Nils Uhlin Hansen | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1919-05-06)6 May 1919 Trondhjem |
| Died | 11 January 1945(1945-01-11) (aged 25) Forsetvollan,Budal Municipality |
| Allegiance | Norway |
| Service | Norwegian Army |
| Unit | Norwegian Independent Company 1 (Kompani Linge) |
| Battles / wars | Sabotage missions |
| Awards |  Defence Medal 1940–1945Norwegian War Medal with Star |
Nils Uhlin Hansen (6 May 1919 – 11 January 1945) was a Norwegianlong jumper andresistance member duringWorld War II. He had a successful athletics career before the war; setting aNordic long jump record which was not surpassed for 20 years (14 years after his death). He was killed less than four months before the end of the war, as he was surprised byWehrmacht forces following a sabotage mission.
He was born inTrondheim, the son of Haakon Hansen and Swedish citizen Agnes Collin.[1] Representing sports clubSK Freidig, he had a successful career in thelong jump; only nineteen years old he won the Norwegian championships. Jumping 7.39 metres, he was 25 centimetres ahead of runner-upKaare Strøm. In 1939, Hansen won a silver medal behind Kaare Strøm.[2] On 11 September 1939, Hansen established a newNorwegian record. Jumping 7.54 metres atBislett stadion, he broke the two-year-old record ofOtto Berg with two centimetres.[3] This was also aNordic record.[4]
His sporting career was cut short byWorld War II. As Norway wasinvaded by Germany in 1940, regular sports events and championships were discontinued. The1940 Summer Olympics inTokyo,Japan were also cancelled.
Hansen joined theNorwegian resistance movement in 1940. He had to flee the country, arriving in Sweden on 8 November 1941.[5] He then escaped to England in 1942, where he became enrolled in theNorwegian Independent Company 1 (Norwegian:Kompani Linge), a part of the BritishSpecial Operations Executive.[citation needed] He conducted several sabotage missions in Norway, including one against the rail roadRøros Line in January 1945.[1] Saboteurs were active inCentral Norway in late 1944 and early 1945, with sabotages against theNordland Line, theDovre Line and theRauma Line in addition to the Røros Line.[6][7] This was of high strategic importance, as German forces were retreating fromNorthern Norway, using the rail roads for troop transport. Although the war was going against Germany at the time, there were rumours that they would not leave Norway without anAllied invasion, thus, pockets of Norwegian resistance forces were prepared for warfare.[8]
On 10 January 1945, German forces reacted, and began searching for militants under the codenameAktion Hengst. They had only vague knowledge on the whereabouts of Norwegian militants, but on 11 January they found a lone skier inSingsås Municipality.[7] They questioned him, and then released him, only to follow his tracks. The tracks led the German task force to a cabin at Forsetvollan[4] inBudal Municipality.[9] Nils Uhlin Hansen was staying in the cabin at the time, and when shooting ensued, Hansen was killed.[4] Two days after his death Norwegian saboteurs carried outOperation Woodlark, killing 70–80 troops by destroying the bridge over the Jørstadelva, west ofJørstad.[9]
Uhlin Hansen was awarded theNorwegian War Medal, theDefence Medal 1940–1945 and then theNorwegian War Medal with Star.[1] A road in Trondheim has been named for him.
His national long jump record stood until 1959, when it was broken byRoar Berthelsen with eleven centimetres.[3]