Odd Bull
Encyclopedia
Norwegian General Odd Bull (1907–1991) was a career officer in the Royal Norwegian Air Force
who eventually rose to the position of Chief of Air Staff. He is probably best known outside Norway
for his role as Chief of Staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization
(UNTSO) between 1963 and 1970, a period which coincided with the Six Day War between Israel
and its Arab
neighbours. He wrote a memoir of his experiences during this time, a book entitled War and Peace in the Middle East: The Experiences and Views of a U.N. Observer.
surname). Jacob Bull's descendants retained their seafaring connection until the arrival of Odd Bull's father Gjert, who did not go to sea but became manager of a tobacco factory instead.
Odd Bull grew up in Oslo
and received the first twelve years of his education at Vestheim School. At his leaving examination in 1925, he did worse than expected and decided to spend twelve months at a military academy. He enjoyed the experience so much that he eventually decided to take the two year officer training course, graduating in 1928 as a First Lieutenant in the 4th Infantry Division. During his training however, he had become interested in flying, and in 1929 he applied and was accepted into the Army Flying School. After two years of flying experience he became a flying instructor in 1931.
invaded Norway. Taken by surprise, the Norwegians were unable to mobilize their armed forces in time to conduct an effective defence and were conquered in a 60-day campaign
. Many Norwegian servicemen however, including Bull, escaped by boat to Britain
where they hoped to carry on the struggle.
Once in Britain, Bull attempted to organize some Norwegian air squadron
s, but no airfields were available. Eventually however, the Canadian
government offered the Norwegians the Toronto Island Airport as a training centre. As word got out about the centre, hundreds of Norwegians from around the world made their way to Canada to train as pilots.
In 1941 Bull returned to Britain to fly with RAF Fighter Squadron 242
, but he along with a number of other Norwegian pilots were keen to form a Norwegian squadron, which they achieved in July of the same year. The Norwegian unit was assigned to provide fighter cover for Scapa Flow
, but Bull was then recalled to the Toronto training camp in Canada to become Camp Commandant.
Bull was eventually reassigned to combat duty, flying Mosquitoes
with RAF Fighter Squadron 107
during the D-Day landings in Northern France
. With the liberation of Norway in May 1945, he returned to his home country. Bull notes that of the 750 Norwegians who joined the Allied air forces, 278 or more than one in three were killed - 203 in battle and 75 in training or other accidents.
After the war, Bull was made head of one of Norway's four regional commands. He later served as Chief of Staff to the Commander of the Air Force. In 1960 he was appointed Chief of Air Staff.
He was decorated with the Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav in 1970.
(UNTSO) in Lebanon
, which he accepted. Bull's appointment coincided with the Lebanon Crisis (to which he devotes a chapter of his memoir). He returned to Norway in 1959, but in 1963 he was offered the position as Chief of Staff of UNTSO, which he again accepted. UNTSO's task at this time was to monitor the borders between Israel and its Arab neighbours and to mediate disputes between them. Bull's appointment came at a time of rising tensions, particularly between Israel and Syria
, which both laid claim to territories inside the demilitarized zone
s. These tensions were eventually to lead to the Six Day War in 1967. As Chief of Staff of UNTSO, Bull was in a position to closely observe the development of the conflict and its aftermath. He would later author a book about his experiences during this time, entitled War and Peace in the Middle East: The Experiences and Views of a UN Observer.
Bull gave an explanation for his writing of the book:
Bull's retirement from the position as Chief of Staff of UNTSO was noted by the Jerusalem Post in the following terms:
Royal Norwegian Air Force
The Royal Norwegian Air Force is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian armed forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peace force is approximately 1,430 employees . 600 personnel also serve their draft period in the RNoAF...
who eventually rose to the position of Chief of Air Staff. He is probably best known outside Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
for his role as Chief of Staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization
United Nations Truce Supervision Organization
The United Nations Truce Supervision Organization is an organization founded on 29 May 1948 for peacekeeping in the Middle East. Its primary task was providing the military command structure to the peace keeping forces in the Middle East to enable the peace keepers to observe and maintain the...
(UNTSO) between 1963 and 1970, a period which coincided with the Six Day War between Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and its Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
neighbours. He wrote a memoir of his experiences during this time, a book entitled War and Peace in the Middle East: The Experiences and Views of a U.N. Observer.
Background
Odd Bull was born on June 28, 1907. He traces his family origins back to 1700 when the family patriach, a ship's captain named Jacob Bull, first settled in Norway (Odd Bull's unusual name comes from the juxtaposition of Odd, a common Norwegian given name, and Bull, the Anglo-SaxonOld English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
surname). Jacob Bull's descendants retained their seafaring connection until the arrival of Odd Bull's father Gjert, who did not go to sea but became manager of a tobacco factory instead.
Odd Bull grew up in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
and received the first twelve years of his education at Vestheim School. At his leaving examination in 1925, he did worse than expected and decided to spend twelve months at a military academy. He enjoyed the experience so much that he eventually decided to take the two year officer training course, graduating in 1928 as a First Lieutenant in the 4th Infantry Division. During his training however, he had become interested in flying, and in 1929 he applied and was accepted into the Army Flying School. After two years of flying experience he became a flying instructor in 1931.
World War II
In April 1940, Nazi GermanyNazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
invaded Norway. Taken by surprise, the Norwegians were unable to mobilize their armed forces in time to conduct an effective defence and were conquered in a 60-day campaign
Norwegian Campaign
The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force...
. Many Norwegian servicemen however, including Bull, escaped by boat to Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
where they hoped to carry on the struggle.
Once in Britain, Bull attempted to organize some Norwegian air squadron
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
s, but no airfields were available. Eventually however, the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
government offered the Norwegians the Toronto Island Airport as a training centre. As word got out about the centre, hundreds of Norwegians from around the world made their way to Canada to train as pilots.
In 1941 Bull returned to Britain to fly with RAF Fighter Squadron 242
No. 242 Squadron RAF
No. 242 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron. It flew in many roles during its active service and it is also known for being the first squadron Douglas Bader commanded.-In World War I:No...
, but he along with a number of other Norwegian pilots were keen to form a Norwegian squadron, which they achieved in July of the same year. The Norwegian unit was assigned to provide fighter cover for Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
, but Bull was then recalled to the Toronto training camp in Canada to become Camp Commandant.
Bull was eventually reassigned to combat duty, flying Mosquitoes
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
with RAF Fighter Squadron 107
No. 107 Squadron RAF
No. 107 Squadron RAF was a bomber unit in the RAF in both World War I and World War II and during the Cold war was operational on Thor Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles.-Formation and World War I:...
during the D-Day landings in Northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. With the liberation of Norway in May 1945, he returned to his home country. Bull notes that of the 750 Norwegians who joined the Allied air forces, 278 or more than one in three were killed - 203 in battle and 75 in training or other accidents.
After the war, Bull was made head of one of Norway's four regional commands. He later served as Chief of Staff to the Commander of the Air Force. In 1960 he was appointed Chief of Air Staff.
He was decorated with the Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav in 1970.
Service with UNTSO
In 1958 Bull was offered a temporary position with the United Nations Truce Supervision OrganizationUnited Nations Truce Supervision Organization
The United Nations Truce Supervision Organization is an organization founded on 29 May 1948 for peacekeeping in the Middle East. Its primary task was providing the military command structure to the peace keeping forces in the Middle East to enable the peace keepers to observe and maintain the...
(UNTSO) in Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, which he accepted. Bull's appointment coincided with the Lebanon Crisis (to which he devotes a chapter of his memoir). He returned to Norway in 1959, but in 1963 he was offered the position as Chief of Staff of UNTSO, which he again accepted. UNTSO's task at this time was to monitor the borders between Israel and its Arab neighbours and to mediate disputes between them. Bull's appointment came at a time of rising tensions, particularly between Israel and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, which both laid claim to territories inside the demilitarized zone
Demilitarized zone
In military terms, a demilitarized zone is an area, usually the frontier or boundary between two or more military powers , where military activity is not permitted, usually by peace treaty, armistice, or other bilateral or multilateral agreement...
s. These tensions were eventually to lead to the Six Day War in 1967. As Chief of Staff of UNTSO, Bull was in a position to closely observe the development of the conflict and its aftermath. He would later author a book about his experiences during this time, entitled War and Peace in the Middle East: The Experiences and Views of a UN Observer.
Bull gave an explanation for his writing of the book:
Many people have from time to time urged me to write my memoirs, but I only decided to do so when I came back to Norway at Christmas, 1967, and found that Norwegian public opinion there regarded the PalestinePalestinePalestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
problem almost entirely from the Israeli point of view. As this was a problem with which I had been living for many years, and one which, as I had become very much aware, had at least two sides to it, I felt in conscience bound to make my own experience the basis for as calm and objective a presentation of the whole Middle EastMiddle EastThe Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
situation as I could. For those from outside who, like myself, have become involved in this situation, the aim must always be to try to reduce the burden of suffering and injustice for all people in that area, Arabs and Israelis alike.
Bull's retirement from the position as Chief of Staff of UNTSO was noted by the Jerusalem Post in the following terms:
General Bulll has earned our respect for his integrity, honesty and objectivity. A calm personality, the former Commander of the Norwegian Air Force...was able to quickly re-establish confidence and develop effective working relations with the Israeli Army and Foreign Ministry...He consistently stayed out of the limelight, refusing press and television interviews...The Arab States could never muster the same enthusiasm for General Bull as for his predecessors, but despite Israel's appreciation of his work they were never heard to object to any of his efforts or to complain of his attitude...
Israel regrets having to bid goodbye to this untypical representative of the United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
...Israelis wish General Bull a much earned rest and to know that he will be remembered with appreciation and gratitude.