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On June 6, 1944, the young ensign was on board the “KNM Svenner” which was heading for the French beach under the code name “Sword Beach”. The Norwegian destroyer was one of an armada of ships that brought thousands of American, British, Canadian – and Norwegian – troops across the English Channel.
The date was to go down in world history as “D-Day”.
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“German bastards”
A fierce battle ensued, where wave after wave of Allied soldiers tumbled onto the beaches, while German soldiers opened fire with all their machine guns and grenade launchers. Before the end of the day, 10,000 of them had lost their lives.
But the attack succeeded and the Allies managed to hold on. A few weeks later they had driven the Germans out of France.
Monrad Mosberg heard a British sergeant shout at dawn: “Come out and fight, you German bastards.”
Then “KNM Svenner” was hit amidships by two German torpedoes. Soon after, Mosberg finds himself in the freezing water, surrounded by comrades fighting for their lives. Then he estimated it took half an hour before he was picked up by a British boat.
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70th birthday
The day 70 years later, Monrad Mosberg was back in Normandy, where Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin celebrated and marked – with heads of state from across Europe. It was only three months after the Russian occupation of Krym, but the world community had yet to grasp its seriousness.
So on D-Day, visiting dignitaries celebrated that Nazism and similar ugliness had been eradicated once and for all.
King Harald also made the trip, bringing with him the Band of the Guard – as well as Storting President Olemic Thommessen, Prime Minister Erna Solberg and Defense Minister Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide. In the entourage were seven former sailors. Mosberg was the one.
In the small town of Villons-les-Buissons, the large delegation of Norwegians was warmly welcomed by Mayor Gérald Aniel. Several of the mature veterans took the opportunity to flirt with 18 Norwegian girls from a nearby international school.
But Monrad Mosberg was clearly in no mood for jokes and fun, which the expression on his face said it all.
On the beach
The next day, he was taken to the beach by a journalist from Forum Défense. Memories grew too strong of that bloody day, when many Norwegian comrades were among the thousands of dead that littered the scene. He would rather not stay there longer than it took to take a few pictures.
A total of 35 Norwegians and two Britons lost their lives in the sinking of the “KNM Svenner”.
Mosberg’s rescuers landed him, but he had to organize his own return to England. It therefore took six days before the ensign could travel to Naval Headquarters in London to make his duty report.
There on the farm they were so sure that he had not survived that the death certificate had already been issued.
Asbjorn Svarstad
Asbjørn Svarstad started writing in the local newspaper Dagningen and for a few years was linked to VG. From 1987 stringer for Dagbladet in Copenhagen. Since 1996 he has lived permanently in Berlin where he works for various Scandinavian media. Works primarily with historical background articles, political commentary and is an authorized guide in Sachsenhausen.
Adjutant to King Olav
Four months later, Mosberg was on active duty as an officer on a motor torpedo boat. After the war ended, the quiet man returned home to Norway to continue in the navy. He eventually became a captain-lieutenant – a rank equivalent on land to lieutenant-colonel.
For several years he served as adjutant to King Olav, a monarch who carefully selected his closest associates.
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Norwegian streets
At Villons-les-Buissons was the first airstrip used by Norwegian pilots in the first days after “D-Day”. As a culmination of the 70th anniversary, the municipality had given Norwegian names to several streets and squares in a new housing estate.
Thus, King Harald and Monrad Mosberg were able to discover the ribbons cut in Narvik-, Norge- and Oslo-gata – as well as in Helllands Plass. (The latter in memory of Johannes Helland – the first Norwegian to land his plane there in 1944).
Two years ago, the lowly war hero was visited at his home in Tvedestrand by the French ambassador, who hung the French Legion of Honor on the 103-year-old’s chest.
It was placed next to an already long series of awards.
But today’s hero was less concerned with honors and good words. In return, he was delighted that the Armed Forces allowed his grandson to come home and be present.
Monrad Mosberg was 105 years old.
