Finn Lambrechts
Finn Lambrechts DFC (16 June 1900 – 8 December 1956) was a Norwegian military officer, a lieutenant general of the Royal Norwegian Air Force. He served as Chief of Defence of Norway (Norwegian: sjef for Forsvarsstaben) from 1955 to 1956.
Personal life
[edit]Lambrechts was born in Kristiania, the son of county manager Sigurd Lambrechts and Augusta Mowinckel. On 24 June 1929, he married Cuba-born Anita Brøgger.[1][2]
Career
[edit]Early career
[edit]Lambrechts graduated as naval officer in 1921,[1] and from the navy's pilot school in 1924.[2] He published the book Lærebok i luftnavigasjon in 1935, and worked as a pilot for the Norwegian Air Lines from 1935 to 1939.[3]
Second World War
[edit]During the Second World War, he served as a pilot and aviation officer in Great Britain with the No. 333 Squadron RAF.[3] He was pilot of the first operation using the amphibious aircraft Catalina to land agents on the Norwegian coast on 1 May 1942.[4]
Post war
[edit]After the war, Lambrechts served as air attaché in Stockholm from 1945 to 1946.[2] He was promoted to lieutenant general and head of the Royal Norwegian Air Force in 1951. From 1955 to 1956, he served as Chief of Defence of Norway (Norwegian: sjef for Forsvarsstaben).[3]
Honours and awards
[edit]Lambrechts was decorated Knight of the French Legion of Honour.[1] He was awarded the Norwegian War Cross with Sword and the British Distinguished Flying Cross for achievements during the Second World War.[2][5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Barth, Bjarne Keyser, ed. (1930). "Lambrechts, F.". Norges militære embedsmenn 1929 (in Norwegian). Oslo: A. M. Hanche. pp. 346–347.
- ^ a b c d Gram, Harald; Steenstrup, Bjørn, eds. (1948). "Lambrechts Finn". Hvem er hvem? (in Norwegian). Oslo: Aschehoug. p. 308. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
- ^ a b c Henriksen, Petter (ed.). "Finn Lambrechts". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 4 November 2009.
- ^ Voksø, Per, ed. (1984). "Catalinafly lander på kysten". Krigens Dagbok (in Norwegian). Oslo: Det Beste. p. 234. ISBN 82-7010-166-4.
- ^ Waage, Johan (1967). "Krigskorset". Den høyeste heder (in Norwegian). Oslo: Dreyer. pp. 209–210.