Claus Helberg

Claus Helberg (31 January 1919 – 6 March 2003) was a Norwegian resistance fighter and mountain guide. He was a member of Company Linge, a resistance commando unit that was best known for carrying out Norwegian heavy water sabotage during World War II. After the war, he worked for the Norwegian Mountain Touring Association until his retirement in 1982. Nine months later in October 1942, he parachuted, along with four other Norwegians, into the Rjukan region. Helberg, along with his team code-named "Swallow", were to help guide a British commando team to blow the local power plant Vemork hydroelectric. This plant could have been used to develop heavy water, which could have been used to help Germany develop an atomic bomb. However, the British mission ended in failure.

Honours and awards Knight 1st Class of the Order of St. Olav (1986) St. Olav's Medal With Oak Branch King's Medal of Merit in Gold Defence Medal 1940–1945 (with rosette) King Haakon VII commemorative Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog (Denmark) Legion of Honour (France) Croix de guerre 1939–1945 (France) Military Medal (United Kingdom) Medal of Freedom with bronze palm (United States) October revolution 80th anniversary (Soviet Union, 2000)