The Brave Norwegian Woman Who Defied Fear At Hegra Fortress

The Brave Norwegian Woman Who Defied Fear At Hegra Fortress

I have been discovering more about the courage shown by ordinary people during the Second World War. Today I want to tell you about a Norwegian woman called Anne Margrethe Strømsheim. She was born Anne Margrethe Bang in 1914 in Trondheim. Her father was a doctor who had volunteered in earlier wars and had taught her first aid. Although she hoped to become a nurse one day, money made training difficult.

When Germany invaded Norway on the 9th of April 1940, Anne was recovering from bronchitis in the mountains. She did not stay in safety, she decided to hurry back toward Trondheim. She travelled using skis, trains, and taxis. After helping move her mother to safety, she learned that Norwegian defenders near Hegra Fortress desperately needed medical supplies. She gathered what she could and made her way there.

At Hegra Fortress, Anne became the only female defender among a small group that were determined to resist the German forces. Before the siege had even properly begun, she was already treating the casualties. One incident stayed with her when a civilian train was mistakenly fired on and she cared for a badly wounded Finnish woman. She sang softly to comfort her while help was arranged.

The Battle of Hegra Fortress lasted twenty-five days. Conditions inside were bitterly cold and damp. Anne worked for long hours tending to the wounded and sick, often not able to get any rest during the attacks. German observers noticed the blonde woman moving through the fortress and reportedly nicknamed her “Jeanne d’Arc.” Behind all of her bravery, there must  have been fear and  exhaustion. Two childhood friends fighting beside her would sadly not survive.

When the fortress surrendered in May 1940, Anne became a prisoner of war. Though she was treated differently from the male prisoners, she fought to secure medical care for them through the Norwegian Red Cross. Throughout the occupation she remained involved in anti-German activities and eventually had to flee to avoid arrest.

After the war, Anne devoted herself to helping vulnerable people, including blind children and injured veterans. She was decorated for her service and she remained outspoken about the realities of war and the sacrifices that it demanded. She died in 2008 at the age if 93-94.