Odd Kjeld Starheim ✝ (Ola Svensen (Swensen) og senere Lt Ola Stenvold.) - født i 1916

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SOE agent

born 14.6.1916 Egersund,Norway​
to England summer 1940​
Kompani Linge 1941​
codename Cheese​
3 missions to Norway​
POW Oslo - escaped​
awarded D.S.O. 1941,War cross,etc​
lost when D/S Tromoysund sunk off coast of Norway

"Ole Stenvold" A-12 party
Real Name: Ole Kjell STARHEIM
Age: About 24. (14.6.16.)
Home Town: Farsund.

English perfect. Sound knowledge of navigation and skilled W/T operator.
One of our first recruits trained at station 17 in the old days, attended finishing course, employed in Shetland.
Operationally employed in the field as the first "Cheese", Returned to England after a very successful tour, a report of which can be obtsined from SN/A.
Returned again to the field at beginning of 1942 and returned the hero of the "Galtesund" incident. Since then employed by SN/A in London and in charge of W/T Training at S.T.S.26.

19.8.42. Leaving S.T.S.26 to report to General Hansteen special duty.
26.8.42. To London for special duty.
30.8.42. To Camberley for A.F.V. course.(Armour Fighting Vehicles
on Vechicle dept Sandhurst)
4.10.42. Procaeded to S.T.S.26 for special duty.
1.10.42 Awarded Norwegian War Cross with Sword
2.1.43 Sailed on "CARHAMPTON" operation

Awarded D.S.0. (CHEESE)
9.12.42. awarded Norwegian War Cross with Sword. (CHEESE)
21.6.43. Awarded St. Olav!s Medal. (CARHAMPTON) post mortem.

_____________________________________________________________________
DSO 24/8-1942

2ndLieut. Odd Kjell STARHEIM.

After serving six years in the Norwegian Mercantile Marine as an officer and W.T. Operator, he Joined the Army when Norway was invaded, but was captured after a fortnight.

Unable to reach Great Britain via Sweden, he retumed
to Norway, and with two friends bought a motor—boat. After
accumulating eufficient 511, pint by pint, the three set out”
from Farsund and reached Aberdeen on 17th August 1940.

After training, his two friends and one other
returned. to Norway, were discovered and executed. Starheim
followed in a submarine in Decenber 1940 to investigate mattera.
Landing by means of @ canoe with hie wireless set intact, he
trekked inland: suffering from Anfluenss, for 25 miles.

Remaining in Norway until July 1941, he organized
resistance and sent over 100 wireless messages until his post
became unteneble. He escaped to Sweden, returned to the
United Kingdom, and wes premotea ond Lieutenant in the R.
Norwegian Army, in August 1941, as a rewerd.

An operator he had left behind failed to send messages,
so Starhein was sent tack with a companion. Both were dropped
from the air in mountainous country in January 1942, made their
way to Farsund and re-established W.T. contact with the U.K.

Whilst visiting OSLO he was arrested by the Gestapo
and deprived of his papers. At an oprortime moment he seized
nis papers, jumped out of a secand atory window, escaped from
Oslo and returned to Farsund after great difficulty. From
there he signalled for transport to bring him back to the U.K.
An attempt to reach him by fishing boat failed, and decidirg
against a third attempt to escape via Sweden, as advised, he
enbarked, with five friends as paseengers, in a 600 ton coastal

. vessel. When the shipmut out to sea he and his friends seized
the vessel, imprisoned the captain and crew, and set couse for
Aberdeen. After eluding pursuing planea and ships, they reached
Aberdeen safely.

During the eighteen months he was smployeäd by the
Special. Operations Executive, 2nd Lieut. Starheim has displayed
remarkable courage and endurance and done most valuable work. ,
_____________________________________________________________________
2/LIEUTENANT ODD KJELL STARHEIM |
Royal Norwegian Army.

Recommendation for the award of the Military Cross

This officer served for six years in the, Norwegian Mercantile Marine as an Officer and W/T Operator. He was at the Navigation School in Norway when Norway was invaded, joined the Army but was captured after a fortnight. He
then went back to the Navigation School and took his Mate's Certificate.

He then decided to proceed to Great Britain and made his way into Sweden, but found his prospects of getting to the United Kingdom that way very remote. He returned to his home and, together with two of his friends, bought a small motor boat and, pint by pint, purchased and stole sufficient oil to enable them to make the journey. They set out from Farsund and arrived at Aberdeen on 17th August, 1940.

All three were recruited for work in Norway and sent for training. His two friends with one other were sent back in November, 1940, but on arrival in Norway were captured and executed. Starheim pressed to be sent out to
investigate the whole case. He was taken over by submarine at the beginning of December, 1940, and put into a canoe outside Farsund. Although the canoe was half filled with water and he was suffering from a severe attack of influenza, he managed to get himself and his wireless set ashore undamaged
He trekked 25 miles overland in a semi-frozen condition before he could lie up.

Starheim remained in Norway until July, 1941. In the course of this period he did most valuable work organising resistance, and sent out over a hundred wireless messages, "some of them containing information of the highest importance. During the last few weeks the enemy made a continuous search for his location, but despite their presence in tne neighbourhood he contimed to stick to his post until it became untenable, He escaped into Sweden, leaving another operator behind, and arrived back in the United Kingdom. He was
commissioned as a 2/Lieutenant in the Royal Norwegian Army in August 1941, in recognition of his services.

Unfortunately no messages came through from the operator who had taken his place and it was decided to send Starheim back to re-establisn contact. After considerable delay, owing to climatic conditions, he and a companion were dropped by air on January end, 1942, in mountainous and difficult country. In a week!s time they made their way to Starheim's area of operations, where he re-established all his contacts and wireless communication with the United Kingdom.

Starheim repeated his former valuable work, in the course of which he visited Oslo. There he was arrested and taken by the Gestapo for examination, and his papers taken from him. When the opportunity presented itself he seized his papers, jumped out of a second-story window and escaped from Oslo. He experienced considerable difficulty in returning to his own area, and after arriving there: signalled for transport to be sent out to bring him back to the United Kingdom. An 5 attempt was made by fishing boat, but was ineffective owing to the presence of ice on the coast. A signal was therefore sent to Starheim to make his way into Sweden. Deciding that as he had already been to Sweden twice under different names it was too dangerous for him to attempt it a third time, he planned to make his own escape. He laid plans with five of his friends to embark on the 600-ton coastal steamer "GALTESUND" as passengers.

When the boat put out they imprisoned the Captain in his cabin, rounded up the crew of twenty, and set course for Aberdeen. lhe enemy missed the boat from its proper course, but foggy weather enabled Starheim to elude the pursuing planes and ships. Before capturing the "GALTESUND" he had written out a signal to be sent half an hour after she sailed, asking for air protection from the United Kingdom. The "GALTESUND" eventually arrived safely in Aberdeen.

2/Lieutenant Starheim has displayed remarkable courage and endurance in the most difficult conditions during the whole period of eighteen months that he has been working for S.0.E., during which he has done most valuable work.
I strongly recommend 2/Lieutenant Starheim for the award of the Military Cross.

May 10th 1942 Colin Gubbins, Brigadier

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