Sverre Midtskau

Sverre Midtskau (23 September 1914 – 18 December 1987) was a Norwegian resistance member during World War II. He is best known as leader of the illegal radio post Skylark A.

World War II On 9 April Nazi Germany invaded Norway as a part of World War II. Midtskau became involved in the subsequent fighting in Rjukan. He later went to Northern Norway, and when Norway was overran by Germany, he fled to England together with the Royal Family and prominent politicians.

In September 1940 the Secret Intelligence Service established two stations for radio communication; the so-called Skylark A was to be led by Sverre Midtskau in Oslo while Skylark B was led by Erik Welle-Strand in Trondheim. Midtskau travelled the Norwegian Sea with the cutter Nordlys, landed in Florø on 15 September together with Erik Welle-Strand, Sverre Haug and Finn Juell and continued to Oslo with Haug. Midtskau and two others fled Møllergata and hid in rural Lommedalen.

Post-war life In 1968 he issued the book London svarer ikke, the title referring to the initial difficulties with radio communication in 1940. He had to use a wheelchair from 1981 onwards, and died in December 1987, aged 73, from a stroke.