Kristian Løken

Kristian Rikardsen Løken
Nickname(s)	Kongo-Løken
Born	(1884-07-31)31 July 1884 Elverum, Norway
Died	March 1961 (aged 76)
Allegiance	Norway  Congo Free State (1907-8)  Belgium  Belgian Congo
Service/branch	Norwegian Army Force Publique
Years of service	Norwegian Army: 1906-1954 Force Publique: 1907-1917
Rank	Colonel (Norwegian Army) Commandant (Force Publique)
Unit	6th Division
Commands held	6th Division (acting commander) 6th District Command 6th Brigade 14th Infantry Regiment Battalion of the Force Publique
Battles/wars	First World War East African Campaign Battle of Ruakadigi Second World War Norwegian Campaign Battles of Narvik Battle of Gratangen
Awards	St. Olav's Medal With Oak Branch Defence Medal 1940–1945 Haakon VII Jubilee Medal 1905–1955 Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur Croix de guerre Knight of the Royal Order of the Lion Officer of the Order of Leopold II Knight of the Order of Leopold Knight of the Order of the Crown with palm Croix de guerre with palm Order of the African Star, Silver Medal 1914-1917 African Campaigns Commemorative Medal Commemorative Medal of the 1914–1918 War Inter-Allied Victory Medal 1914–1918 Commemorative Medal of Congo
Spouse(s)	Guldborg Noer (m. 1931)
Relations	Halvor Løken (brother)

 Norway
 Congo Free State (1907-8)
 Belgium

First World War

Second World War

Kristian Rikardsen Løken (31 July 1884 – March 1961) was a highly decorated Norwegian military officer who served in the Belgian Force Publique from 1907 to 1917, fighting German colonial forces in East Africa from 1914 to 1917, and went on to command a Norwegian Army infantry brigade during the 1940 Norwegian Campaign of the Second World War.

In 1943, Løken was one of 1,100 Norwegian officers arrested and sent as prisoners-of-war to Germany, only being released after the German capitulation in 1945.

Kristian Løken was born in the town of Elverum in Hedmark county, Norway. He was the son of smallholder Rikard Løken (1845–1909) and Gurine Syversen (1852–1902). Kristian had an older brother, Halvor (born 8 March 1876), who also sought a military career. He attended the upper section of the Norwegian Military Academy from 1903, graduating as an infantry officer in 1906. That same year he took his examen artium.

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