Resistance Fighter and Courier

Odd Sørli 1912–1976: Resistance Fighter and Courier

Odd Sørli was one of the most important figures in the resistance movement in Trøndelag during the Second World War.

Odd Sørli lies here at Tilfredshet Cemetery alongside members of his family. Nothing on the gravestone reveals that he was one of Trøndelag’s most important resistance fighters during the Second World War.

Odd Sørli was born in 1912 and grew up in Trondheim. When Germany invaded Norway on 9 April 1940, he quickly became involved in the resistance. He carried messages between Norway and Sweden and completed around twenty dangerous courier missions across the border before making his way to Britain in 1941 to continue the struggle against the occupying forces. There he joined the Norwegian Independent Company 1, better known as Kompani Linge.

Sørli was given responsibility for developing the resistance movement in Trøndelag. He established radio communications, organised resistance groups and helped strengthen Milorg’s activities in the region.

The work was extremely dangerous. Henry Rinnan and his gang attempted to uncover Sørli’s network, and several of his associates were arrested. His family was also targeted. His wife, Edel, and other family members were arrested and tortured, and the family lost their home in Strindvegen.

Despite this, Sørli continued the struggle. For his service, he was awarded the War Cross with Sword, Norway’s highest military decoration. He also received the Order of the British Empire and the American Medal of Freedom.

After the war, the story took a remarkable turn. Odd Sørli became an investigator during the post-war treason trials in Trondheim and was among those who interrogated Henry Rinnan. When Rinnan was executed in 1947, Sørli himself commanded the firing squad.

His life, however, was about more than the war. He was a Norwegian champion in both rowing and orienteering, established his own printing business and appeared in the wartime documentary Det grodde fram, in which he played himself. Today, his name lives on in Trondheim through Odd Sørlis veg at Jakobsli.

Odd Sørli stepped forward when Norway needed him most. At Tilfredshet Cemetery lies a man who risked his life for freedom.