[1] The Germans started by taking the major ports of Norway, but once they had accomplished those goals, they began to move through the interior of the country.

they ordered 100 highly trained German paratroopers to start chasing the royals and officials of the Norwegian government.

As a result, the royal family had to stay constantly on the move through the Gudbandsdal Valley and the Swedish border.

[2] While the King and his family eventually made it to neutral Sweden, a larger mechanized German force followed the paratroopers and began to make its way up the Gudbrandsdal Valley, moving north toward Otta.

[3] A British force, codenamed "Sickleforce" was dispatched to Aandalsnes, under Major General Bernard Paget.

At the urgent request of the Norwegian commander in chief, Major General Otto Ruge, the first element of the force to disembark (the Territorial 148th Brigade under Brigadier H. de R. Morgan)[4] was diverted 140 miles (230 km) south to reinforce the exhausted Norwegians attempting to defend Lillehammer.

[6] On the night that the first elements of 15th Brigade landed, the battle for Central Norway had already been lost and the British were retreating in the face of the German advance up the Gudbrandsdal Valley.

[7] Major General Ruge had already informed the British commanders that his troops were completely exhausted and any lines of defense in the Gudbrandsdal Valley were near collapse.

When they reached Kvam, they encountered Norwegian and British soldiers in full retreat from the German advance at Ringebu to the south.

[10] The topography of Kvam made it a perfect location to set up a defense against the advancing German army.

Above the bend in the river, the Gudbrandsdal Valley widens to flat and open farmland, giving good fields of fire.

[14] A few British planes from the airfield on the nearby lake appeared in the sky, offering encouragement of air support in the early hours of the 25 April; however, the Germans quickly destroyed the airfield, any surviving planes retreated north to safety, and British airpower was non-existent during the battle.

They quickly shed their heavy arctic clothing and, carrying only their weapons, ammunition and '37 web gear, began to set up defensive positions.

[15] The British soldiers were armed with rifles and bayonets, Bren light machine guns, and two Ordnance ML 3 inch mortars.

[16] In addition to their light weapons, the British soldiers had five 25 mm Hotchkiss anti-tank guns set up at the forefront, and three in support further behind.

[17] General Jacob Hvinden Haug had informed the British that Norwegian soldiers under his command, who had dug in south of Kvam, could hold until the evening of the 25th.

At noon, Brigadier General Smyth was badly wounded by shrapnel from the artillery and was forced to relinquish command to Lt. Col A.L.

[16] After a brief pause, the Germans infantry moved up the slope on the east side of the road to attack "B" company, but they were repulsed.

The Germans then commenced a series of infantry attacks against the left flank held by "C" company of the York and Lancaster Regiment.

[17] At 11:00 a.m., the Germans renewed their attack, and now had air support, as well as increased artillery, to bomb the village of Kvam.

[22] Corporal Stokes of the York and Lancaster Regiment was in command of the third Hotchkiss gun beside the road at the back of the village.

Corporal Stokes realized that his Hotchkiss gun was about to become a prime target, so he pulled his crew away from the position just before the Germans destroyed it.

These Norwegian ski troops under the command of Paul Jørgenvåg opened fire on the Germans from a long distance up on the valley side.

[27] The three Norwegian soldiers who lost their lives in the fighting at Hillingen seter (farm) have been memorialized by a monument on the farmstead.

[28] Today, there is a very popular hiking trail to the Hillingen seter and the war memorial to the three brave Norwegians who died there defending their country.