Arne Dagfin Dahl

This article is about the Norwegian Army officer. For the North Dakota politician, see Arne Dahl (politician).

Arne Dagfin Dahl
Born	(1894-05-24)24 May 1894 Kristiania, Norway
Died	26 October 1990(1990-10-26) (aged 96) Oslo, Norway
Place of burial	Vestre gravlund, Oslo
Allegiance	Norway
Service/branch	Norwegian Army
Years of service	1912–1956
Rank	Generalmajor (Major General)
Commands held	CO Alta Battalion * Chief Military Mission to Soviet Union * GOC Military District North Norway * GOC Norwegian occupation forces in Germany
Battles/wars	Second World War: Battle of Gratangen Battles of Narvik Liberation of Finnmark
Awards	St. Olav's Medal With Oak Branch Defence Medal with Rosette King Haakon's Remembrance medal Croix de guerre with Star Croix de guerre with palm Commander of the Legion of Honour Commander of the Order of the British Empire Bronze Star

Arne Dagfin Dahl, CBE (1894–1990) was a Norwegian military officer most renowned as the commander of the Alta Battalion during the fighting at Narvik in Northern Norway in 1940.

First World War

During the First World War, Dahl was the Norwegian military attaché to the United Kingdom and Belgium. In connection with this assignment Dahl spent time at the front lines as an observer. According to a report on the Alta Battalion by the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services, Dahl saw action during his time at the front, fighting in a British unit at the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

Second World War

Dahl assumed command of the Alta Battalion in 1939 and led it through the 1940 Norwegian Campaign. He has since been considered perhaps the best Norwegian battalion commander during the fighting at Narvik.

He later served in the UK and the U.S. as well as having other commands before in the fall of 1944, as a full colonel, he was made commander of the Norwegian Military Mission.

In 1941 Dahl became the first Norwegian to attend the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Finnmark command

Dinner party in the Norwegian town of Kirkenes in July 1945. Soviet troops withdrew from Norwegian territory on 25 September 1945. At the rear from right: Colonel A. D. Dahl, Crown Prince Olav and Commander Soviet Forces in Norway Lieutenant General Sherbakov.

Dahl was given the task of commanding the Norwegian forces that were transferred to, as well as those raised in, the recently liberated Norwegian county of Finnmark from November 1944. At the time of the German capitulation in Norway on 8 May 1945 Dahl had under his Finnmark command around 3,000 soldiers. Although involved in very little fighting, the force under Dahl's command was heavily involved in helping the civilian population of Finnmark and served as a symbol of Norwegian sovereignty in the area. Dahl on his part was concerned that the Russian forces which had been stationed in Eastern Finnmark since the October 1944 Petsamo-Kirkenes Operation might not leave after war's end. These concerns turned out not to come true as all the Soviet forces left Norwegian territory by August–September 1945.

Post-war service

Deputy Supreme Commander Europe of NATO Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery and Major General Arne Dagfin Dahl on inspection in Narvik on 5 July 1951.

A.D. Dahl became a Major General and commander of District Command North in 1945.

In the period 1 September 1949 to 31 October 1950, Dahl commanded the Independent Norwegian Brigade Group in Germany.

Bibliography

• Gjems-Onstad, Erik (1996). Krigskorset og St. Olavsmedaljen med ekegren (in Norwegian). Grøndahl Dreyer. ISBN 82-504-2190-6. 
• Mjøen, Jarle (1990). Minneskrift over Alta bataljons innsats ved krigsutbruddet 1940: 9. april 1940 - 9. april 1990 (in Norwegian). Alta Battalion.