Henrik Norby

Henrik Norby competed in the modern pentathlon at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. He did not finish the competition after being disqualified in the fourth discipline, riding. Norby was also entered for the team event with the épée but did not compete. He later became secretary of the Norwegian Fencing Federation.

Although he came from a merchant’s family, Norby embarked upon a military career. He became a cavalry officer in 1910 and attended the military academy in 1913. One year later, he graduated from the cavalry riding school and was one of the first Norwegians to be trained as a pilot. In 1916, Norby was appointed chief instructor at the Army’s Flying School. The following year, he was promoted to cavalry captain and chief of staff in the Norwegian Air Force. In 1930 he held the rank of a major and was commander of the aviation battalion and station commander at Kjeller near Oslo. Norby’s highest rank was lieutenant colonel in 1939. He was secretary to the Aviation Council of the Department of Defence and to the Permanent Air Command and represented Norway at international level. Norby was made a Knight of the Order of the British Empire and awarded the Prussian Red Cross Medal.

In 1920, Norby married the classical singer Rigmor Molstad. They had one son and one daughter.