In Norway the term cavalry is used for tanks, mechanised (assault) infantry (“Storm”), armoured anti tank units and recon (both armored and unarmored). In the USA, the term cavalry is used for armored and unarmored recon units, also if they include MBT’s.

Within these pages you will find info on the four branches of the Norwegian Cavalry, and also on the armored vehicles used in the army. I have also included pages about BSK (cavalry officers academy), and “1st eskadron”, my old unit.

The Norwegian cavalry mainly fought against the Swedes until the Second World War. The motorizing process did not start until the 1920’s. However, at the outbreak of WWII, the Norwegian cavalry did not possess any tanks, and many units still used horses. Due to the German occupation, the cavalry did not exist from 1940 to 1944. In 1944 a company was restored in the UK under the name: “Norwegian Independent Reconnaissance Company”. Our King, HM Harald V was educated at the Cavalry Officers Academy at Trandum (now situated in Rena).

Cavalrymen can easily be recognized by their black beret, coat-of-arms, the horse-mounted dragoon with his lance, and the yellow and green cord worn around the right arm. The Cavalry is the only branch to have this type of cord.

Today, only two cavalry units remain operational. “Søndenfjeldske Dragonregiment” (“Southmountains Dragoonregiment”), situated at Rena (150 km north of Oslo), and “Panserbataljonen (“The Armoured Batallion”) in the Northern part of Norway, at Setermoen and Bardufoss. The main Norwegian Cavalry camp is “Rena Leir”.

These pages shows the four branches of the cavalry: (Tank, Storm (mechanized infantry), Recon and Anti Tank.), the Cavalry Officer Academy (BSK), a look into one of the Norwegian tank unit in the Northern Norway(Eskadron1) and armor used in the Norwegian Army.

  Links to other recources:  

• www.mil.no The Norwegian Defence.
• Ministry of Defence
• www.atlanterhavskomiteen.no The Norwegian Atlantic Committee
• www.sdr.mil.no Søndenfjeldske Dragonregiment (Camp Rena, the Cavalry headquarter)
• Pressemeldinger fra Forsvarsdepartementet