Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

Dag Gustaf Christer Arvas (22 September 1913 – 1 February 2004) was a

Swedish Navy The Swedish Navy () is the maritime service branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is composed of surface and submarine naval units – the Fleet (), formally sometimes referred to as the Royal Navy () – as well as marine units, the Amph ...

officer. Arvas senior commands include Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, Commander-in-Chief of the

Coastal Fleet The Coastal Fleet (, Kfl) was until 1994 a Swedish Navy authority with the main task of training the naval ships commanders and crews. After the formation of the authority Swedish Armed Forces in 1994, the Coastal Fleet remained as a unit until ...

and Chief of the Military Office of the Minister of Defence.

Early life

Arvas was born on 22 September 1913 in Arvidsjaur, Sweden, the son of Birger Arvas and his wife Elsa (née Christerson). He passed '' studentexamen'' in Djursholm in 1932

Career

Arvas was commissioned as a naval officer in 1935 with the rank of acting sub-lieutenant. He was then on leave one summer for traveling with the Swedish sailing school's ''Kaparen'' in western European waters and he was educated at the Physical Training School (''Gymnastik- och idrottsskolan'', GIS) from 1937 to 1938. Arvas attended the Royal Swedish Naval Staff College from 1940 to 1942 and served aboard torpedo boats and destroyers. He also served as flag lieutenant (''flaggadjutant'') to the Commander-in-Chief of the

from 1945 to 1948. Arvas served as captain of the destroyer from 1950 to 1951 and commander of a destroyer squadron in 1954. He was promoted to lieutenant commander in 1953 and of the 1st rank in 1955. During the years 1946-1953, Arvas was a teacher in parallel with other service at both the Royal Swedish Naval Staff College and the Royal Swedish Air Force Staff College. The land service was characterized by his involvement in the Supreme Commander investigation and in the defense committee in 1955-1958 where the foundation for the light fleet and Navy Plan 60 (''Marinplan 60'') were laid. Arvas served as head of the Operation Department in the Naval Staff from 1955 and as head of the Planning Department from 1958 to 1960 when he was promoted to captain. He then served as commanding officer of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla (''Första jagarflottiljen'') from 1960 to 1961 and as Vice Chief of the Defence Staff from 1961 to 1964. Arvas served as chief of Section 3 in the Naval Staff from 1964 to 1966 when he was promoted to rear admiral. He was then Commander-in-Chief of the

from 1966 to 1970, chairman of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences from 1966 to 1969, and chief of the Military Office of the Minister of Defence from 1970 to 1978. After his retirement in 1978 he was, among other things, a special investigator in the 1978 Civil Military Investigation (''1978 års civilmilitärutredning'').

Personal life

In 1939, he married Gunvor Milles, the daughter of Tage Milles and Thora (née Rutensköld). Children: Christer (born 1941) and Stig (born 1944).

Death

Arvas died on 1 February 2004 and was buried in Djursholm's Cemetery on 16 April 2004.

Dates of rank

*1935 – Acting sub-lieutenant *1937 – Sub-lieutenant *19?? –

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

*1953 – Lieutenant commander *1955 –

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

*1960 –

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

*1966 –

Rear admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

Awards and decorations

Royal Order of the Sword - Commander Grand Cross BAR

Commander Grand Cross of the

Order of the Sword The Royal Order of the Sword (officially: ''Royal Order of the Sword''; Swedish: ''Kungliga Svärdsorden'') is a Swedish order of chivalry and military decoration created by King Frederick I of Sweden on 23 February 1748, together with the Or ...

(6 June 1973) * Royal Order of the Sword - Commander 1st Class BAR

Commander 1st Class of the

(6 June 1966) * AUT Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria - 5th Class BAR

Grand Decoration of Honour in Silver with Star for Services to the Republic of Austria (1974) * DNK Kong Christian den Tiendes frihedsmedaille ribbon bar

DNK Kong Christian den Tiendes frihedsmedaille ribbon bar

King Christian X's Liberty Medal * Officer of the

Order of the Aztec Eagle The Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle () forms part of the Mexican Honors System and is the highest Mexican order awarded to foreigners. History It was created by decree on December 29, 1933, by President Abelardo L. Rodríguez as a reward to ...

Hounors

*Honorary member of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences (1954) *Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences (1959)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arvas, Dag 1913 births 2004 deaths Swedish Navy rear admirals People from Arvidsjaur Municipality Members of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword