Olaf Helset

Olaf Helset (28 July 1892 – 21 August 1960) was a Norwegian Major General and a sports administrator.

He was born in Nannestad, grew up in Romerike and graduated from a private school in Kristiania in 1911. After graduation, he attended Military Academy from (1912-15), the State gymnastics school (1915-17) and the military college (1917-19). In the 1920s he had studied briefly in France and Japan. In addition, he served in various departments and 1938-39 was second in command of Infantry Regiment No. 6

He chaired the sports club IL i BUL in 1917, 1920–1922, 1923–1924, 1925–1926 and 1927.

During the Norwegian Campaign in 1940 Helset was in command at the Battle of Midtskogen. As a sports leader he fronted the sports boycott against the Nazi authorities. He was also a leader in the military organization Milorg, the main Norwegian resistance movement during the Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany. Helset was arrest during 1941, but was released from prison after a time and then fled to Sweden. There, he worked first as a refugee chief 1943-44 and then 1944-45 as head of the Norwegian police forces in Sweden

For his war efforts, he was decorated with the Norwegian War Cross with Sword (1949), Finnish Freedom Cross in gold, the British King's Medal for Courage in the Cause of Freedom and several other foreign decorations. In 1947 he was awarded the title of Commander with Star of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav for his war contributions. He was made a Commander of the French Légion d'honneur and received the Swedish Order of the Sword.

After the war he became Chief of the Army of the Norwegian Army, but resigned in 1948 after a conflict with the government on defense policy. He was a leader of the Norwegian Confederation of Sports from 1946 to 1948. Helset was appointed Chief of the Southern District Command with Major General rank. He was chief of the Viken District Command and commander of the Fredriksten fortress (1951-53).