Einar Johansen Einar Johansen ( 1915 – 16 October 1996 ) was a Norwegian engineer and resistance member during World War II . He is known as a member of the illegal radio group Skylark B , and after this was discontinued he set up new radio posts in Tromsø and the rest of Northern Norway . He was highly decorated . World War II . Johansen hailed from Tromsø . He studied at the Norwegian Institute of Technology when World War II reached Norway . Nazi Germany invaded and occupied the would - be neutral country in April 1940 . Johansen participated briefly in the Norwegian Campaign as a telegrapher , and returned to Trondheim after the conventional Norwegian armed forces capitulated . In September 1940 the Secret Intelligence Service established two stations for radio communication ; the so - called Skylark A was led by Sverre Midtskau in Oslo while Skylark B was led by Erik Welle - Strand in Trondheim . A four - man team of leaders were shipped from the British Isles to Florø ; they then split up and Erik Welle - Strand and associate Finn Juell went to Trondheim . Einar Johansen joined the group , other members were Bjørn Rørholt and Haakon Sørbye . The chemistry professor at the Institute of Technology , Leif Tronstad , helped out as well . Egil Reksten later took over as leader . Skylark B established regular contact with the intelligence in London in 1941 , and helped spread messages about German troop and naval movements as well as vital information about German activity at Vemork heavy water plant . In September 1941 , however , Gestapo managed to track the Skylark B transmitting activity . Egil Reksten and ten were arrested and shipped to Nacht und Nebel camps . Johansen escaped to England via Sweden . However he wanted to continue the resistance , and returned to his hometown , Tromsø . He landed in the spring of 1942 , following several failed attempts . Here he operated a radio station under the codename " Upsilon " and he was instrumental in dealing a blow to the on 22 September 1943 ( Operation Source ) . Information on " Tirpitz " had been collected by Johansen ' s brother , Torbjørn Johansen , and transmitted by Einar Johansen . At the same time , a new operation was underway . The Norwegian submarine , commanded by Sigurd Valvatne , delivered ten radio transmitters with associated equipment on 5 September 1943 . The ten radios were picked up south of Tromsø , and became a network codenamed " Venus " . No more than six radios were operative at any time , but this outbalanced the German efforts to track down the transmitters . The Venus network played a role when the was sunk in late 1943 . Another station reported on the repair of " Tirpitz " , which re - entered action in 1944 , only to face continuous attacks . It was ultimately sunk in November 1944 . Honours and awards . Johansen was decorated with the Norwegian War Cross with Sword and the Defence Medal , and the British Distinguished Service Order and Distinguished Service Cross . He was thus the highest decorated Secret Intelligence Service officer in Norway . Also , the area " Johansenbotnen " in Queen Maud Land was named after him . Post - war life . After the war Johansen finally graduated from the Norwegian Institute of Technology . Despite health problems sustained during the war , including a carbon monoxide poisoning and tuberculosis , he worked as an engineer in Televerket in Arendal . He lived in Hisøy . A book about his war efforts , " Den skjulte hånd " , was written by Dag Christensen and released as late as 1990 . He died in October 1996 .