Bangstad was born at
Harstad in
Troms, Norway. He was the son of Alfred Bangstad (1874–1944) and Kristine Jacobsen (1883–1952). He attended the
War College and became a lieutenant in the infantry during 1939. During World War II he participated in the
Norwegian Campaign in
Trøndelag and
Northern Norway in 1940, was leader of the first Norwegian parachute company in Great Britain from 1943 to 1945, and leader of railway sabotage operations at the
Nordland Line in 1945. He continued his military career after the war as a
Major General from 1964 and appointed "generalinspektør for Hæren" from 1971 to 1979. He was president of the
Norwegian Confederation of Sports from 1973 to 1984. He also served as chairman of the Norwegian Committee for Skiing 1960–72 and vice president of the International Federation for Modern Pentathlon 1960–76. ==Awards==