Olaf Ditlev-Simonsen

Olaf Christian Ditlev-Simonsen Jr. (2 January 1897 – 19 February 1978) was a Norwegian sailor, footballer, sports administrator and businessperson.

Early and personal life He was born in Dybvaag Municipality to ship-owner Olaf Ditlev-Simonsen (1865–1960) and Magdalena Pedersen (1873–1920). He had eight siblings. The family moved to Kristiania in 1902, and he joined the family's company (John P. Pedersen & Søn) after finishing Kristiania Commerce School in 1917. He was a brother of John Ditlev-Simonsen and uncle to both Halfdan Ditlev-Simonsen Jr. and Per Ditlev-Simonsen.

In 1920 he married Else Heyerdahl (1899–1985), and had Hieronymus Heyerdahl as a father-in-law. He died in January 1978 in Oslo. He was also capped five times for the Norway national football team, the first in 1915.

Shipping and the Second World War In shipping, he started his own company in 1936. He was a board member of the Norwegian Shipowners' Association for some time, and during the Second World War he worked in Sweden, from 1943 as regional head of Nortraship. From 1945 to 1949 he chaired the supervisory council of Det Norske Veritas. His brother John was also arrested and held as a hostage by the Germans.

He was decorated with the King's Medal of Merit in gold in 1947 and was a Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav (1952), the Order of the Lion of Finland, the Order of Vasa, the Order of the Polar Star, the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic and the Order of Orange-Nassau. He was a Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog.