{{Short description|Norwegian resistance member (1918–1968)}} {{Use dmy dates | date=January 2024}} {{Infobox military person |name=Kasper Idland |birth_date={{Birth date|1918|06|21|df=yes}} |death_date={{Death date and age|1968|05|25|1918|06|21|df=yes}} |birth_place=Figgjo |image=Kasper Idland.jpg |image_size=160 |caption= |nickname= |allegiance=Norway |branch=Norwegian Army |service_years=1940–1945 |rank=Second Lieutenant |commands= |unit=Norwegian Independent Company 1 ({{langx|no|Kompani Linge}}) |battles= {{plainlist| *World War II *:Dirdal *:Operation Anklet *:Operation Gunnerside *:Vestige 4 *:Varg }} |awards= {{plainlist| *Military Medal *Presidential Medal of Freedom *Croix de Guerre *Légion d'honneur *St. Olav's Medal With Oak Branch }} |family= |other_work= }}
'''Kasper Idland''' MM (21 June 1918 – 25 May 1968) was a Norwegian resistance member during World War II. Idland took part in the Norwegian heavy water sabotage in 1943.
==Early life and education== Idland was born in Figgjo, the second child of Karsten og Gudrun Berg Idland, and had seven siblings.<ref name=amdal-sandnesavisen>{{cite web |url=http://www.sandnesavisen.no/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=869&Itemid=149 |title=Kasper Idland |author=Nils Helge Amdal |date=12 March 2008 |work=Sandnesavisen |language=no |access-date=7 February 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724183409/http://www.sandnesavisen.no/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=869&Itemid=149 |archive-date=24 July 2011 }}</ref> He graduated as an army sergeant in 1937, after 3½ years at ''Hærens underoffisersskole'' at Gimlemoen in Kristiansand Municipality.<ref name=amdal-sandnesavisen/> He then attended the school for postal officers, later working at the Post Office in Stavanger.<ref name=amdal-sandnesavisen/>
==World War II== As Norway was invaded by Germany, Idland joined the Norwegian military forces at Sviland on 9 and 10 April 1940, and participated in the battles at Dirdal.<ref name=amdal-sandnesavisen/> He was held as a prisoner of war by the Germans at Madla, but was later released.
===Kompani Linge=== In September 1941, Idland travelled by boat from Egersund to Peterhead in Scotland, and was soon enrolled into the Norwegian Independent Company 1 ({{langx|no|Kompani Linge}}).<ref name=amdal-sandnesavisen/> He participated in the Commando raid Operation Anklet to Reine and Moskenes in December 1941.<ref name=amdal-sandnesavisen/>
===Heavy water sabotage=== [[File:30855 Klingenberg kino Kampen om tungtvannet.jpg|thumb|The première of the documentary film ''Kampen om tungtvannet'' on 5 February 1948. Left to right: Knut Haukelid, Joachim Rønneberg, Jens Anton Poulsson (shaking hands with King Haakon VII), Kasper Idland]] Idland was noted for his role in the Norwegian heavy water sabotage in 1943.<ref name=nrk-tungtv>{{cite web | url=http://www.nrk.no/kanal/nrk_gull/1.6333987 |title=Tungtvannsaksjonen på Vemork|date=2 December 2008|publisher=Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation|language=no |access-date=7 February 2009}}</ref><ref name=kl-tungtvannssabotasjen>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Kraglund |first=Ivar |editor=Dahl |editor-link=Hans Fredrik Dahl |editor2=Hjeltnes |editor2-link=Guri Hjeltnes |editor3=Nøkleby |editor3-link=Berit Nøkleby |editor4=Ringdal |editor4-link=Nils Johan Ringdal |editor5=Sørensen |editor5-link=Øystein Sørensen |encyclopedia=Norsk krigsleksikon 1940-45 |title=tungtvannssabotasjen |url=http://mediabase1.uib.no/krigslex/t/t3.html#tungtvannssabotasjen |pages=425–426 |year=1995 |publisher=Cappelen |location=Oslo |isbn=82-02-14138-9 |language=no |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105050321/http://mediabase1.uib.no/krigslex/t/t3.html#tungtvannssabotasjen |archive-date=2010-01-05 }}</ref> As a member of the ''Gunnerside'' team, he was parachuted onto the Hardangervidda plateau on 16 February 1943. He was one of the four saboteurs who entered the Vemork facility right after midnight 27/28 February, where the team leader Joachim Rønneberg placed explosives on the heavy water cylinders.<ref name=linge-1948>{{cite book |editor1=Erling Jensen |editor2=Per Ratvik |editor3=Ragnar Ulstein |editor3-link=Ragnar Ulstein |title=Kompani Linge |year=1948 |publisher=Gyldendal |volume=I |location=Oslo |language=no |pages=156–192 }}</ref> After the mission at Vemork he escaped by ski to Sweden, together with four other members of the group.<ref name=linge-1948/>
===Vestige 4=== From 1944 to 1945, Idland was active in Egersund, as a member of the resistance group ''Vestige 4''.<ref name=amdal-sandnesavisen/> The primary aim of the Vestige operations was shipping sabotage, but the Vestige 4 group never carried out ship sabotage.<ref name=amdal-sandnesavisen/> As a member of this group, he participated in burning down the AT camp in Bjerkreim in January 1945.
===Varg=== From March 1945, Idland was working to establish the base area ''Varg'' in the Setesdal area.<ref name=kl-baser>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Kraglund |first=Ivar |editor=Dahl |editor2=Hjeltnes |editor3=Nøkleby |editor4=Ringdal |editor5=Sørensen |encyclopedia=Norsk krigsleksikon 1940-45 |title=baser |url=http://mediabase1.uib.no/krigslex/b/b1.html#baser |page=35 |year=1995 |publisher=Cappelen |location=Oslo |isbn=82-02-14138-9 |language=no |access-date=2009-12-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724185714/http://mediabase1.uib.no/krigslex/b/b1.html#baser |archive-date=2011-07-24 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Idland was leading one of the Varg resistance groups, located at the mountain cabin ''Langelona''.<ref name=amdal-sandnesavisen/> The group received supplies (weapons, ammunition and food) from parachuted containers delivered from allied aircraft.<ref name=amdal-sandnesavisen/> The Langelona group was still small when the war ended in May 1945.
==Post war== Idland lived in Stavanger until 1955, when he moved to the United States and settled in East Farmingdale, New York.
==Honours and awards== * St. Olav's Medal With Oak Branch * War Medal * Defence Medal 1940–1945 with Rosette * Haakon VII's 70-Medal * Military Medal (United Kingdom) * Legion of Honour (France) * Croix de guerre 1939–1945 (France) * Medal of Freedom (with bronze palm) (United States)
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Idland, Kasper}} Category:1918 births Category:1968 deaths Category:People from Sandnes Category:Norwegian expatriates in the United States Category:Norwegian Army personnel of World War II Category:Norwegian prisoners of war in World War II Category:Norwegian resistance members Category:Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) Category:Norwegian recipients of the Legion of Honour Category:Recipients of the Medal of Freedom Category:Recipients of the Military Medal Category:Recipients of the St. Olav's Medal with Oak Branch Category:Norwegian Special Operations Executive personnel Category:World War II prisoners of war held by Germany