Odd Erling Melsom

Odd Erling Melsom (10 February 1900 – 9 June 1978) was a Norwegian military officer and newspaper editor.

Pre-war career He was born in Kristiania as a son of travellers. He finished his secondary education at Kristiania Cathedral School in 1918, and graduated from the Norwegian Military Academy in 1922. He worked as a lieutenant for one year before working as sub-editor in the newspaper Hedemarkens Amtstidende from 1923 to 1930. In 1925 he married Idunna Louise Marcussen. He then edited Hedemarkens Amtstidende in 1931, was a journalist in Østlendingen from 1931 to 1935 and editor-in-chief of Hedmarks Fylkesavis, Frihetskampen and Ny Dag between 1935 and 1937.

He was an early member of the Fascist party Nasjonal Samling, and was their second ballot candidate in Hedmark behind Oliver Møystad in the 1936 general election, although he was outside the party between 1936 and the summer of 1940.