General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

Bengt Gustafsson (G:son) Nordenskiöld (6September 1891 – 28January 1983) was a

Swedish Air Force The Swedish Air Force ( or just ) is the air force Military branch, branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. History The Swedish Air Force was created on 1 July 1926 when the aircraft units of the Army and Navy were merged. Because of the escalatin ...

officer who served as Chief of the Air Force from 1942 to 1954. In 1910 Nordenskiöld started his military career as a volunteer in the

Svea Life Guards The Svea Life Guards (), also I 1, was a Swedish Army infantry regiment that was active in various forms 1521–2000. The unit was based in the Stockholm Garrison in Stockholm and belonged to the King's Life and Household Troops (''Kungl. Maj: ...

(I 1), later attending the

Royal Swedish Army Staff College The Royal Swedish Army Staff College (, KHS) was a Swedish Army training establishment between 1866 and 1961, providing courses for army officers. It was the home of the Swedish Army's staff college, which provided advanced training for officers ...

. In 1928, he was made a captain in the

General Staff A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, Enlisted rank, enlisted, and civilian staff who serve the commanding officer, commander of a ...

. During 1931 he went through aircraft recognition training at the

Swedish Air Force Flying School Swedish Air Force Flying School (), also F 5 Ljungbyhed, or simply F 5, is a former Swedish Air Force training wing with the main base located in Ljungbyhed in southern Sweden. History The moor at Ljungby was adopted for military use in 1658 by t ...

, after which he was trained as a pilot. In 1936, Nordenskiöld started to serve in the recently created Air Staff under general Torsten Friis, later becoming a lieutenant general. He was appointed Chief of the Swedish Air Force in 1942 as the first Chief of Air Force with pilot training. Nordenskiöld was promoted general and retired from active service in 1954.

Early life

Nordenskiöld was born on 6 September 1891 in

Sundsvall Sundsvall () is a city and the seat of Sundsvall Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden. It has a population of 58,807 as of 2020; more than 95,000 live in the municipal area. It is Sweden's 21st largest city by population. Old town i ...

, Sweden, the son of managing director, baron Gustaf Henrik Nordenskiöld and his wife Ester Laura (née Andersson). He was a sea cadet from 1907 to 1908 and passed ''mogenhetsexamen'' at Lunds privata elementarskola on 10 June 1910 before enlisting as a volunteer at the

(I 1) the day after.

Career

Military career

He enrolled at the Royal Military Academy on 19 October 1911 and graduated and became an officer of 19 December 1912. Nordenskiöld became an ''

underlöjtnant ''Underlöjtnant'' (from the German word '' Unterleutnant'') was the lowest officer rank in the Swedish Army from 1835 to 1937 instead of the previous ranks of ''fänrik'' and cornet. was reintroduced in 1914 with the same position as , from 19 ...

'' in the Svea Life Guards on 31 December 1912 and ''

löjtnant ''Löjtnant'' ( in the Swedish Army/Air Force, Sub-lieutenant in the Navy) is a company grade officer rank. In the army/airforce, it ranks above second lieutenant and below captain. In the navy, it ranks above acting sub-lieutenant and below lie ...

'' there on 28 November 1916. He was then educated at the

from 1922 to 1924, where he graduated first in his class in the staff course. He wan an

aspirant Aspirant is usually an officer cadet rank used in armies, navies and air forces. In Western Christianity, an aspirant is the first stage in becoming a monastic. Religious use In Western Christianity, the term is also used in reference to rel ...

at the

from 15 April 1925 to 1927 and was promoted to captain at the Sve Life Guards on 9 December 1927. Nordenskiöld served at the General Staff from 1 January 1928 and was educated in

aerial reconnaissance Aerial reconnaissance is reconnaissance for a military or Strategy, strategic purpose that is conducted using reconnaissance aircraft. The role of reconnaissance can fulfil a variety of requirements including Artillery observer, artillery spott ...

in 1931 and served as a General Staff Officer at the Eastern Military Division (''Östra militärfördelningen'') from 9 October 1931 to 1933. He was a teacher of tactics at the Royal Swedish Army Staff College from 28 December 1933 to 1934 and major at the General Staff from 27 April 1934 and underwent

sergeant pilot A sergeant pilot was a non-commissioned officer who had undergone flight training and was a qualified pilot in the air forces of several Commonwealth countries before, during and after World War II. It was also a term used in the United States Arm ...

training from 1934 to 1936. Nordenskiöld was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the

and was appointed Chief of the Air Staff on 1 July 1936. Nordenskiöld was promoted to colonel on 1 July 1937 and was head of the Royal Swedish Air Force Staff College from 1 October 1939 to 30 September 1941 and commanding officer of the Air Command (E 1) from 1939 to 1942. He was promoted to major general on 6 June 1941 - as the youngest officer in modern Swedish history - which received great attention in the media. Nordenskiöld was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed Chief of the Air Force on 1 July 1942. He was the first pilot trained Chief of the Air Force and during the air wing visits, he flew a J 9 aircraft no. 19, which was to become his "personal" aircraft. It was with this aircraft he crashed during a start from the

(F 5), and was badly injured but survived. When the post of

Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces The Chief of Defence, formerly the Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces (; acronym: ÖB) is the highest ranked professional military officer in the Swedish Armed Forces, and is by NATO terminology the Sweden, Swedish chief of defence, c ...

would be appointed in 1951, Nordenskiöld was one of the candidates that were considered by the government. According to

Tage Erlander Tage Fritjof Erlander (; 13 June 1901 – 21 June 1985) was a Swedish politician and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Sweden and leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party, Social Democratic Party from 1946 to 1969. Previously, h ...

's diaries, his name was dropped because of his impetuous temper and his propensity to make own foreign policy statements. Instead the army general Nils Swedlund became the new Supreme Commander. Air Vice Marshal

Ralph Cochrane Air Chief Marshal Sir Ralph Alexander Cochrane, (24 February 1895 – 17 December 1977) was a Scottish aviator and Royal Air Force officer, perhaps best known for his role in Operation Chastise, the famous "Dambusters" raid. Early life Ralph Co ...

visited Nordenskiöld and the Swedish Air Force 8–13 June 1952. What was discussed during the visit are not known. Cochrane left Svea Air Force Wing (F 8) north of Stockholm in an

English Electric Canberra The English Electric Canberra is a British first-generation, jet-powered medium bomber. It was developed by English Electric during the mid- to late 1940s in response to a 1944 Air Ministry requirement for a successor to the wartime de Havilla ...

on the morning of 13 June, the same day as a Swedish radio and radar signals intelligence-gathering DC-3 aircraft was shot down by Soviet Air Force fighter jets. Nordenskiöld was promoted to general on 30 April 1954, two months before his retirement on 30 June 1954.

Other work

Nordenskiöld was vice chairman of the Royal Swedish Aero Club from 1937 to 1944 and board member of Skånska cement AB and AB Iföverken from 1939 to 1966. He was also chairman of the board of AB Salén & Wicander and Wiklunds bil AB from 1954 to 1972 and AB Godslagring from 1960 to 1972. Nordenskiöld was vice chairman of the board of AB Ekensbergs varv from 1955 to 1972.

Personal life

On 16 October 1916, Nordenskiöld married Dagmar Werner (1897–1978), the daughter of the wholesaler Carl Linus Werner and Severina (Inez) Natalia (née Jehander). They had two children,

Claës-Henrik Nordenskiöld Major General Claës-Henrik Bengtsson (B:son) Nordenskiöld (28 July 1917 – 11 November 2003) was a Swedish Air Force officer and sailor. He was Chief of the Air Staff from 1966 to 1970 and Acting Chief of the Air Force in 1968. Early life ...

(1917–2003), who also became an air force general, and Brita Christina (1919–1971) who was married 1940–1948 to Prince Ferdinand of Liechtenstein (1901–1981), a descendant of

Prince Eduard Franz of Liechtenstein Prince Eduard Franz of Liechtenstein (Eduard Franz Ludwig; 22 February 1809 – 27 June 1864) was a son of Johann I Joseph, Prince of Liechtenstein (1760–1836) and wife Landgravine Josepha of Fürstenberg-Weitra, nephew of Aloys I, brother of ...

. Nordenskiöld and Dagmar Werner divorced on 12 September 1934 and on 31 October 1934, he married Marie-Louise Elsa Eva Hanna Augusta Lambert-Meuller (1909–1996), the daughter of managing director August Fredrik Lambert Meuller and Elsa (née Flygare). The marriage was childless. He was the grandfather of Louise Nordenskiöld and grandfather of Prince Hanno von Liechtenstein.

Death

Nordenskiöld died on 28 January 1983 in Österhaninge and was buried in Southern Cemetery next to

Kalmar Castle Kalmar Castle () is a castle in the city Kalmar in the province of Småland in Sweden. History During the twelfth century a round defensive tower was built on Kalmarsund and a harbour constructed. At the end of the thirteenth century King M ...

accompanied by his parents and later his two children.

Dates of rank

Nordenskiöld's dates of rank:

Awards and decorations

Swedish

* King Gustaf V's Jubilee Commemorative Medal (1948) * 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 ...

(5 June 1943) * Royal_Order_of_the_Sword_-_Commander_1st_Class_BAR

Commander 1st Class of the

(15 November 1941) * Royal_Order_of_the_Sword_-_Commander_BAR

Commander of the

(15 November 1940) * Order_of_the_Sword_-_Ribbon_bar

Knight of the

(16 June 1933) * Knight of the

Order of the Polar Star The Royal Order of the Polar Star (Swedish language, Swedish: ''Kungliga Nordstjärneorden''), sometimes translated as the Royal Order of the North Star, is a Swedish order of chivalry created by Frederick I of Sweden, King Frederick I on 23 F ...

(15 November 1938) * SWE_Order_of_Vasa_-_Knight_2nd_Class_BAR

Knight of the

Order of Vasa The Royal Order of Vasa () is a Swedish order of chivalry founded on 29 May 1772 by Gustav III, King Gustav III. It is awarded to Swedish citizens for service to state and society especially in the fields of agriculture, mining and commerce. His ...

(30 June 1936) * ? (SLGM) * Royal Swedish Aero Club's medal of merit in gold (''Kungliga Svenska Aeroklubbens förtjänstguldmedalj'') * ? (SvARHt)

Foreign

Grand Cross of the

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog () is a Denmark, Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V of Denmark, Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the Order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single cla ...

ETH_Order_of_Menelik_II_-_Grand_Cross_BAR

Grand Cross of the

Order of Menelik II The Imperial Order of Emperor Menelik II is an Ethiopian Order (decoration), order established in 1924 by then-Regent Haile Selassie, Tafari Makonnen, during the reign of Zewditu I of Ethiopia, Empress Zewditu I, in order to honor the memory of Em ...

Order_of_Orange-Nassau_ribbon_-_Knight_Grand_Cross

Grand Cross of the

Order of Orange-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau () is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands. The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has performed acts of special merits for ...

with swords * St_Olavs_Orden_storkors_stripe

Grand Cross of the

Order of St. Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav (; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav II, known to posterity as St. Olav. Just be ...

Knight 2nd Class of the

(1926) *

Finland Cross of Liberty 1st Class Ribbon Civil Peacetime

1st Class of the

Order of the Cross of Liberty The Order of the Cross of Liberty (; ) is one of three official state Order (decoration), orders in Finland, along with the Order of the White Rose of Finland and the Order of the Lion of Finland. The awards of the Order of the Cross of Liberty ...

Grand Officer of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

Grand Officer of the

Order of the Crown of Italy The Order of the Crown of Italy ( or OCI) was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate Italian unification, the unification of Italy in 1861. It was awarded in five degrees for ...

* Commander 1st Class of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

Commander of the

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...

(9 July 1946) * FIN_Order_of_the_White_Rose_Commander_BAR

Commander of the

Order of the White Rose of Finland The Order of the White Rose of Finland (; ) is one of three official orders in Finland, along with the Order of the Cross of Liberty, and the Order of the Lion of Finland. The President of Finland is the Grand Master of all three orders. The ...

FIN_Order_of_the_White_Rose_Knight_1st_Class_BAR

First Class Knight of the

(1919) *

Commander of the

Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus () (abbreviated OSSML) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood bestowed by the royal House of Savoy. It is the second-oldest order of knighthood in the world, tracing its lineage to AD 1098, a ...

1st Class of the

Order of the German Eagle The Order of Merit of the German Eagle () was an award of the German Nazi regime, predominantly to foreign diplomats. The Order was instituted on 1 May 1937 by Adolf Hitler. It ceased to be awarded following the collapse of Nazi Germany at the e ...

* Knight 1st Class of the

Crosses of Military Merit The Cross of Military Merit () is Spain's military awards for gallantry or merit in war or peace and is awarded to members of the Spanish Armed Forces, Guardia Civil or civilians. History and attribution Established on 3 August 1864 by Quee ...

, with White Decoration (1926) * Knight of the

Order of the Black Star The Order of the Black Star (''Ordre de l'Étoile Noire'') was an order of knighthood established on 1 December 1889 at Porto-Novo by Toffa, future king of Dahomey (today the Republic of Benin). Approved and recognised by the French government o ...

(1926) * Cross of Merit (1928) * Danish Medal of Freedom (''Dansk Frihetsmedalj'')

Honours

*Member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences () is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden and was founded on 12 November 1796 by Gustaf Wilhelm af Tibell. The academy is an independent organization and a forum for military (army and air force) and de ...

(1936; president 1948–1949) *Honorary member of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences (1954)

References

External links

Article
at '' Svenskt biografiskt lexikon'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Nordenskiold, Bengt 1891 births 1983 deaths Swedish Air Force generals 20th-century Swedish nobility Nuclear weapons programme of Sweden People from Sundsvall Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword Knights of the Order of the Polar Star Knights of the Order of Vasa Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences Members of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences Recipients of orders, decorations, and medals of Ethiopia