Fern Sunde
First female wireless radio operator at sea
About Fern Sunde
Lived 1918 – 1991 (aged 73). Fern Sunde was a Norwegian radio officer and war sailor.
Fern Alberta Blodgett Sunde (; July 6, 1918 – September 19, 1991) was a Canadian wireless radio operator who served on board the M/S Mosdale, a Norwegian merchant vessel, during the Battle of the Atlantic. She was the first Canadian woman to earn a second-class wireless operator's certificate, the first Canadian woman to serve with the merchant marines during the Second World War, and the first woman to serve as a wireless radio operator at sea. In 1943, she was awarded the Norwegian War Medal, the first woman to receive the decoration.
Early life and education
Sunde was born July 6, 1918
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Fern Sunde's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Fern Sunde?
first female wireless radio operator at sea
When was Fern Sunde born?
Fern Sunde was born on 6 July 1918 in Regina.
When did Fern Sunde die?
Fern Sunde died on 19 September 1991 in Farsund Municipality.
What was Fern Sunde's occupation?
Fern Sunde was a radio officer and war sailor.
What nationality was Fern Sunde?
Fern Sunde was Norwegian.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Fern Blodgett Sunde
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Fern Sunde. https://biography.guide/fern-sunde/
MLA: "Fern Sunde." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/fern-sunde/.
Chicago: "Fern Sunde." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/fern-sunde/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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