Norway Military Records

Norway Military Records 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 under Hannibal Sechested (Hannibal Feud), 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 to1900. 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 include the following: Muster rolls Personnel files Regimental account books Lists of officers Accounts (officers) Probate records (officers) Naval records  Records of military service in Norway were kept by the Department of Defense. These records are now at the National Archives. The Family History Library has on microfilm all the available military records for 1643 to 1909. Many are online and can be searched at: http://digitalarkivet.uib.no Click on "Database selector" at the top of the page, Click on "Source Category" and choose The Military, then Click on "Sub-category" and choose Military rolls.  Click on Period and choose the years you want to search.  A word of caution, the information online has been extracted from the original records and may contain mistakes.  If ever in doubt, search the microfilms. 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. 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 town where the individual was living when he was of age to serve in the military. To determine what unit your ancestor belonged to, check the Family History Library Catalog under: NORWAY - MILITARY RECORDS A useful biography about Norwegian military officers from 1628 to 1814 is: Olai Ovenstad. Militœbiografier, den norske hœrs officerer fra 18 januar 1628 til 17 mai 1814 (The Norwegian Army Officers from January 18, 1628 to May 17, 1814). Oslo, Norway: Norsk Slektshistorisk Forening, 1948-19492. Two Volumes (FHL 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 level of the country, but there are also a few listed under the level of county and city, which can be found in the Family History Library Catalog under: NORWAY [COUNTY], - MILITARY RECORDS NORWAY, [COUNTY], [PARISH] - MILITARY RECORDS Military Terms Skipreie.  A Skipreie or Skiprede was an area assigned to ourfit a ship for military use.  Its size was determind 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 (skiprede).  Standardized spellings  of place name (names) can first be found in the early1900s 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. A Fjerding 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 distirct or area. Military History Norway was involved in the following military 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 Eleven-Year War, 1709-1720. (At peace of 1720 Denmark lost many German possessions. 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). Occupation during the World War II, 1940-1945. For more historical information about the Norwegian military, see: Bjørn Christophersen, Vårt Forsvars Historie (The History of Our Defense), Oslo, Norway: Gyldendahl Norsk Forlag, 1978. (FHL book Ref. 948.1 M2c) For information about Norwegians who settle in Wisconsin and served in the 15th Volunteer Infantry, see the following web site: The 15th Wisconsin Regiment More military histories are listed in the Family History Library Catalog under: NORWAY - MILITARY HISTORY. Military Ranks MILITARY RANKS IN NORWAY FROM ABOUT 1930- TO THE PRESENT BEFAL  --   NON COMMISIONED NORWEGIAN        US EQUIVALENT HÆREN                THE ARMY Visekorporal          (Vice Corporal) Korporal                Corporal Sersjant                Sergeant Stabssersjant        Staff Sergeant MARINEN               THE MARINE Kvartermester I        Quarter Master I Kvartermester II       Quarter Master II Flaggkvartermester  Flag Quarter Master FLYVÅPENET         AIR FORCE Visekorporal            (Vise Corporal) Korporal                  Corporal Sersjant                  Sergeant Vingsersjant            Wing Sergeant (Staff Sergeant) 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 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 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 MILITARY RANKS IN NORWAY EARLY (1600's)TO CA. 1930 NORWEGIAN                                US EQUIVALENT Menig soldat                                  Private Korporal                                        Corporal BEFAL                                            NC Sersjant                                          Sergeant Furer                                               Quartermaster Sergeant Kommandersjersant                          First Sergeant, Sergeant Major [?] Fanejunker                                       Ensign (Army) or (3, 4, 5 Lieutenant)    2a. Kavalieret - Standart Junker.        2a. Cavalry - Standard Bearer    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)  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 & forsvarsjefen)      General (only 2. The King and the head person of defence)

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