Interview with Leif Schanche

Norwegian officer served with Norwegian Army in Norway, 1940; member of Norwegian Resistance in Norway and Sweden, 1940-1942; served with Norwegian Parachute Company, Norwegian Bde in GB, 1942-1944; served with Lingekompaniet in GB, Sweden and Norway, 1944-1945; served as instructor with Norwegian Army in Norway, 1945-1950; served with 7th Infantry Regt, Independent Norwegian Brigade Group in Germany, 1950-1951; commanded Norwegian Armed Forces Joint Medical Services in Norway, 1951-1956; commanded His Majesty's King's Guard in Norway, 1956-1959; served as military attaché in Finland, 1959-1964; student at Norwegian Staff College, Norwegian Armed Forces in Oslo, Norway, 1965; commanded Brigade South and Chief of Personnel Staff at Headquarters, Defence Staff Norway, Norwegian Armed Forces, Norway, 1965-1978; served as Inspector of Infantry, Norwegian Army in Norway, 1978; served as representative of Norwegian Government in Lebanon, 1978; served as Norwegian Adviser during Mutual and Balanced Force Reduction talks in Vienna, Austria, 1979-1981

REEL 1 Aspects of training with Norwegian Army Reserve in Norway, 1936-1937: reasons for joining Norwegian Army reserve; expectations of war; decision to become reserve officer; limited training; political restrictions on military preparations; reaction to outbreak of Second World War, 9/1939. Recollections of operations as officer with Norwegian Army in Norway, 1/1940-6/1940: call-up to Norwegian Army, 1/1940; character of his platoon; deploying as Neutrality Guard on border with Soviet Union; character of patrols; aiding Finns crossing border; sight of Soviet forces moving south; platoon positions and weapons; solo reconnaissance into Soviet Union; contact with company commander; reaction to German invasion of Norway, 9/4/1940; tactical training; degree of knowledge of German military behaviour. REEL 2 Continues: voyage southwards aboard civilian ships; journey to Gratangen; platoon formation on march and system of communication; degree of knowledge of German military deployment and role as blocking force to prevent withdrawal of German forces; deployment of platoon; rations and freezing conditions; orders for unit to go down in valley to obtain rations; German Army attack on positions at farm in valley; opinion of battalion commander's experience; unit casualties; engaging German Army section on road; attack received from German Army patrol; opinion of temporary company commander; effect of German Army attack on unit morale. REEL 3 Continues: withdrawal after action to Lavangen via reserve battalion; collecting dead in battalion area; platoon casualties; behaviour of German Army in using human shields and misuse of Red Cross; effect of casualties on morale; strafing attack by German Air Force aircraft; acting in support of reserve in attack on German positions on mountain side; reaction to sight of British air attack; battalion commander's leading from the front during advance against German forces; fighting patrol on Hill 996; German Army's evacuation of heavy machine gun position on Hill 996; expectation of driving Germans out of country; reaction to capitulation and question of continuing attacks on Germans forces, 10/6/1940 REEL 4 Continues: political concerns of Norwegian Government behind capitulation; handing over weapons at Gratangen. Aspects of period as civilian member of Norwegian Resistance in Norway and Sweden, 6/1940-10/1942: recruitment to resistance by battalion commander; employment in local tax office; gathering information on German Air Force base at Vaernes; attitude of civilians towards Norwegian collaborator Quislings; clash with Norwegian Quislings in sports club; advise to go to GB; escape from Norway to Sweden, 1/1942; Norwegian camp in Sweden; role as courier between Sweden and Norway, 9/1942; problems evading Swedish border guards; plan to demolish bridge to disrupt export of iron ore; chain of command; flight from Sweden to GB, 1942. REEL 5 Continues: Recollections of period as officer with Parachute Coy, Norwegian Bde in GB, 1942-1944: interrogation in London; volunteering for unit; training at No 1 Parachute Training School, RAF at RAF Ringway; attitude towards parachute training; amusing story of friend's parachute jump over Manchester; training for return to Norway; opinion of navigational skills of pilots; expectations of involvement in operations in North Africa and Normandy, France; opinion of Norwegian Government's decision not to involve Norwegian parachutists operationally. Recollections of period as officer with Lingekompaniet in GB, Sweden and Norway, 1944-1945: background to transfer to Lingekompaniet in GB, 1944; situation in Stockholm, Sweden; attacks on ferries in Norway; reasons for his own attack not being successful; taking refuge with priest; move to Bodø, Norway; attacks on snow ploughs in Norway. REEL 6 Continues: German authorities use of Soviet prisoners of war to clear snow from roads in Norway; orders to return to Stockholm, Sweden, 3/1945; instructions to prevent Germans from destroying infrastructure and maintain order; contacts and deployment of groups; communications with Stockholm, Sweden; training of Norwegian Resistance; contacting German forces, 6/5/1945; crossing border in uniform; treatment by German forces and their initial disbelief at capitulation; release by German captivity; move to Bodø, Norway to prevent lynching of German prisoners of war and collaborators; role of resistance in guarding stores; conditions in prisoner of camp holding Soviet prisoners of war; treatment of female collaborators; arrival of Norwegian forces; civil committees in Bodø, Norway; return to Trondheim, Norway. Aspects of period as instructor with Norwegian Army in Norway, 1945-1950: opinion of instructors at Norwegian Military Academy; role as instructor at officer cadet training unit. REEL 7 Continues: character of battle courses with officer cadet training unit; contrast in method of training between younger instructors and older ones who had been imprisoned in Germany; difficulties discussing his experiences of action at Narvik, 1940; tests to identify group leaders in training sections; character of section training and duration of course; reasons for failure at officer cadet training unit; reasons for conducting hard training; question of effects of German Occupation on training officer cadet training unit; clash with chief of officer cadet training unit who attempted to impose pre-war training programme; quest of Inspector of Infantry's lack of war experience. Recollections of period as officer with 7th Infantry Regt, Independent Norwegian Brigade Group in Germany, 1950-1951: background to joining unit; reasons for problems of living amongst Germans. REEL 8 Continues: encounters with German civilians and reasons for firing German maid; facilities at Sennelager Training Area; quality of his conscripts; strength of brigade; brigade exercises; question of lack of training for small scale operations; impressions of Danish forces; training rota in Norway and Germany; provision of armour from British Army; organisation of accommodation and administration. Aspects of period commanding Norwegian Armed Forces Joint Medical Services in Norway, 1951-1956: commanding medical units; nature of two months elementary infantry training undertaken by medical personnel; training of other non-combatants; role as leader of Norwegian Officers' Union; character of Norwegian Officers' Union. Aspects of period commanding His Majesty's King's Guard in Norway, 1956-1959: role of His Majesty's King's Guard; perceptions of threat. REEL 9 Continues: threat to Norwegian Royal Family during German invasion in 1940; character of His Majesty's King's Guard; participation in Edinburgh Tattoo in Edinburgh; attitude of troops to serving in His Majesty's King's Guard; requirements for guard duties; role of battalion commander; improvements in training. Recollections of period as military attaché in Finland, 1959-1964: character of post; quality of Finnish military training; exchange visits between Finnish and Norwegian officers; Norwegian attitude towards Field Marshal Carl Mannerheim; Finnish Army drills for fighting in woods. REEL 10 Continues: Finnish Army method of retaining control in forests; importance of blocking defences; visits to northern Finland; Finns belief that they could stop any Soviet invasion; political atmosphere in Finland; reasons for Norwegian politicians being more anxious about Soviets than Finns; Finnish plans for defence in event of Soviet invasion; relations between Norway and Finland; character of Soviet military attaché; invitations to lunch and dinner; Swedish representatives in Finland. Aspects of period as officer at Norwegian Staff College, Norwegian Armed Forces, Oslo, Norway, 1964-1965: methods of instruction; visits to other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) countries; telephone exercises; observing brigade manoeuvres; appointment to command Brigade South. REEL 11 Continues: Aspects of period as commander of Brigade South in Norway from 1965: composition of Brigade South; main task to defend Gardermoen; defence plans for Gardermoen area; preparations for mobilisation of Norwegian Home Guard; use of armoured personnel carriers; frequency of exercises; expectation of attack on south coast. REEL 12 Continues: Aspects of period as Chief of Personnel Staff at Headquarters, Defence Staff Norway, Norwegian Armed Forces, Oslo, Norway until 1978: responsibilities for training and education; role as Norwegian representative on North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) committee to improve combat fitness; annual competitions; character of fitness training; reasons why attempts to improve fitness only partially successful; his staff; committee work with Norwegian Sports Union. Aspects of period as Inspector of Infantry, Norwegian Army in Norway, 1978: responsibility for Norwegian Army leadership training; selection of potential leaders; qualities required of potential leaders; agreement amongst psychologists and officers. REEL 13 Continues: attempts to improve officer leadership skills; testing of weapons handling; number of annual inspections; aim to minimise staff of administration. Recollections of period as representative of Norwegian Government in Lebanon, 1978: reasons for his being ordered to visit south Lebanon; taking advice from Swedish Army battalions; different attitudes of Israeli, Palestinians, Lebanese and Syrians towards United Nations; equipment required to deploy; question of logistics and supply; need to liaise with all factions; situation in south Lebanon; advice to ministers to be prepared for casualties; appointment representative of Defence Minister for six month period. REEL 14 Continues: behaviour of Israeli Defence Forces battalion commander; question of South Lebanese Army attacking Palestinians and United Nations forces being supported by Israel; character of South Lebanese Army and why they attacked United Nations forces; composition of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) forces; first meeting with commander of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) forces, Ghanaian General Emmanuel Erskine; discussions of shooting incidents, including Palestine Liberation Organisation firing on Norwegian manned United Nations' positions with Bren Gun and Norwegian response; subsequent conversation with local Palestine Liberation Organisation commander; visited Prime Minister of Lebanon; General Emmanuel Erskine's insistence in living in Jerusalem, Israel; area occupied by United Nations Norwegian battalion and deployment; mining of road between Beirut and Damascus, Syria by Palestine Liberation Organisation. REEL 15 Continues: arrangements for removal of mines by Palestine Liberation Organisation; companies patrolling; advising battalion commander to ask General Erskine about implications; orders to return to Norway; field rations; strength of Israeli patrols; character of Palestinian Palestine Liberation Organisation guerrillas; contrast in methods employed by Norwegian forces and French Foreign Legion; length of attachment of troops; opinion of tactics employed by Israel. Recollections of period as Norwegian Adviser in Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions Talks in Vienna, Austria, 1979-1982: reasons for eventual success of talks. REEL 16 Continues: role as military adviser; delegation personalities; explanation of the Flank Problem with reference to Norway; Soviets attempts to intimidate Norway; reasons for Soviets twice sending brigade forward towards border with Norway; North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) priorities; Turkey's determination not to reduce their army; character of United States Government delegation; weekly report to Norwegian Government; weekly meetings; rotation of chairmanship; weekly meetings with Warsaw Pact; behaviour of delegation from East Germany; sources of intelligence about Soviet intentions; reasons for Russian overestimation of tanks. REEL 17 Continues: reaction of Soviets to North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) delegation's challenging of figures; Warsaw Pact opposed to issue of verification and inspections; reasons for gradual conceding to inspections; social contacts with North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and Warsaw Pact delegations; meeting with Soviet Army general; contact with delegation from Hungarian People's Republic; meetings between North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and Warsaw Pact delegations; attitude to duties as military attaché and having to deal with Austrian forces; problems meeting President Kurt Waldheim. Aspects of return to civilian life from 1982: employment; lack of problems adjusting to civilian life; advantages of military life. REEL 18 Continues: differences between civil and military styles of leadership; membership of Military Leaders Club; annual briefing of Linge Club by Chief of Defence.