Operation Clothall

'Clothall' was a British special forces operation by the Special Operations Executive to provide protection for the power stations at Askim, to the south-east of Oslo, which supplied electricity to the Norwegian capital, at the time of Germany’s surrender (March/May 1945).

The four-man party of A. Johnsen, W. Hansen, J. Melsom and L. Aagard was delivered by parachute on 3 March and later joined overland from neutral Sweden by its radio operator, B. Pettersen, and reached its operational area in the D.11 district only after a long march. The men of the party began to reconnoitre their targets, draw up plans, and organise local protection groups, and employees from the targets' work forces were also trained in protection skills. By the end of April these groups totalled some 400 and 500 men.

'Clothall' was mobilised on 7 May, and over the following days occupied and protected its targets.