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Auction: 25113 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 878

(x) An unusual group of eleven awarded to Captain J. A. Ørner, Royal Norwegian Navy

Having firstly shared in resistance work against the Germans, he then escaped via Sweden to Great Britain, serving on convoys and off the coast of Normandy; he was latterly Chief Adjutant to Crown Prince Harald in 1965

Norway, Kingdom, Order of St Olav, breast Badge, silver-gilt and enamel; King Haakon VII 50th Anniversary Medal 1905-55, silver; War Medal 1941; Winter Wars Volunteer Medal 1941; United Kingdom, 1939-45 Star, copy; Atlantic Star, copy clasp, France and Germany; Defence Medal 1939-45; Denmark, Kingdom, Order of the Dannebrog, F.IX.R. (1947-72), breast Badge; France, Republic, Legion of Honour, breast Badge; Sweden, Kingdom, Order of the Sword, breast Badge, gold and enamel; Norway, Norwegian Shooting Association Merit Medal, mounted court-style as worn, very fine and surely a unique combination of awards (11)

Jan August Ørner was born on 27 April 1924 at Oslo and with the invasion of Norway served in the resistance passing messages for the local Fire Chief. Having escaped to Sweden, he passed Radio Training at Gothenberg in February 1943, serving as a 2nd Class Telegraphist during the Second World War. His career is best told by the Great Norwegian Encyclopaedia (2005-2007):

'Ørner was a Norwegian naval officer who had a long career in the Armed Forces and later in the United Nations.

Ørner took part in resistance work during World War II and was a courier in Oslo. He escaped to Sweden, and attended radio school there until 1943, when he mustered out on the convoys in the Atlantic. In the autumn of 1943, he came to Britain and was admitted to the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy. As a cadet he was on active duty, including off the coast of France in 1944. He graduated in 1946.

After the war, Ørner became the first psychologist in the Norwegian Navy. He served as adjutant first to Crown Prince Olav from 1954-56, before becoming chief adjutant to Crown Prince Harald in 1965.

Ørner worked in international aid work, first for the World Council of Churches and later the UN, from 1969 to 1979. Among other things, he was the U.N. High Commissioner for Macao from 1971 to 1973. In Norway, he worked in a number of charitable organizations.'

Recorded as having served on the H.No.M.S. Stord, M/T Elise and M/S Para, he died in Oslo in February 2019; sold together with his Telegraphists Certificate, including photograph, besides passes and letters.

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Estimate

Starting price
£1000