The Norway campaign of 1940 was a 62-day military conflict from April 9 to June 10, 1940, where Nazi Germany successfully invaded neutral Norway to secure iron ore routes from Sweden.

Britain intervened attempting to close off these routes. Firstly, Germany's war machine would thus be deprived of vital Swedish ore. Secondly, the prospect of enemy air and naval bases on Norway's long west-facing coastline would be avoided .

From a British perspective, despite the huge valour of its servicemen, Norway 1940 must be regarded as a a costly failure. It resulted in a strategic allied evacuation and the flight of the Norwegian royal family. German access to Swedish iron deposits was not prevented.

The campaign resulted in 1,869 British army fatalities, 2,500 deaths at sea and the loss of 112 aircraft. As research continues, it has so far been possible to identify 25 Nottinghamshire men lost during the Norway operations of 1940 - 13 soldiers, 11 sailors and 1 airman.

One Nottinghamshire soldier was killed in Norway serving with 1st Battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps. The other 12 were fighting with 8th Battalion Sherwood Foresters. Five local sailors perished aboard HMS Glorious, two on one of her escorting destroyers HMS Acasta. Two more went down with HM Submarine Sterlet, one on HMS Cossack and one aboard HM Trawler Cape Passaro. One Nottinghamshire airman was killed during a Norway operation flying with 224 Squadron.