Norway's WW2 railway sabotage plot

Norway's WW2 railway sabotage plot

Author: BBC World Service May 5, 2026 Duration: 9:21

In May 1942, a team of Norwegian resistance fighters in occupied Norway were getting ready to blow up a railway carrying materials crucial to the German war machine.

Led by Lieutenant Peter Deinboll, a local from the area, they set out to execute what the Allied forces saw as the top priority sabotage operation in Norway at that stage in the war. Should they fail, allied planes would carpet bomb the village, including Deinboll’s hometown.

Lars Bevanger speaks to Lieutenant Deinboll’s nephew, Gunnar Deinboll Jenssen.

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(Photo: Lieutenant Peter Deinboll Jr. Credit: Gunnar Deinboll Jenssen)


Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.We look at the lives of some of the most...
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