Norwegian Armed Forces led to a debate in the national newspapers Barth stated in the debate that most army officers would agree with the criticism of Hauge In the debate Barth was himself criticised by the Norwegian Army Officers Association which said it was too soon to judge minister Hauge s efforts and that Barth s statements were too broad in nature 25 In the following years criticism of defence minister Hauge leadership increased among officers media and politicians and ended with Hauge announcing his resignation in late 1951 Barth wrote an editorial in Var Haer after Hauge s resignation where he stated that in his view the defence minister had had increasingly dictatorial tendencies over the years and lacked an ability to cooperate 28 Barth was given an honourable discharge from the Norwegian Armed Forces on 15 April 1952 His last military position was at Fossumstroket Fortress 29 Barth had applied unsuccessfully for several positions during his last seven years in the Norwegian Armed Forces the first of his post war applications being to the position of general inspector and commander of the Norwegian coastal artillery service in 1945 30 In 1946 the officer appointed to the position for which Barth had applied the previous year Colonel Gunnar Isaachsen Willoch recommended that Barth should be promoted to the rank of colonel and given command of the coastal artillery in Western Norway However due to a bureaucratic mistake Barth was considered by the Commanding Admiral of the Royal Norwegian Navy Admiral Elias Corneliussen to be disqualified due to his age and another officer given the position Admiral Corneliussen and army general Halvor Hansson had interpreted the age regulations for promotion to the rank of colonel without taking into account Barth s war service which would have enabled him to be qualified for a promotion despite his age Barth sent a written complaint after being disqualified A parliamentary investigative commission concluded months later that Barth had been qualified for the position and should be considered for other similar positions 12 Barth s case was brought up at the Storting Parliament of Norway in 1948 by Conservative Party politician Carl P Wright who stated that Barth should be given the next coastal artillery position that became available Minister of Defence Jens Christian Hauge replied to Wright s statement by pointing out that Barth had been removed from consideration quite early in the process in 1946 due to the mistake made regarding age limits but that he was now free to apply for and be considered for any military position 31 Wright brought up once more the cases of Barth and several other officers who claimed to have been unreasonably bypassed in 1949 32 In 1948 Barth applied unsuccessfully for the position of commander of Coastal Artillery Brigade Eastern Norway 33 The next year he applied unsuccessfully for the position of director of the Norwegian Defence University College and also for the position as military attache at the Norwegian embassies in Copenhagen and Stockholm 34 He died on 23 April 1972 at the age of 80 35 having lived at Akersborg terrasse in Oslo 11 He was buried on 5 June 1972 at Vestre Aker Cemetery in Oslo 36 References editNotes In total some 1 300 Norwegian officers were arrested by the Germans and sent as prisoners of war to Oflag XXI C most being detained in August 1943 The Germans carried out mass arrests after learning that a number of the officers had been amongst the leadership of the Norwegian resistance movement and that other officers had escaped occupied Norway to join the exiled Norwegian forces fighting from abroad 20 Citations Gram Harald Steenstrup Bjorn eds 1948 Barth Bjarne Keyser Hvem er hvem in Norwegian Oslo Aschehoug a b c d e f Steenstrup Bjorn ed 1968 Barth Bjarne Keyser Hvem er hvem in Norwegian Oslo Aschehoug a b c d e f g h i Barth Bjarne Keyser ed 1930 Barth B K Norges militaere embedsmenn 1929 in Norwegian Oslo A M Hanche pp 35 36 Brochmann Odd Engelstad Carl Fr Refsdal Odd 1947 Oslo katedralskoles gymnasiesamfunn Kattuglen 100 ar in Norwegian Oslo Gymnasiesamfunnet p 14 Bryllup Morgenbladet in Norwegian 4 July 1922 p 3 Retrieved 28 March 2017 a b c d e f Bassoe Bjarne ed 1935 Barth Bjarne Keyser Studentene fra 1910 biografiske oplysninger samlet til 25 arsjubileet 1935 in Norwegian Oslo pp 31 32 a href Template Cite encyclopedia html title Template Cite encyclopedia cite encyclopedia a CS1 maint location missing publisher link a b Bassoe Bjarne ed 1960 Barth Bjarne Keyser Studentene fra 1910 biografiske opplysninger samlet til 50 ars jubileet 1960 in Norwegian Oslo pp 14 15 a href Template Cite encyclopedia html title Template Cite encyclopedia cite encyclopedia a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Thorbjornsen Kristian 1949 St Olai brodrene blad av St Johs Logen St Olaus til den hvide Leopards historie gjennom 200 ar in Norwegian Oslo p XVII a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Woxen Fr Soldan J eds 1914 Departements tidende in Norwegian Vol 86 Christiania p 631 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Jensen Rolf ed 1965 Sjomilitaere samfunds kalender 1814 1964 in Norwegian Horten Sjomilitaere samfund p 398 a b G 13 April 1972 80 ar Arbeiderbladet in Norwegian p 11 Retrieved 29 March 2017 a b c d e Stortingsforhandlinger 1948 in Norwegian Vol 6b Oslo Stortinget 1948 pp 8 10 Faye Wilhelm 1963 Krigen i Norge 1940 Operasjonene i Ostfold in Norwegian Oslo Forsvarets Krigshistoriske Avdeling Gyldendal p 139 Faye 1963 pp 141 143 Faye 1963 p 224 Faye 1963 pp 152 153 Faye 1963 pp 224 225 Faye 1963 pp 317 318 Faye 1963 p 318 Moland Arnfinn 1995 offiserer In Dahl Hans Fredrik ed Norsk krigsleksikon 1940 45 in Norwegian Oslo Cappelen pp 314 315 Retrieved 11 August 2012 Ottosen Kristian 1995 Nordmenn i fangenskap 1940 1945 alfabetisk register in Norwegian Oslo Universitetsforlaget p 110 ISBN 82 00 22372 8 Borre R Giertsen ed 1946 1234 Barth Bjarne Keyser Norsk fangeleksikon Grinifangene in Norwegian Oslo Cappelen p 47 Tillegg til I tysk krigsfangenskap 1942 1945 Navnefortegnelse in Norwegian Askim Ovre Smaalenene Askim boktrykkeri 1952 p 5 a separate appendix to Spenning Knut Lindboe ed 1950 I tysk krigsfangenskap Norske offiserers opplevelser i Polen og Tyskland 1942 1945 in Norwegian Oslo Gyldendal 75 ar Arbeiderbladet in Norwegian 13 April 1967 p 15 Retrieved 29 March 2017 a b c Kristoffersen Roger 1995 HOF s historie in Norwegian Oslo Haerens offisersforbunds legat p 27 Ellingsen Ellmann 1986 Forsvarssak er fredssak 1886 1986 Norges forsvarsforening 100 ar in Norwegian Oslo Norges forsvarsforening p 51 En sommeroffensiv Arbeiderbladet in Norwegian 3 August 1946 p 4 Retrieved 29 March 2017 Ask Alf Ole Westlie Bjorn 1991 Maktens ansikt et portrett av Jens Chr Hauge in Norwegian Oslo Tiden pp 82 85 ISBN 8210034537 Statsrad Arbeiderbladet in Norwegian 19 April 1952 p 5 Retrieved 28 March 2017 Stortingsforhandlinger 1945 46 in Norwegian Vol 5 Oslo Stortinget 1946 pp 59 60 Stortingsforhandlinger 1948 in Norwegian Vol 8 Oslo Stortinget 1948 p 998 Stortingsforhandlinger 1949 in Norwegian Vol 8 Oslo Stortinget 1949 pp 688 690 Stortingsforhandlinger 1949 in Norwegian Vol 5 Oslo Stortinget 1949 p 121 Stortingsforhandlinger 1950 in Norwegian Vol 5 Oslo Stortinget 1950 pp 31 88 Steenstrup Bjorn ed 1973 Fortegnelse over personer som siste gang er omtalt i utgaven 1968 med angivelse av deres dodsdatum Hvem er Hvem in Norwegian 11 ed Oslo Aschehoug p 624 Retrieved 28 March 2017 Gravnr 16 011 04 004 Vestre Aker kirkegard begravdeioslo in Norwegian Gravferdsetaten i Oslo kommune Retrieved 29 March 2017 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bjarne Keyser Barth amp oldid 1146248301, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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