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Information sought about Operation Apostle

Liberation Day, Operation Apostle, TrondheimLiberation Day, 8th May 1945. Outside Adresseavisen in Nordre gate, Trondheim. Photo: Trondheim city archive / Schrøder. CC BY 2.0

Information sought about Operation Apostle in Oslo

The Royal Air Force launched Operation Apostle in Oslo after the liberation in 1945. The son of one of the participants is seeking information pertinent to the normalisation operation. Norway Today have, therefore, chosen to publish Peter Rees’ plea.


Dear Readers, Norway Today

Operation Apostle

“Forces Variety”
American Concert Hall 14th October 1945

The Royal Air Force in Oslo August to November 1945

Following «Operation Doomsday», the liberation of Norway after VE Day in Europe, 8th May 1945, «Operation Apostle» was implemented on 12th May 1945.

The operation was to re-establish civil and normal life for the Norwegians whilst there were still large numbers of German troops, some 172,000 still occupying parts of the country.

The formal German surrender had not been recognised by Germans in Norway or their Quisling collaborators, some fought on. The Norwegian government and King Haakon and the Royal Family returned to Norway on 7th June 1945 as slowly and gradually the British army of liberation helped to restore civil order. Norwegians and the occupying British forces were assisted by MILORG, the military resistance to help Norway return to a relatively normal life.

My father, Royal Air Force Band Sergeant Harry Rees arrived in Norway on 8th August 1945, about 4 months before I was born. He was based close to the Royal Palace in Oslo. He was responsible for providing entertainment for the occupying UK and senior Norwegian military personnel.

Sergeant Henry Rees, RAF. Photo: Private.

Information about Oslo

As his only surviving child, I am trying to discover as much as possible about Operation Apostle, about exactly where he might have been billeted and what he did during the period of his deployment in Oslo. He left on or about 26th of November 1945, shortly after I was born.

I would welcome any information about Oslo between August and November 1945, about the RAF bands that played and entertained service personnel, about exactly what life was like during that period. I am especially interested in any photographs or documentation from that period.


Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Rees

[email protected]

Relevant links

Hjemmefronten, Norge under andre verdenskrig

Norge i krig

Norge under andre verdenskrig


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