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== Introduction ==
==Resources==
=== Online Resources ===
*'''1628-1940''' [https://media.digitalarkivet.no/view/32857/1 ''Oversiktsplan over den norske hærs organisasjon fra 1628 til 1940''] (RA-PA-0253/F/Fe/L0047) at [https://www.digitalarkivet.no/en/ The Digital Archives]
*'''1915-1947''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62809 Norway, Foreign War Graves, 1915-1947] at Ancestry ($)
 
== Background ==
Norway has been involved in several wars, and its first military force is as old as the country itself. In the late middle ages the military was dissolved. The Danish king (Christian IV) decided in 1628 that a Norwegian army was to be re-established. This was the beginning of a permanent Norwegian Army.  
Norway has been involved in several wars, and its first military force is as old as the country itself. In the late middle ages the military was dissolved. The Danish king (Christian IV) decided in 1628 that a Norwegian army was to be re-established. This was the beginning of a permanent Norwegian Army.  


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Military records identify individuals who served in the military or who were eligible for service. Evidence that an ancestor actually served may be found in family records, biographies, census, probate records, civil registration, and church records. Other sources such as church and census records are more easily available and contain better genealogical information than the military records.  
Military records identify individuals who served in the military or who were eligible for service. Evidence that an ancestor actually served may be found in family records, biographies, census, probate records, civil registration, and church records. Other sources such as church and census records are more easily available and contain better genealogical information than the military records.  
 
=== Types of Records ===
Military records include the following:
Military records include the following:
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*[https://www.cwgc.org/find/find-war-dead Second World War Dead]
*[https://www.cwgc.org/find/find-war-dead Second World War Dead]
}}
}}
==== Information Recorded in the Records ====
These records generally identify the soldier's name, age, parish, place of residence in the parish, physical description, and information about military service.
== Branches of Service ==
From 1628 the Norwegian military forces have been organized by service specialty and further divided into regional units for recruitment purposes.


Records of military service in Norway were kept by the Department of Defense. These records are now at the National Archives. The FamilySearch Library has all the available military records for 1643 to 1909 on digitized microfilm. See the FamilySearch Catalog entry for {{FSC|502752|item|disp=Militærprotokoller, 1643-1909}}.  For help using them, there is a [https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/lessons/norwegian-military-records tutorial] on Norwegian Military Records.
These specialties were ''Ingeniørvåben'' (Engineers), ''Artilleri'' (Artillery), ''Kavaleri'' (Cavalry) also called ''Dragoner'' (Dragoons), ''Gevorben Infanteri'' (Enlisted infantry), ''Nasjonal infanteri'' (Conscripted infantry), and ''Lokalvern og folke oppbud'' (Militia).  
 
Because the military records from Norway are sketchy and not indexed, they are difficult to work with. The early records only give the names of individual soldiers. Information about officers is easier to find. In the 1700s and 1800s, the records give more detailed personal information about each soldier that can sometimes be found in other records. You may find such information as a soldier's name; age; father's name and occupation; civil occupation; place of residence; marital status; wife's name; number of children; height; bodily peculiarities; illnesses or characteristics that made him unfit to serve; previous service; joining date; length of service; and status as a farm owner renter or cotter.
 
=== Determining the Unit ===
To use Norwegian military records, you will have to determine the specific unit that your ancestor served in. If you do not know the name of the unit, you may be able to find out which units were in the area where he lived. To do this, you must know the parish as well as the city or farm where the individual was living when he was of age to serve in the military. To determine what unit your ancestor belonged to, use these two helpful charts both digitized at [https://www.digitalarkivet.no/en www.digitalarkivet.no]
 
#Ovenstad, Olai - [https://media.digitalarkivet.no/en/db/contents/32845 Den norske hær 1628-1900] This collection of oversized charts is broken up into 53 time periods from 1628 to 1900. Each chart displays a map of the organization of the army for that time period consisting of the infantry, cavalry, and artillery regiments. Each company in the regiment is mapped at the bottom of the regiment with the corresponding officers of that company listed above. Companies were usually formed by geography, so the company name is often the same as the parish or region of its members. For example, if an ancestor is from a farm within the Eidsvold parish in Akershus county, one might look under one of the Akershusiske regiments for a company associated with Eidsvold or the Eidsvoldske company. Each parish does not have its own company, also look for companies that share a name with a neighboring parish to the one in which an ancestor resided. Once a specific unit has been determined as a possibility for an ancestor, search for the regiment's microfilm above in the "Militærprotokoller" and the company's record within the microfilm. Physical copies of these oversized charts may be found in the FamilySearch Library. See the FamilySearch catalog entry for "Oversiktsplan : over den norske hars organisasjon 18/1 1628 - 30/9 1940." 
#Kiærland, Lars - [https://media.digitalarkivet.no/en/db/contents/32857 Oversiktsplan over den norske hærs organisasjon fra 1628 til 1940] This collection consists of three oversized charts covering 12 time periods between 1628 and 1940. Each chart displays the division of the regiments over time into corps and companies. Identify the regiment (usually associated with a county or group of counties) and then the company (usually associated with a parish, group of parishes, or a geographical region like a valley). Physical copies of these oversized charts may be found in the FamilySearch Library. See the FamilySearch catalog entry for "Den norske Hær : 1628-1900."
 
Or check the FamilySearch Catalog under:
 
Norway - Military Records
 
A useful biography about Norwegian military officers from 1628 to 1814 is Olai Ovenstad's, ''Militœbiografier, den norske hœrs officerer fra 18 januar 1628 til 17 mai 1814''. Oslo, Norway: Norsk Slektshistorisk Forening, 1948-19492. {{FSC|403292|title-id|disp=FS Library book 948.1 D3o}}.
 
A list of the regiments and companies for each county is listed. The main military records for Norway are to be found on the national level, but there are also a few listed under county and city. These can be found in the [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog FamilySearch Catalog] under:


NORWAY [COUNTY], - MILITARY RECORDS<br>NORWAY, [COUNTY], [PARISH] - MILITARY RECORDS
The ''Nasjonal infanteri'' was divided into regional units and a ''skiløpere'' division which was divided into two units, ''Sønnenfjells'' (Southern Mountain) and ''Nodenfjells'' (Northern Mountain).


The Digital Archives has Lars Kiærland's [https://media.digitalarkivet.no/view/32857/1 ''Oversiktsplan over den norske hærs organisasjon fra 1628 til 1940''] (RA-PA-0253/F/Fe/L0047) showing the organization of the Norwegian army.  
=== Historic Military Ranks  ===
From the establishment of the Army until the end of the 19th century, the ranking system was fairly stable<REF>LokalhistorieWiki.no,  [https://lokalhistoriewiki.no/wiki/Milit%C3%A6re_grader Militære grader]. Accessed 3 February 2025.</REF>.  


=== Military Terms ===
'''Menige (Enlisted)'''
 
*Menig/Gemen
'''Skipreie.  '''A ''skipreie'' or ''skiprede'' was a coastal area assigned to build a ship and provide men and provisions for military use.  Its size was determined according to the number of farms in the area and did not usually include the entire parish.  A skipreie may have included a number of farms of a given parish while another skipreie included the remaining farms in the same parish.  A skipreie was not confined to a parish border and may have included farms in several parishes.  As the population grew, the area a given skipreie included became smaller.  Today a skipreie is called ''Skipsrederi'' and is a factory in a city or town where ships are being built. 
*Under- og overkonstabel (Artillery)
 
'''Fjerding.  '''A ''fjerding'' is an old administrative jurisdiction that subdivided a county, district (''herred''), and sometimes also a ''skipreie'' or ''skiprede''.  Standardized spellings  of place name (names) can first be found in the early 1900s in Norway.  Therefore, these terms may be spelled several different ways. 
 
The ''fjerding'' was not the only jurisdiction used in the middle ages, but it seems to have been an important one for the church and states.  It is the remnant of an ancient system that was still being used in Rogaland County in conjunction with larger court district even in the 1700s and 1800s.


The term ''fjerding ''is mainly used in early records in Norway. It could also mean 1/4th of a county in western Norway, or in Iceland it could men 1/4th of the whole country. In the middle ages a ''fjerding'' could mean 1/4th of a large district or area.
'''Underoffiserer (Non-commisioned Officers)'''
*Korporal
*Bombarder (Artillery)
*Sersjant
*Fyrverker (Artillery)
*Furér
*Kommandersersjant
*Fanejunker
*Stykkjunker (Artillery, occasionally also the lowest officer rank)
*Standartjunker (Cavalry)


=== Military Actions ===
'''Offiserer (Officers)'''
*Fenrik
*Kornett (Cavalry)
*Stykkjunker (Artillery, occasionally also highest non-commissioned officer rank)
*Sekondløytnant
*Premierløytnant
*Kaptein
*Rittmester (Cavalry)
*Stykkhauptmann (Artillery)
*Major
*Oberstløytnant
*Oberst
*Generalmajor
*Generalløytnant
*General
*Feltmarskalkløytnant
*Feltmarskalk
*Generalfeltmarskalk
== Conflicts ==
Norway was involved in the following significant actions:  
Norway was involved in the following significant actions:  


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'''World War II, 1940-1945''' - Norway was occupied by forces of Nazi Germany from 9 April 1940 to 8 May 1945.
'''World War II, 1940-1945''' - Norway was occupied by forces of Nazi Germany from 9 April 1940 to 8 May 1945.


For more historical information about the Norwegian military, see:  
== Genealogical Value ==
Because the military records from Norway are sketchy and not indexed, they are difficult to work with. The early records only give the names of individual soldiers. Information about officers is easier to find. In the 1700s and 1800s, the records give more detailed personal information about each soldier that can sometimes be found in other records. You may find such information as a soldier's name; age; father's name and occupation; civil occupation; place of residence; marital status; wife's name; number of children; height; bodily peculiarities; illnesses or characteristics that made him unfit to serve; previous service; joining date; length of service; and status as a farm owner renter or cotter.
== Strategy ==
Records of military service in Norway were kept by the Department of Defense. These records are now at the National Archives. The FamilySearch Library has all the available military records for 1643 to 1909 on digitized microfilm. See the FamilySearch Catalog entry for {{FSC|502752|item|disp=Militærprotokoller, 1643-1909}}. For more information on these records and how to use them see the [https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/lessons/norwegian-military-records Norwegian Military Records] class in the [https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/learning-center FamilySearch Learning Center].
=== Determining the Unit ===
To use Norwegian military records, you will have to determine the specific unit that your ancestor served in. If you do not know the name of the unit, you may be able to find out which units were in the area where he lived. To do this, you must know the parish as well as the city or farm where the individual was living when he was of age to serve in the military. To determine what unit your ancestor belonged to, use these two helpful charts both digitized at [https://www.digitalarkivet.no/en www.digitalarkivet.no]


*''Vårt Forsvars Historie'', Bjørn Christophersen. Oslo, Norway: Gyldendahl Norsk Forlag, 1978. {{FSC|25180|title-id|disp=FS Library book 948.1 M2c}}
#Ovenstad, Olai - [https://media.digitalarkivet.no/en/db/contents/32845 Den norske hær 1628-1900] This collection of oversized charts is broken up into 53 time periods from 1628 to 1900. Each chart displays a map of the organization of the army for that time period consisting of the infantry, cavalry, and artillery regiments. Each company in the regiment is mapped at the bottom of the regiment with the corresponding officers of that company listed above. Companies were usually formed by geography, so the company name is often the same as the parish or region of its members. For example, if an ancestor is from a farm within the Eidsvold parish in Akershus county, one might look under one of the Akershusiske regiments for a company associated with Eidsvold or the Eidsvoldske company. Each parish does not have its own company, also look for companies that share a name with a neighboring parish to the one in which an ancestor resided. Once a specific unit has been determined as a possibility for an ancestor, search for the regiment's microfilm above in the "Militærprotokoller" and the company's record within the microfilm. Physical copies of these oversized charts may be found in the FamilySearch Library. See the FamilySearch catalog entry for "Oversiktsplan : over den norske hars organisasjon 18/1 1628 - 30/9 1940." 
*[https://admin.slektogdata.no/nb/tema/krig/kilder-til-2-verdenskrig Kilder til 2. verdenskrig], Slekt og Data Norge.
#Kiærland, Lars - [https://media.digitalarkivet.no/en/db/contents/32857 Oversiktsplan over den norske hærs organisasjon fra 1628 til 1940] This collection consists of three oversized charts covering 12 time periods between 1628 and 1940. Each chart displays the division of the regiments over time into corps and companies. Identify the regiment (usually associated with a county or group of counties) and then the company (usually associated with a parish, group of parishes, or a geographical region like a valley). Physical copies of these oversized charts may be found in the FamilySearch Library. See the FamilySearch catalog entry for "Den norske Hær : 1628-1900."
*For information about Norwegians who served in the 15th Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War, see the Norwegian-American Genealogical Center's [https://www.nagcnl.org/databases-information/#soldiers 15th Wisconsin Regiment] page.


More resources are listed in the [https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/catalog FamilySearch Catalog] under:  
Or check the FamilySearch Catalog under:  


Norway - Military history
Norway - Military Records


== Military Ranks  ==
A useful biography about Norwegian military officers from 1628 to 1814 is Olai Ovenstad's, ''Militœbiografier, den norske hœrs officerer fra 18 januar 1628 til 17 mai 1814''. Oslo, Norway: Norsk Slektshistorisk Forening, 1948-19492. {{FSC|403292|title-id|disp=FS Library book 948.1 D3o}}.
See [[Norway Military Ranks]] for more terms.
=== Early (1600s) to  1930 ===


'''NORWEGIAN                                US EQUIVALENT'''
A list of the regiments and companies for each county is listed. The main military records for Norway are to be found on the national level, but there are also a few listed under county and city. These can be found in the [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog FamilySearch Catalog] under:


Menig soldat                                  Private
NORWAY [COUNTY], - MILITARY RECORDS<br>NORWAY, [COUNTY], [PARISH] - MILITARY RECORDS


Korporal                                        Corporal
=== Military Terms ===


<br>
'''Skipreie.  '''A ''skipreie'' or ''skiprede'' was a coastal area assigned to build a ship and provide men and provisions for military use.  Its size was determined according to the number of farms in the area and did not usually include the entire parish.  A skipreie may have included a number of farms of a given parish while another skipreie included the remaining farms in the same parish.  A skipreie was not confined to a parish border and may have included farms in several parishes.  As the population grew, the area a given skipreie included became smaller.  Today a skipreie is called ''Skipsrederi'' and is a factory in a city or town where ships are being built. 


'''BEFAL                                            NC'''  
'''Fjerding.  '''A ''fjerding'' is an old administrative jurisdiction that subdivided a county, district (''herred''), and sometimes also a ''skipreie'' or ''skiprede''.  Standardized spellings  of place name (names) can first be found in the early 1900s in Norway.  Therefore, these terms may be spelled several different ways. 


Sersjant                                          Sergeant
The ''fjerding'' was not the only jurisdiction used in the middle ages, but it seems to have been an important one for the church and states.  It is the remnant of an ancient system that was still being used in Rogaland County in conjunction with larger court district even in the 1700s and 1800s.


Furer                                              Quartermaster Sergeant
The term ''fjerding ''is mainly used in early records in Norway. It could also mean 1/4th of a county in western Norway, or in Iceland it could men 1/4th of the whole country. In the middle ages a ''fjerding'' could mean 1/4th of a large district or area.


Kommandersjersant                          First Sergeant, Sergeant Major [?]
For more historical information about the Norwegian military, see:


Fanejunker                                      Ensign (Army) or (3, 4, 5 Lieutenant)
*''Vårt Forsvars Historie'', Bjørn Christophersen. Oslo, Norway: Gyldendahl Norsk Forlag, 1978. {{FSC|25180|title-id|disp=FS Library book 948.1 M2c}}
*[https://admin.slektogdata.no/nb/tema/krig/kilder-til-2-verdenskrig Kilder til 2. verdenskrig], Slekt og Data Norge.
*For information about Norwegians who served in the 15th Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War, see the Norwegian-American Genealogical Center's [https://www.nagcnl.org/databases-information/#soldiers 15th Wisconsin Regiment] page.


2a. Kavalieret - Standart Junker.        2a. Cavalry - Standard Bearer
More resources are listed in the [https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/catalog FamilySearch Catalog] under:
 
2b. Artilleriet het de stykjunker          2b. Artillery - Ensign or 3, 4, 5 Lieutenant
 
 
 
'''OFFISERER                                              OFFICERS'''
 
Secondløytnant                                          2nd. Lieutenant
 
Premierløytnant                                        1st. Lieutenant
 
Kaptein                                                    Captain
 
  I. Kavaleriet brukte da tittelen                      I. The Cavalry used the tittle Captain (of Horse)
 
    Rittermester i stedet for kaptein
 
Major                                                        Major   
 
Oberstløytnant                                            Lieutenant Colonel
 
Oberst                                                      Colonel
 
Generalmajor                                              Major General
 
Generalløytnant                                          Lieutenant General   
 
General (Den gangen var det kun Kongen      General (only the King at this time period).
 
som hadde graden General) 
 
<br>
 
Menig soldat                                              Private
 
Korporal                                                    Corporal
 
Sersjant (befalsgrad)                                  Sergeant (NC)
 
Fenrik (Første offisergrad)                            2nd. Lieutenant
 
Løytnant                                                    1st. Lieutenant
 
Kaptein                                                      Captain
 
Major                                                        Major
 
Oberstløytnant                                            Major
 
Brigade (Oberst 1, changers 1968)              Brigadier General (Colonel)
 
Oberst (Oberst 2, changerd 1968)                Colonel
 
Generalmajor                                            Major General
 
Generalløytnant                                          Lieutenant General
 
General (bare 2. Kongen &amp; forsvarsjefen)      General (only 2. The King and the head person of defence)
 
<br>
 
Other terms (ratings) 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Norwegian !! English
|-
| Soldat || Soldier
|-
| Dragon || Cavalry soldier
|-
| National soldat || National soldier (infantryman)
|-
| Gevorben || Enlisted soldier
|-
| Jæger || Light cavalry -''chasseur'', hunter
|-
| Musqueter || Infantryman with long rifle
|-
| Skiløper || Infantryman with skis
|-
| Marinesoldat || Sailor
|-
| Matros || Sailor
|}
 
=== 1930 to Present ===
 
'''BEFAL  --  NON COMMISIONED'''
 
<u>'''NORWEGIAN '''</u>'''      <span id="1235405824628S" style="display: none"> </span>'''<u>'''US EQUIVALENT'''</u>
 
'''HÆREN'''                '''THE ARMY'''
 
Visekorporal          (Vice Corporal)
 
Korporal                Corporal
 
Sersjant                Sergeant
 
Stabssersjant        Staff Sergeant
 
<br>
 
'''MARINEN              THE MARINE'''
 
Kvartermester I        Quarter Master I
 
Kvartermester II      Quarter Master II
 
Flaggkvartermester  Flag Quarter Master
 
<br>
 
'''FLYVÅPENET        AIR FORCE'''
 
Visekorporal            (Vise Corporal)
 
Korporal                  Corporal
 
Sersjant                  Sergeant
 
Vingsersjant            Wing Sergeant (Staff Sergeant)
 
<br>
 
<br>
 
<br>
 
'''OFFICER RANK'''
 
'''HÆREN                  THE ARMY'''
 
Fenrik                      2nd. Lieutenant
 
Løytnant                  1st. Lieutenant
 
Kaptein                    Captain
 
Major                      Major
 
Oberstløytnant          Lieutenant Colonel
 
Oberst                    Colonel
 
Generalmajor            Major General
 
Generalløytnant        Lieutenant General
 
General                    General
 
<br>
 
'''MARINEN                        NAVY'''
 
Fenrik                              Ensign
 
Løytnant                          Lieutenant Jr. Grade
 
Kapteinløytnant                Lieutenant
 
Orlogskaptein                  Lieutenant Commander
 
Kommandørkaptein          Commander
 
Kommandør                    Captain
 
Kontreadmiral                  Rear Admiral
 
Viseadmiral                      Vice Admiral
 
Admiral                            Admiral
 
<br>
 
'''FLYVÅPENET                AIR FORCE'''
 
Fenrik                            2nd. Leutenant
 
Løytnant                        1st. Lieutenant
 
Kaptein                          Captain
 
Major                            Major
 
Oberstløytnant                Lieutenant Colonel
 
Oberst                            Colonel
 
Generalmajor                  Major General
 
Generalløytnant              Lieutenant General
 
General                          General


Norway - Military history


== References  ==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Norway Military Records]]  
[[Category:Norway Military Records]]  
[[Category:Military_Records by Country]]
[[Category:Military_Records by Country]]

Latest revision as of 21:42, 11 August 2025

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Background

Norway has been involved in several wars, and its first military force is as old as the country itself. In the late middle ages the military was dissolved. The Danish king (Christian IV) decided in 1628 that a Norwegian army was to be re-established. This was the beginning of a permanent Norwegian Army.

The Norwegian Army was reorganized in 1641 by Hannibal Sehested, governor-general of Norway, and a general war commissioner was chosen 1644. In the 1650s there were two general war commissioners in Norway, one for north of the mountains (nordafjelske) and one for south of the mountains (sønnafjelske). The army was later organized with a general war commissioner and several regional war commissioners. The number of war commissioners varied between seven and ten from 1880 to 1900.

Military records identify individuals who served in the military or who were eligible for service. Evidence that an ancestor actually served may be found in family records, biographies, census, probate records, civil registration, and church records. Other sources such as church and census records are more easily available and contain better genealogical information than the military records.

Types of Records

Military records include the following:

Information Recorded in the Records

These records generally identify the soldier's name, age, parish, place of residence in the parish, physical description, and information about military service.

Branches of Service

From 1628 the Norwegian military forces have been organized by service specialty and further divided into regional units for recruitment purposes.

These specialties were Ingeniørvåben (Engineers), Artilleri (Artillery), Kavaleri (Cavalry) also called Dragoner (Dragoons), Gevorben Infanteri (Enlisted infantry), Nasjonal infanteri (Conscripted infantry), and Lokalvern og folke oppbud (Militia).

The Nasjonal infanteri was divided into regional units and a skiløpere division which was divided into two units, Sønnenfjells (Southern Mountain) and Nodenfjells (Northern Mountain).

Historic Military Ranks

From the establishment of the Army until the end of the 19th century, the ranking system was fairly stable[1].

Menige (Enlisted)

  • Menig/Gemen
  • Under- og overkonstabel (Artillery)

Underoffiserer (Non-commisioned Officers)

  • Korporal
  • Bombarder (Artillery)
  • Sersjant
  • Fyrverker (Artillery)
  • Furér
  • Kommandersersjant
  • Fanejunker
  • Stykkjunker (Artillery, occasionally also the lowest officer rank)
  • Standartjunker (Cavalry)

Offiserer (Officers)

  • Fenrik
  • Kornett (Cavalry)
  • Stykkjunker (Artillery, occasionally also highest non-commissioned officer rank)
  • Sekondløytnant
  • Premierløytnant
  • Kaptein
  • Rittmester (Cavalry)
  • Stykkhauptmann (Artillery)
  • Major
  • Oberstløytnant
  • Oberst
  • Generalmajor
  • Generalløytnant
  • General
  • Feltmarskalkløytnant
  • Feltmarskalk
  • Generalfeltmarskalk

Conflicts

Norway was involved in the following significant actions:

The Nordic Seven-Year War, 1563-1570 - War against Sweden waged by Frederic II of Denmark to win control of the Baltic Sea failed.

The Kalmar War, 1611-1613 - Denmark-Norway against Sweden.

The Hannibal Feud, 1643-1645. - Norway lost Jämtland and Härjedalen to Sweden.

The Krabbe War and Bjelke Feud, 1657-1660 - Norway lost Trondheim len and Romsdal to Sweden, but took back Jämtland and Härjedalen.

The Gyldenløve Feud, 1675-1679 - Norway's army went against Sweden. Also called the war of Skåne.

The Great Northern War, 1700-1720 - Denmark-Norway joined the conflict in 1709, and as part of the Treaty of Frederiksborg in 1720 Denmark-Norway gained full control over Schleswig. Small colonies were established in West Indies and Greenland.

Action against Sweden in Bohuslän, 1788 - Denmark-Norway tried to take the fortress Bohus in Bohuslän.

The Napoleonic War, 1807-1814 - Ended by treaty of Kiel in 1814 which forced Denmark to cede Norway to Sweden.

World War II, 1940-1945 - Norway was occupied by forces of Nazi Germany from 9 April 1940 to 8 May 1945.

Genealogical Value

Because the military records from Norway are sketchy and not indexed, they are difficult to work with. The early records only give the names of individual soldiers. Information about officers is easier to find. In the 1700s and 1800s, the records give more detailed personal information about each soldier that can sometimes be found in other records. You may find such information as a soldier's name; age; father's name and occupation; civil occupation; place of residence; marital status; wife's name; number of children; height; bodily peculiarities; illnesses or characteristics that made him unfit to serve; previous service; joining date; length of service; and status as a farm owner renter or cotter.

Strategy

Records of military service in Norway were kept by the Department of Defense. These records are now at the National Archives. The FamilySearch Library has all the available military records for 1643 to 1909 on digitized microfilm. See the FamilySearch Catalog entry for Militærprotokoller, 1643-1909. For more information on these records and how to use them see the Norwegian Military Records class in the FamilySearch Learning Center.

Determining the Unit

To use Norwegian military records, you will have to determine the specific unit that your ancestor served in. If you do not know the name of the unit, you may be able to find out which units were in the area where he lived. To do this, you must know the parish as well as the city or farm where the individual was living when he was of age to serve in the military. To determine what unit your ancestor belonged to, use these two helpful charts both digitized at www.digitalarkivet.no

  1. Ovenstad, Olai - Den norske hær 1628-1900 This collection of oversized charts is broken up into 53 time periods from 1628 to 1900. Each chart displays a map of the organization of the army for that time period consisting of the infantry, cavalry, and artillery regiments. Each company in the regiment is mapped at the bottom of the regiment with the corresponding officers of that company listed above. Companies were usually formed by geography, so the company name is often the same as the parish or region of its members. For example, if an ancestor is from a farm within the Eidsvold parish in Akershus county, one might look under one of the Akershusiske regiments for a company associated with Eidsvold or the Eidsvoldske company. Each parish does not have its own company, also look for companies that share a name with a neighboring parish to the one in which an ancestor resided. Once a specific unit has been determined as a possibility for an ancestor, search for the regiment's microfilm above in the "Militærprotokoller" and the company's record within the microfilm. Physical copies of these oversized charts may be found in the FamilySearch Library. See the FamilySearch catalog entry for "Oversiktsplan : over den norske hars organisasjon 18/1 1628 - 30/9 1940."
  2. Kiærland, Lars - Oversiktsplan over den norske hærs organisasjon fra 1628 til 1940 This collection consists of three oversized charts covering 12 time periods between 1628 and 1940. Each chart displays the division of the regiments over time into corps and companies. Identify the regiment (usually associated with a county or group of counties) and then the company (usually associated with a parish, group of parishes, or a geographical region like a valley). Physical copies of these oversized charts may be found in the FamilySearch Library. See the FamilySearch catalog entry for "Den norske Hær : 1628-1900."

Or check the FamilySearch Catalog under:

Norway - Military Records

A useful biography about Norwegian military officers from 1628 to 1814 is Olai Ovenstad's, Militœbiografier, den norske hœrs officerer fra 18 januar 1628 til 17 mai 1814. Oslo, Norway: Norsk Slektshistorisk Forening, 1948-19492. FS Library book 948.1 D3o.

A list of the regiments and companies for each county is listed. The main military records for Norway are to be found on the national level, but there are also a few listed under county and city. These can be found in the FamilySearch Catalog under:

NORWAY [COUNTY], - MILITARY RECORDS
NORWAY, [COUNTY], [PARISH] - MILITARY RECORDS

Military Terms

Skipreie. A skipreie or skiprede was a coastal area assigned to build a ship and provide men and provisions for military use. Its size was determined according to the number of farms in the area and did not usually include the entire parish. A skipreie may have included a number of farms of a given parish while another skipreie included the remaining farms in the same parish. A skipreie was not confined to a parish border and may have included farms in several parishes. As the population grew, the area a given skipreie included became smaller. Today a skipreie is called Skipsrederi and is a factory in a city or town where ships are being built.

Fjerding. A fjerding is an old administrative jurisdiction that subdivided a county, district (herred), and sometimes also a skipreie or skiprede. Standardized spellings of place name (names) can first be found in the early 1900s in Norway. Therefore, these terms may be spelled several different ways.

The fjerding was not the only jurisdiction used in the middle ages, but it seems to have been an important one for the church and states. It is the remnant of an ancient system that was still being used in Rogaland County in conjunction with larger court district even in the 1700s and 1800s.

The term fjerding is mainly used in early records in Norway. It could also mean 1/4th of a county in western Norway, or in Iceland it could men 1/4th of the whole country. In the middle ages a fjerding could mean 1/4th of a large district or area.

For more historical information about the Norwegian military, see:

More resources are listed in the FamilySearch Catalog under:

Norway - Military history

References

  1. ↑ LokalhistorieWiki.no, Militære grader. Accessed 3 February 2025.
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