Finn first traveled to the Arctic in 1923, interrupting his earlier scientific studies in Norway. He worked with his brother Hallvard at the
Kvadehuken meteorology station in
Svalbard, established in 1920 by the Geophysical Institute of
Tromsø. While there, he took part in a rescue operation of two English airmen whose aircraft had crash-landed nearby. In October 1924, the Kvadehuken facility was closed for financial reasons, and less than two years later, he and his brother moved to the meteorological station in
Jan Mayen. In 1927, Finn measured the elevation of
Beerenberg, a volcano that is the island's highest point. After leaving Jan Mayen in 1928, Finn traveled to northeastern Greenland with his brother, a leader of the "Greenland case"
(Grønlandssaken), a movement that sought to bring large swathes of East Greenland under Norwegian sovereignty. During that time (1927–28), he became
Fridtjof Nansen's assistant.
Norwegian Claims in East Greenland Finn actively participated in the 1931–33 Norwegian territorial claim movement in Greenland led from
Myggbukta Station, where his brother led expeditions undertaken with the station as a base. By 1932, about 80 cabins manned by Norwegian trappers and fishermen had been built in different areas of East Greenland, including some in the distant
King Frederick VI Coast and
Storfjord Station in the
Kangerlussuaq Fjord in between. Finn Devold led the actions in southeastern Greenland, where he had established the
Finnsbu radio station.
Denmark protested and brought the case to the
Permanent Court of International Justice in
The Hague. Following the 1933 resolution of the court awarding Greenland to the Danish government, Norway's claims in Greenland were given up, and most Norwegian outposts were closed. Even then, some stations, such as
Jonsbu at the northern end and
Torgilsbu at the southern, continued operation under Danish jurisdiction and restrictions for a few years.
Later life In 1936, Finn was hired by the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research. He left involvement in politics and concentrated on his studies, obtaining a degree in mathematics and science in 1940. In 1943, he became a fisheries consultant at the institute. He specialized in
Atlantic herring fisheries, and in 1950, he followed herring migrations on the new vessel "GO Sars." Finn carefully surveyed Atlantic herring's migration patterns before winter herring fishing. He published some of the results of his research in the Norwegian press, and in time his work became internationally recognized. Towards the end of his career, Finn became concerned about herring
overfishing, that led to the depletion of Norwegian spring-spawning herring populations after the 1960s. Although he retired in 1972, Finn Devold continued his research on herring fisheries. He died in Bergen in 1977. == Works ==