The Norwegian SS (Norges SS)
After Jonas Lie homecoming as a war-decorated hero, he at once set about intriguing with Terboven against their mutual foe, Quisling. With German complicity Lie founded within the Rikshird what amounted to a Norwegian equivalent of the Allgemeine-SS.
At a secret meeting of the 7th Hird Regiment in Oslo on 16 May 1941 Lie proposed the immediate establishment of a Norwegian SS. (Norges SS.); some 130 members of the regiment at once enrolled. This innovation was announced in the press on 21 May. Quisling, who had not been consulted or forewarned, was furious but impotent. Himmler had already given the Norwegian SS his blessing and arrived in Oslo the very same day to preside over the oath taking by the new recruits.(see picture)

"Jeg sverger deg, Adolf Hitler, som Germanernes Fører og Vidkun Quisling som fører av NS, troskap og tapperhet. Jeg lover de av deg utnevnte foresatte, lydighet inntil døden, så sant hjelpe meg Gud."

This done, he appointed Lie to the command of the unit giving him the rank of SS-Standartenführer (or, in Norwegian, Standartfører, the equivalent of Colonel).

The new SS men wore field grey open-necked tunics with a khaki shirt and black tie, field grey trousers and black shoes (Lie, himself, wore breeches and top boots). Rank insignia was still that of the Rikshird, worn on black shoulder straps, and the Rikshird black brassard with sun cross and swords was, at this stage, still worn on the left arm.

After Himmler's departure, the new Norwegian SS men were taken to Elverum (about 75 miles from Oslo) to begin their six week basic training. Before its completion a dramatic event occurred which altered the whole nature of the war as well as their part in it: on 22 June 1941 Hitler invaded Russia.