Background
He was born in Lier as a son of Alv I. Johnsen (1885–1943) and Else Marie Johnsen (1890–1969).
instructor leader medical military physician secretary
He was born in Lier as a son of Alv I. Johnsen (1885–1943) and Else Marie Johnsen (1890–1969).
He took his examen artium in 1938. When World World War II reached Norway in 1940, Johnsen participated in the Battle of Bagn. After Norway lost, he helped start an illegal newspaper.
In the autumn of 1941 he had to flee to England, but he took a very unusual route, via Sweden, Russia, India and Canada.
He joined the Norwegian Independent Company 1, and served on a motor torpedo boat from May to December 1944, and was parachuted to Norway in early 1945. He was an instructor for Milorg until the war"s education
The couple had three children. Birgit was a daughter of aviation pioneer and commander Finn Lützow-Holm and granddaughter of Ole Arntzen Lützow-Holm.
In 1950 Alv Johnsen graduated with the candidate.med. degree, and he was a specialist in rheumatology from 1963.
He worked at Lillehammer Hospital, Ullevål Hospital and Diakonhjemmet Hospital from 1954 to 1958, then at the Rheumatic Hospital from 1958 to 1963. He started working as a physician for the Norwegian Army in 1953, and became assisting chief physician in the Army Staff in 1957. He held the rank of Captain, advanced to Lieutenant Colonel in 1958 and Major General in 1972.
He served as sanitary leader for the United Nations Operation in Gaza (1958) and United Nations Operation in the Congo (1960).
From 1972 to 1979 he served as the leader of Norwegian Armed Forces Medical Corps. He died in January 1986 and was buried at Vestre gravlund.
He was also a member of the disaster preparedness council Norsk Katastroferådaughter