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 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.

Military records include the following:


 * Muster rolls
 * Personnel files
 * Regimental account books
 * Lists of officers
 * Accounts (officers)
 * Probate records (officers)
 * Naval records
 * Second World War Dead

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 all the available military records for 1643 to 1909 on digitized microfilm. See the FamilySearch Catalog entry for Militærprotokoller, 1643-1909.

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.

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 Family History Library. See the FamilySearch catalog entry for "Oversiktsplan : over den norske hars organisasjon 18/1 1628 - 30/9 1940."


 * 1) 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 Family History 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. 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 FamilySearch Catalog under:

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

The Regional Archives in Kongsberg has placed online four tables showing the organization of the Norwegian army, 1628-1817.

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)
 * Kilder til 2. verdenskrig (Sources for WWII)
 * 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 FamilySearch Catalog under:

NORWAY - MILITARY HISTORY.

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 &amp; forsvarsjefen)     General (only 2. The King and the head person of defence)

Other military terms:

Soldat                                                    Soldier

Dragon                                                   Cavalry soldier

National soldat                                        National soldier - infantry

Gevorben                                                Enlisted soldier

Jæger                                                    Light cavalry -chasseur or hunter

Musqueter                                              Infantry soldier

Skiløper                                                 Infanteriman on skis

Marinesoldat                                          Navy soldier

Matros                                                  Sailor