[2][3] A strong proponent of pan-German national socialism, he was a member of the National Socialist Workers' Party of Norway (NNSAP) during the 1930s, until reluctantly joining Nasjonal Samling (NS) in 1940, some months after the NNSAP was dissolved.
[2][3] Along with the leader of GSSN, Leif Schøren, Torkildsen was set aside by NS in January 1945 and sent to Germany after attempts of a pro-German coup against Vidkun Quisling and NS.
[2] Torkildsen was sentenced to five years imprisonment for treason after the war.
[2] As a wanted traitor, Torkildsen fled from Norway in 1947 along with four other Norwegian Nazis on the sailboat Mi Casa, and arrived in A Coruña, Spain.
[3] From Spain he travelled to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he became chairman of a local association of Norwegian Nazis.