Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

Gustaf Peder Wilhelm Dyrssen (24 November 1891 – 13 May 1981) was a

Swedish Army The Swedish Army () is the army, land force of the Swedish Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Sweden. Beginning with its service in 1521, the Swedish Army has been active for more than 500 years. History Svea Life Guards dates back to the year 1 ...

officer and Olympic modern pentathlete. Dyrssen had an extensive and distinguished military career, starting as a second lieutenant in the

Svea Artillery Regiment The Svea Artillery Regiment (), designation A 1, was a Swedish Army artillery regiment that traced its origins back to the 17th century. It was disbanded in 1997. The regiment's soldiers were originally recruited from Svealand, and it was also gar ...

in 1912. Over the years, he rose through the ranks, serving in various capacities, including as 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 ...

and as the commander of the Svea Artillery Regiment. His career highlights include being appointed major in 1934, major general in 1944, and eventually serving as the military commander of the IV Military District and the Commandant General in Stockholm from 1945 to 1957. Dyrssen retired from the Army in 1957 but continued as lieutenant general in the reserve. Beyond his military achievements, Dyrssen was a successful athlete. He excelled in the modern pentathlon, winning a gold medal in 1920 and a silver medal in 1924 at the Summer Olympics. Additionally, he earned medals in épée at the world championships and national titles in various years. Dyrssen's sports involvement extended to administration, where he held prominent positions such as president of the Swedish Fencing Federation, president of the

International Modern Pentathlon Union The International Modern Pentathlon Union (''Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne),'' commonly known by the acronym UIPM, has been the international governing body of modern pentathlon since its foundation in London in 1948. Its headquar ...

, and a member of the

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; , CIO) is the international, non-governmental, sports governing body of the modern Olympic Games. Founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas, it is based i ...

. In addition to his military and athletic pursuits, Dyrssen was actively involved in various committees and organizations, including chairing the Railway Preparedness Investigation and the Inter-Scandinavian Transit Committee. He also served on the

Swedish Olympic Committee The Swedish Olympic Committee (SOC; (, SOK) is the Swedish National Olympic Committee (NOC). The Swedish Olympic Committee organize the Swedish participation in the Olympics, choose the participants and run a support program for swedish elite a ...

and held leadership roles in associations promoting sports and outdoor activities.

Early life

Dyrssen was born on 24 November 1891 in

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

, Sweden, the son of admiral Wilhelm Dyrssen and baroness Lizinka af Uggla. His brother, Magnus Dyrssen, became lieutenant colonel and served in

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

during the

Winter War The Winter War was a war between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939, three months after the outbreak of World War II, and ended three and a half months later with the Moscow Peac ...

where he was killed in action.

Career

Military career

He was commissioned into the

(A 1) as a second lieutenant in 1912 and attended at the Artillery and Engineering College from 1914 to 1915. Dyrssen became a lieutenant in 1915 and attended at the Royal Swedish Army Staff College from 1917 to 1919. He was a cadet in the

from 1920 to 1922, became captain in 1924 and served at the State Railways from 1924 to 1926. Dyrssen was a teacher at the Artillery and Engineering College from 1926 to 1932, captain in the Svea Artillery Regiment from 1930 to 1932, captain in the General Staff in 1932 and served as bureau chief at the Railway Board (''Järnvägsstyrelsen'') from 1932 to 1937. He was appointed to major in 1934 and was the first adjutant and lieutenant colonel in the General Staff in 1937. Dyrssen was head of the Communications Department of the Defence Staff from 1937 to 1939 and lieutenant colonel and commander of the Gotland Artillery Corps (A 7) in 1939. Dyrssen was appointed colonel in 1940 and was commander of the Svea Artillery Regiment from 1941 to 1942, the commandant of the

Boden Fortress Boden Fortress () is a modern fortress consisting of several major and minor forts and fortifications surrounding the city of Boden, Norrbotten, in northern Sweden. The fortress was originally intended to stop or delay attacks from the east or co ...

as well as the deputy military commander of the VI Military District from 1942 to 1945. He was appointed major general in 1944 and was the military commander of the IV Military District and the Commandant General in Stockholm from 1945 to 1957. He retired from the Army in 1957 and was appointed lieutenant general in the reserve.

Athletic career

Dyrssen won the eventing contest at the 1916 Swedish Games. In the

modern pentathlon The modern pentathlon is an Summer Olympics, Olympic multisport that consists of five events: fencing (one-touch épée followed by direct elimination), freestyle swimming, obstacle course racing, Laser pistol (sport), laser pistol shooting, and ...

he won a gold medal at the 1920 and a silver medal at the

1924 Summer Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the VIII Olympiad () and officially branded as Paris 1924, were an international multi-sport event held in Paris, France. The opening ceremony was held on 5 July, but some competitions had al ...

. He competed in the individual and team épée at the 1924, 1928 and 1936 Olympics and won a team silver medal in 1936. He won seven medals in the épée at the world championships of 1931–1938, as well as three national titles, in 1927, 1932 and 1952, aged 60. Dyrssen won the modern pentathlon at the Nordiska Idrætslege in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

in 1921, the patrol competition on skis at the 1922

Nordic Games The Nordic Games were the first international multi-sport event that focused primarily on winter sports, and were held at varying intervals between 1901 and 1926. It was organized by Sweden's Swedish Central Association for the Promotion of ...

and the Swedish Championship in modern pentathlon in 1922. Dyrssen was a prominent sports administrator, serving as president of the Swedish Fencing Federation (1936–1940), president of the

(IUPM, 1949–1960), and a member of the

(1952–1970), among other posts.

Other work

Dyrssen was chairman of the Railway Preparedness Investigation from 1935 to 1937, the Inter-Scandinavian Transit Committee in 1939 and the 1945 Military Investigation from 1945 to 1946. He became a member of the

in 1946 and was chairman of the Swedish Central Association for Sports Promotion (''Sveriges centralförening för idrottens främjande'') from 1947 to 1961, the Swedish Fencing Federation from 1936 to 1940, the

Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne The International Modern Pentathlon Union (''Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne),'' commonly known by the acronym UIPM, has been the international governing body of modern pentathlon since its foundation in London in 1948. Its headquar ...

and the Biathlon Association from 1949 to 1960. Dyrssen was a member of the

from 1952 to 1970 and of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences in 1936. He was CEO of the Society for the Promotion of Ski Sport and Open Air Life (''Skid- och friluftsfrämjandet'') from 1958 to 1962 and chairman of Uppsala County Hunting Association (''Uppsala läns jaktvårdsförening'').

Personal life

Dyrssen was married from 1915 to 1953 to Maia Wennerholm (1894–1980), daughter of colonel Malcolm Wennerholm and Elsa Broman. He married a second time in 1953 to Eva Hallin (1910–2007), daughter of the chamberlain Axel Hallin and Helga Kreuger. He was the father of David (born 1922), Gerry (born 1923), Marika (born 1935), Thérese (born 1936) and Wilhelm (born 1938).

Dates of rank

*1912 – ''

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 ...

'' *1915 –

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 ...

*1924 –

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 ...

*1934 –

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

*1937 – Lieutenant colonel *1940 –

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

*1944 – Major general *1957 –

Lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

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 ...

(6 June 1951) * 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 ...

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 ...

* Swedish Fencing Federation Honorary Shield (''Svenska fäktförbundets hederssköld'') (1940) * Sport badge in gold * Sweden's Military Sports Federation's gold medal with wreath

Foreign

FIN_Order_of_the_Lion_of_Finland_1Class_BAR

Grand Cross of the

Order of the Lion of Finland Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...

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 ...

(1 July 1953) * CHL_Order_of_Merit_of_Chile_-_Grand_Cross_BAR

Grand Officer of the

Order of Merit The Order of Merit () is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by Edward VII, admission into the order r ...

Commander 1st Class 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 ...

UK_Royal_Victorian_Order_honorary_member_ribbon

Honorary Knight Commander of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the m ...

(June 1956) * Order_of_Orange-Nassau_ribbon_-_Commander

Commander 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 * DEU_Deutsche_Adlerorden_1_BAR

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 ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dyrssen, Gustaf 1891 births 1981 deaths Swedish Army lieutenant generals Swedish male modern pentathletes Swedish male épée fencers Olympic modern pentathletes for Sweden Olympic fencers for Sweden Modern pentathletes at the 1920 Summer Olympics Modern pentathletes at the 1924 Summer Olympics Fencers at the 1924 Summer Olympics Fencers at the 1928 Summer Olympics Fencers at the 1936 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists for Sweden Olympic silver medalists for Sweden Olympic medalists in fencing Olympic medalists in modern pentathlon Swedish International Olympic Committee members Medalists at the 1920 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1924 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1936 Summer Olympics Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword Knights of the Order of the Polar Star Recipients of the Order of Vasa Commanders First Class of the Order of the Dannebrog Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Commanders of the Order of Orange-Nassau Military personnel from Stockholm