Otto Grieg Tidemand

Otto Grieg Tidemand (18 June 1921, Oslo – 10 June 2006, Oslo) was a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party. He served as Minister of Defence from 1965-1970 and Minister of Trade and Shipping from 1970–1971.

Military service

During the Second World War, he served as a fighter pilot with the Royal Norwegian Air Force from 1942 to 1946, after training at a flying school in Canada. He was posted to No. 332 Squadron RAF (known as the Norwegian Squadron). While a sergeant pilot under training in England on 8 June 1943, he crashlanded his training plane near Ellesmere but survived unhurt. He flew Spitfires on offensive sweeps in Northwestern Europe and was credited with destroying one German Focke-Wulf Fw 190 and sharing in the downing of a Messerschmitt 410.

Political career

From 1965 to 5 June 1970 he served as the Minister of Defence during the Per Bortencabinet. On that date, he was appointed Minister of Trade and Shipping, which he held until the Borten cabinet fell in 1971.

Business career

He held numerous board memberships in Norwegian corporations, notably serving as chairman of the board of Saga Petroleum (1972-1976), Atlas Copco Norway (1978-1997), Vesta Hygea (1984-1986), Fina Norway (1981-1996) and Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani (1982-1987). He was a member of the Steering Committee of the Bilderberg Group and participated in all their yearly conferences between 1967 and 1980 as well as in 1982 and 1984.

Decorations

• Haakon VII 70th Anniversary Medal 1943
• Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) 1944
• War Medal (Norway) 1944
• St. Olav's Medal with Oak Branch 1945
• Defence Medal 1940-1945 1945
• Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 1970
• Commander of the Order of the Polar Star (Sweden) (first class) 1990
• Commander of the Order of Leopold (Belgium) 1997

Sports interests

Tidemand was president of the Norwegian Golf Federation from 1962 to 1965.