Hans Reidar Holtermann

Early and personal life Holtermann was the son of the district physician Sven Ruud Holtermann (1854–1916) and his wife, née Lehmann. Dr. Holtermann served in Sokndal, and Hans Reidar Holtermann grew up there.

Studies Having achieved the examen artium in 1914, In the years 1919-1923 he served as an aspirant at the Norwegian General Staff.

Post-war After the war Holtermann spent the first five years in Norway. He first commanded the army artillery in 1946–1948, leading the rebuilding of that Combat Arm in terms of training, methods and materiel. Holtermann then moved on to command the army in North Norway (1949–1950). From 1 November 1950 to 30 April 1952 Holtermann, now with the rank of generalmajor (Major General), took part in the occupation of Germany as the penultimate commander of the Independent Norwegian Brigade Group in Germany. In 1991 a statue of Holtermann was unveiled at Hegra Fortress by King Harald V of Norway.

War Cross citation In the citation to the award of the War Cross with sword to Hans Reidar Holtermann the Norwegian Army High Command wrote:

The defence of Hegra Fort in Stjørdalen by the Lieutenant Colonel is one of the actions from the Campaign of 1940 that has become best known and attracted the greatest amount of interest. I have myself had the opportunity in Norway to read the Lieutenant Colonel's concise, level headed and objective report, and through it gained a strong impression of that his efforts must be seen as a military accomplishment of the greatest order. His gathering of forces at Værnes in the confused conditions of the first day of war and his reactivation of the snow-covered Hegra Fort – which had been placed in reserve – testifies strongly of his clarity of mind and forceful energy. And the continued defence – which was only given up when the other forces in Southern Norway had been forced to cease fighting and after the fort had run completely out of food – shows the Lieutenant Colonel as a strong and forceful leader with the distinctive command abilities that are always such a deciding factor with regard to the defence of surrounded fortresses.

Footnotes