Armband with a royal coat of arms worn by a Danish resistance fighter

Mogens Kofod-Hansen was born on December 5, 1920, in Denmark. He was educated in Sweden and Great Britain, as well as in Denmark. He was trained as a journalist and worked for several small town Danish newspapers. He became involved with the Danish resistance movement soon after the German occupation of Denmark began on April 9, 1940. On August 29, 1943, the Germans declared martial law and began to address the Jewish problem. Mogens had to flee to Sweden in September 1943. He worked as a courier and was able to deliver information vital to the war effort. He later relocated to Great Britain, where he worked for the BBC. On May 5, 1945, German forces in Denmark surrendered and withdrew from Denmark. On May 7, Germany unconditionally surrendered to allied Forces. After the war, Mogens was employed by the Danish daily, Information, which began as an illegal, underground wartime paper, and continued as a regular daily newspaper. From 1950-1988, Mogens worked for the Berlinske Tidende, for which he covered foreign news and wars all over the world. He was active in Danish-Israeli associations and received several awards for this work from Israel. Mogens also was editor of the monthly publication of the Veterans of the Danish Freedom Fight. Blue, red, and white armband with a medallion issued to Mogens Kofod-Hansen, a Danish resistance fighter, on May 4 or 5, 1945. The armbands, which appeared abruptly throughout Denmark, were issued by the Danish Freedom Council, Denmark's unofficial government-in-exile in England from July 1944 to May 1945. The armbands were meant to identify resistance members as legitimate combatants, rather than guerilla forces, to ensure they were protected under Geneva Convention rules defining combatants and how they should be treated by military forces. Denmark was occupied by Germany on April 9, 1940. The Danes were allowed to retain control of civil affairs, until the Germans declared martial law on August 29, 1943. The Danish Freedom Council was formed that September to coordinate the resistance movement. German forces in Denmark surrendered on May 5, 1945. Mogens was a courier during the Jewish rescue operations in September 1943 and also traveled to Sweden to deliver vital information to the British military during the war. No restrictions on access