Diksha Sundriyal
Directed by John Andreas Andersen, Netflix’s biographical war drama, ‘Number 24,’ follows the story of Gunnar Sønsteby, who joins the Norwegian Resistance following the Nazi occupation of Norway in 1940. The film focuses on the five years of Gunnar’s work as a resistance fighter, during which time he goes through many ups and downs. He sacrifices everything to serve his country and free it from the fascist regime he hates with all his heart. While his courageous journey is inspiring, it is also awe-inducing and makes one wonder how a person could have done so much within a span of five years.
Number 24 Speaks of the Bravery of Gunnar Sønsteby During World War II
Written by Erlend Loe, based on an original script by Espen von Ibenfeldt, ‘Number 24’ entirely focuses on the real events, as unbelievable as they might seem, that happened in the life of Gunnar Sønsteby. Born on January 11, 1918, in a small town named Rjukan, Gunnar Fridtjof Thurmann Sonsteby moved to Oslo in the 1930s and studied economics. He’d been working as an accountant and was only twenty-two when the German invasion happened. In his memoir, Gunnar recalled the humiliation he felt seeing the Nazi soldiers on the streets of his country. This is why he didn’t have to think twice about joining the rebellion.
At first, he thought about going to Britain to join the resistance effort, but when the journey didn’t pan out, he went back to Oslo and got involved in other things. Along with others like him, he published an underground newspaper to counter the Nazi propaganda. He also joined the military organization movement and, soon after, started gathering intel on the movements of the Norwegian Nazi officers. His work took him back and forth from Sweden several times, a journey he often took on foot. In 1941, he came in contact with the British embassy in Stockholm and joined the Special Operations Executive (SOE), where is where he became Agent 24. Another code name he received was Kjakan, aka The Chin. In 1943, he was parachuted back into Oslo, having completed his training in Scotland.
Gunnar Sønsteby Became a Nuisance for the Nazi Regime in Norway
While his first assignment was gathering information on the development around the port by Germans to ease their naval transport, Gunnar soon got more involved in significant acts of sabotage. He stole the banknote-printing plates of the Norwegian state bank to create counterfeit currency to fund the resistance. He was made the leader of the Linge Company and the Oslo gang, with whom he continued the steak of events that kept the Nazis on their toes. With his teams, he destroyed the Kongsberg arms factory, destroyed sulphuric acid manufacturing facilities, bombed the Employment Office’s archives to prevent the enlistment of Norwegians in the German army, and destroyed 75,000 records to curb the unfair rationing.
He proved himself to be a master forger, often forging the signature of Karl Marthinsen, and created over 30 identities which allowed him to escape the Nazis, as he’d very quickly become one of the most wanted men in Norway. To get to him, his father was arrested by the Germans, but even that didn’t deter Gunnar. In 1944, following the invasion of Normandy, Gunnar and the resistance sabotaged the railways so that the Germans couldn’t send reinforcements from Norway. In the last days of 1944, they bombed the Gestapo headquarters in Oslo. In 1945, they sunk the German transport ship. Due to their constant efforts, the Nazi regime was weakened, the impact of which was seen not just in Norway but the entire arena of the Second World War.
Gunnar Sønsteby Chose a Quieter Life Following the War
Despite all the trouble he caused for the Nazis and how doggedly they searched for him, Gunnar Sønsteby was never caught. This was an impressive feat that did not escape the British and Norwegian intelligence services, both of whom tried to recruit him when the war was over. However, he felt that he had done his part for the country and seen too much of war to continue working in the same field. In 1945, he went to America and attended Harvard Business School. He found employment in the oil industry and returned to Norway several years later to start his own business. He got married to Anne-Karin in 1953, and they had three daughters.
While he did not join the world of espionage post-war, Gunnar Sønsteby always made a point to underline the importance of democratic values. For the entirety of his life, he gave lectures in Norwegian schools and colleges and spoke with the youth of his country about the need to fight for their freedom and rights. In 1999, he published a book called ‘Report from #24,’ in which he goes into the details of his missions during the war. In 2001, he spoke out against the proposal to name a street in Oslo after Knut Hamsun, the novelist known for being friendly with Nazis like Joseph Goebbels. Apart from this, he also played a major role in forming the country’s foreign policy on several levels.
Gunnar Sønsteby died on May 10, 2012, at the age of 94. Being one of the greatest leaders of the country’s resistance movement, he received a state funeral, which was held on May 25, 2012, complete with an honor guard, six officers as pallbearers, and four Air Force F-16s for the flypast. The service was attended by some of the most important officials of Noway, including the Prime Minster and the King.
Gunnar Sønsteby Remains One of the Most Decorated War Heroes in Norway
For his work during the Second World War, Gunnar Sønsteby has received awards and accolades from several countries. He is the recipient of the British Distinguished Service Order, the US Medal of Freedom with Silver Palm, and the American-Scandinavian Foundation’s culture award. He received the highest award from Norway, the War Cross with Three Swords, being the only Norwegian to receive it. He is also the first non-American to receive the US Special Operations Command Medal and the first person to receive the Norwegian Defence Cross of Honour. He also received the Medal Pro Memoria from Poland.
In May 2007, a statue of Gunnar Sønsteby was unveiled by the King of Norway on Solli Plass in Oslo. Several members of the Royal Family, including the King, also attended the reception of his 90th birthday held at Norway’s Resistance Museum at Akershus Fortress, which once used to be Gestapo’s headquarters. In 2011, the museum unveiled his portrait, which is on permanent exhibition. On the centenary of his birthday in 2018, a stamp was released to honor him. His legacy is carried on by the Gunnar Sønsteby Memorial Fund, which was established in 2013. It presents the Sønsteby prize every year to the “brave defenders of fundamental democratic values.”
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