Bernhard Bang Samuelsen
| Bernhard Bang Samuelsen | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 28, 1921 Oslo, Norway |
| 💀Died | August 29, 1985 (aged 64) Oslo, NorwayAugust 29, 1985 (aged 64) |
| 🏳️ Nationality | Norwegian |
| 🏫 Education | Royal Norwegian Naval Academy |
| 💼 Occupation | Naval officer, business executive |
| Known for | WWII naval service, shipping and insurance leadership |
| 🏅 Awards | War Medal, Haakon VII 70th Anniversary Medal, Knight 1st Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit |
Bernhard Bang Samuelsen (28 August 1921 – 29 August 1985) was a Norwegian naval officer, WWII veteran, and business executive. He served in the Royal Norwegian Navy during World War II and participated in several key operations, including the D-Day invasion in 1944. After the war, he held prominent roles in Norwegian shipping and insurance and was active in promoting Norwegian business interests abroad.
Early life
Samuelsen was born in Oslo to Gottfred Samuelsen and Ellen Louise Pedersen. His family had deep maritime roots from the Arendal region, with both his father and grandfather being shipmasters and part-owners of sailing vessels. He grew up in a cultured and musically inclined household that valued discipline and education.[1]
Wartime service
Samuelsen began his seafaring career in 1937 as a deck boy on the M/S Temeraire, later sailing on the M/S Trafalgar in transatlantic trade. He witnessed dramatic events, including a sabotage attack in Tampico, Mexico, where demonstrators set fire to the ship.[1]
In 1939, he was admitted to the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy in Horten and took part in the defense of Norway in April 1940. After the German occupation, he escaped to Northern Norway and then to the UK aboard the royal yacht Heimdal.[1]
In Britain, he served aboard the destroyers Draug and Valorous, escorting convoys along the British east coast. He completed gunnery training at HMS Excellent and became gunnery officer on the destroyer Glaisdale, which participated in the Allied invasion of North Africa in 1942.[1]
On D-Day (6 June 1944), Samuelsen was gunnery officer aboard the Norwegian destroyer Svenner, which was torpedoed and sunk off Sword Beach by German E-boats. He survived after spending over an hour in the sea.[1]
After the war, he served as executive officer on the destroyer Arendal and took part in the repatriation of urns containing the remains of Norwegian war dead from the UK to Oslo in September 1945.[2]
Business career
After leaving the navy, Samuelsen entered the shipping industry. He worked at Fearnley & Eger and later became office manager and director at Torvald Klaveness Rederi. He played a key role in the development of bulk shipping and offshore operations in Norway, including the commissioning of the heavy-lift vessel Sarita and the crane ship Uglen.[1]
In 1979, he became CEO of Arendal Forsikringsselskap, where he led a successful restructuring of the company. He also served for ten years as a lay judge in the Norwegian Labour Court.[1]
International engagement
After retiring in 1986, Samuelsen moved to Scotland and married Mary Bergius. He became actively involved in Norwegian-Scottish business relations and co-founded the Scottish Norwegian Business Forum (SNOBUF), serving as its first chairman.[1]
Awards
Bernhard Samuelsen received several Norwegian honors for his wartime service and postwar contributions:
- War Medal (awarded 23 October 1945)[3]
- Haakon VII 70th Anniversary Medal[3]
- Knight 1st Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit (posthumously awarded in 1997)[1]
Death
Bernhard Samuelsen died on 29 August 1985 after a long illness. He was buried at Ris Church in Oslo.
References
External links
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