Vagn Bennike

Vagn Bennike (6 January 1888 – 30 November 1970) was a Danish army officer and resistance fighter. Following the end of World War II, Bennike became Generalmajor and served as Commander of UNTSO.

Early life Vagn Bennike was born on 6 January 1888 to Estrid (nee Høgsbro) (d. 1944) and Lieutenant Colonel H.F. Bennike (d. 1920). His brothers were Helge, Holger and Ove Bennike.

Career Bennike was from a military family and joined the Danish Army. He became a First Lieutenant in 1912, a Captain in 1922 and was a teacher at the Royal Danish Military Academy between 1923 and 1945. He was commander in the Ingeniørkorpset (Engineers' Corps) in 1930, Chief of Staff at the Ingeniørtropperne 1932-1937 and Lieutenant Colonel and Commander of the First Pioneer Battalion in 1937. but also worked under a number of aliases and code names including (Mr.) Middelbo, Uncle, Uncle Christian, Engineer Søndergaard, Gustav Olsen, Generalen, Cousin, Goal, Gustav, Hans, Jørgensen.

Post war Left to right: General E. L. M. Burns, UNTSO, Moshe Sharett, Israeli Prime Minister, General Vagn Bennike, UNTSO. 1954 On 28 April 1945, with the liberation of Denmark, Bennike was promoted to Major General, and spent the next 8 years as Inspector General of Engineers. a post in which he served for the period between June 1953 and August 1954.

Bennike wrote a foreword to his colleague Commander E.H. Hutchison's book Violent Truce: The Arab-Israeli conflict 1951-1955.

Bennike died in Hellerup on 30 November 1970, aged 82.

Awards Order of the Dannebrog, Commander 1st Class (4 October 1949) Dannebrogordenens Hæderstegn (6 July 1942) Army Long Service Medal Order of St. Olav, commander with Star Order of the British Empire, Commander Order of Orange-Nassau, officer Croix de Guerre 1939–1945, with bronze palm Medal of Freedom, with bronze palm