Ole Siem (11 January 1882 - 1979) was a Norwegian naval officer, businessman, and politician.
Siem was born in Trondheim to Martin Olsen Siem and Gjertrud Christlock. He married Marie Augusta Ursin Holm in 1912,[1] and was the father of Martin Siem.[2]
Siem took actively part in local politics, and was elected to the municipal council in Horten (1925 - 1928), Tromsø (1931 - 1934) and Hadsel (1937 - 1940). He was director of Troms Fylkes Dampskibsselskap from 1929 to 1934, and of Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab from 1936 to 1950.[1]
During the Battles of Narvik in 1940 he served with the 6th Division, as head of the sea transport.[1] [3] During the German occupation of Norway he was among the resistance pioneers in Northern Norway.[4] He was incarcerated at Ånebyleiren and then Grini from April to July 1941, as a "Svolvær hostage".[5] He was later arrested by the Gestapo in December 1942, but was transferred to the Wehrmacht as prisoner-of-war in 1943 when about 1,100 Norwegian military officers were sent to prisoner-of-war camps in Poland and Germany for the rest of the war.[6] [7]
He was decorated Knight, First Class of the Order of St. Olav in 1946.[1] He was Officer of the French Legion of Honour, recipient of the Polish Virtuti Militari, 4th Class, and of the Turkish Liakat Medal.[8]