Manus, Max (1914-1996), was a famous Norwegian resistance fighter during World War II (1939-1945). Serving mainly in German-occupied Norway, he led a number of attacks on German troops, ships, and installations. Manus twice earned the War Cross with sword, Norway’s highest military honor, as well as other awards for bravery.
Maximo Guillermo “Max” Manus was born in Bergen, Norway, on Dec. 9, 1914. He traveled as a young man, working odd jobs in Latin America and elsewhere. Shortly before World War II began, he returned to Norway.
In 1940, Manus fought for Finland during the Winter War (1939-1940) against the Soviet Union. The Soviets felt they needed Finnish land to defend against a possible German invasion. The Soviets invaded and overwhelmed Finland’s defenders by early 1940 (see Russo-Finnish wars ).
In April 1940, Manus began fighting to defend Norway against a Nazi German invasion. Norway surrendered in June, and Manus joined the anti-Nazi resistance. The Germans captured Manus in 1941, but he was able to escape.
After traveling through Sweden, Finland, the Soviet Union, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the United States, and Canada, Manus arrived in the United Kingdom. There, he trained with the British Special Operations Executive (SOE). The SOE specialized in espionage (spying), reconnaissance (information gathering), and sabotage (damaging an enemy’s war effort) in Nazi-occupied Europe.
In 1943, Manus returned to Norway as part of a commando unit formed by the SOE called the Kompani (Company) Linge. The unit was named for Martin Linge, a Norwegian resistance leader who had been killed earlier in the war. Manus participated in a number of raids, including several attacks on German shipping.
Manus also was a member of the “Oslo Gang,” a resistance group in Oslo, Norway’s capital. The Oslo Gang worked with the SOE and the Norwegian military resistance movement Milorg (military organization). At the end of the war, with Germany defeated, Manus served briefly as a bodyguard for the Norwegian royal family.
After World War II, Manus created Max Manus AS, a successful office supply business. He also wrote books about his experiences, including the popular 9 Lives Before Thirty (1947). Manus eventually retired to Spain, where he died on Sept. 20, 1996. The motion picture Max Manus: Man of War (2008) celebrated his wartime service. A statue of Manus stands at Akershus Fortress in Oslo.
See also Underground ; World War II (The conquest of Denmark and Norway) .
