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 ...

Nils Gustaf Axel Welin (12 July 1930 – 11 November 2008) was a senior

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. Welin served as head of the Swedish National Defence College (1984–1987), as Force Commander of the

United Nations Disengagement Observer Force The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) is a United Nations peacekeeping mission tasked with maintaining the ceasefire between Israel and Syria in the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The mission was established by Unite ...

(UNDOF) (1986–1988) and as Commanding General of the

Southern Military District The Order of the Red Banner Southern Military District () is a military district of Russia. It is one of the five military districts of the Russian Armed Forces, with its jurisdiction primarily within the North Caucasus region of the country ...

(1988–1992).

Early life

Welin was born on 12 July 1930 in Gothenburg Vasa Parish (''Göteborgs Vasa församling''),

Gothenburg and Bohus County Gothenburg and Bohus County () was a county of Sweden until 1 January 1998, when it was merged with Skaraborg County and Älvsborg County to form Västra Götaland County. The county was named after the city of Gothenburg and the historical pr ...

, Sweden the son of colonel Axel Welin and his wife Märta (née Löfgren). His father was born in Stockholm and participated in 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 ...

as chief engineer in the

Swedish Volunteer Corps The Swedish Volunteer Corps () during the Winter War numbered 9,640 officers and men. Sweden was officially non-belligerent during the war, so the Corps was used by Finland. The Swedish volunteers were in the front lines in the northern Salla ...

. He later became commander of the Svea Engineer Corps/Regiment (1953–1959) in Stockholm, and his mother was a board member of the

Right-Wing Party Right-wing politics is the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position based on natural law, economics, authority, property, r ...

's and later the

Moderate Party The Moderate Party ( , , M), commonly referred to as the Moderates ( ), is a Liberal conservatism, liberal-conservative* * * * * List of political parties in Sweden, political party in Sweden. The party generally supports tax cuts, the free ma ...

's women's association in

Engelbrekt Parish Engelbrekt Parish () is a parish in Östermalm's church district (''kontrakt'') in the Diocese of Stockholm, Sweden. The parish is located in Stockholm Municipality in Stockholm County. The parish forms its own pastorship. History Engelbrekt Par ...

, as well as served for many years as a juror in the

Stockholm District Court Stockholm District Court () is a Swedish district court in Stockholm. Stockholm District Court is Sweden's largest public court and is located in Stockholm Court House on Kungsholmen in Stockholm. History The Stockholm District Court was estab ...

. His sister Birgitta was a librarian in

Vaxholm Vaxholm is a city, urban area and the seat of Vaxholm Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden. It occupies the islands of Vaxön and Kullö in the Stockholm archipelago. The name Vaxholm comes from Vaxholm Fortress, which was constructed in 154 ...

and was married to the Justice of the

Supreme Court of Sweden The Supreme Court of Sweden (, HD) is the supreme court and the third and final instance in all civil and criminal cases in the Kingdom of Sweden. Before a case can be decided by the Supreme Court, leave to appeal must be obtained, and wit ...

. After Welin's family moved to

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 ...

, he passed ''

studentexamen Studentexamen (Swedish for "students' examination" or "students' degree"), earlier also ''mogenhetsexamen'' ("maturity examination") was the name of the university entrance examination in Sweden from the 17th century to 1968. From 1862 to 1968, ...

'' at

Norra Real Norra Real ("Northern Real") is an upper-secondary school, located on Roslagsgatan 1 in Stockholm, Sweden. The school is the oldest upper-secondary school in Stockholm and one of the most difficult to get accepted into. A number of prominent re ...

in 1949.

Career

Welin was commissioned as an officer in 1952 and was assigned as a second lieutenant to 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: ...

. He attended the

Swedish Armed Forces Staff College The oyalSwedish Armed Forces Staff College (, MHS) was from 1961 to 1996 the Swedish Armed Forces highest institution for officers training, for staff and senior executive education and was located in Stockholm. In 1997 it was merged with the S ...

from 1960 to 1962, served as captain in the Defence Staff in 1964 and in

Västerbotten Regiment The Västerbotten Regiment (), designations I 19, I XIX, I 20 and I 20/Fo 61, was a Swedish Army infantry regiment that traced its origins back to the 16th century. The regiment's soldiers were originally recruited from the province of Västerbott ...

in 1967. He then served as company commander with the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

, part of the

United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

(UNFICYP) from 1967 to 1968. Welin attended the

in 1968 and was promoted to major. He served as lieutenant colonel in the Defence Staff in 1971 and at the

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

from 1972 to 1973. Welin served in

Hälsinge Regiment The Hälsinge Regiment (), designations I 14, I 14/Fo 49 and I 14/Fo 21, was a Swedish Army infantry regiment that traced its origins back to the 16th century. It was disbanded in 1997. The regiment's soldiers were originally recruited from the p ...

in 1974, was promoted to colonel in 1975 and served at the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College the same year, and attended the Swedish National Defence College in 1976. From 1 October 1977, Welin served as deputy commander of

Värmland Regiment The Värmland Regiment (), designations I 22, I 2 and I 2/Fo 52, was a Swedish Army infantry regiment that traces its origins back to the 16th century. The regiment's soldiers were originally recruited from the province of Värmland, where the un ...

Karlstad Karlstad (, ) is the 20th-largest city in Sweden, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city proper had 67,122 inhabitants in 2020 with 97,233 inhabitan ...

. Welin was appointed chief of staff of the

Western Military District The Western Military District () was a Military districts of Russia, military district of Russia, in existence from 2010 until its abolishment as a unitary military command on February 26, 2024, succeeded by the newly reconstituted Moscow Mil ...

Skövde Skövde () is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and urban centre in Skövde Municipality and Västra Götaland County, in the Västergötland, Västergötland (Western Gothland region) in central southern Sweden. Skövde is situated around 150 k ...

from 1 April 1979 and was appointed senior colonel in the

General Staff Corps General Staff Corps (, Gst) was an administrative corps within the Swedish Armed Forces between 1937 and 1990 and consisted of Swedish Army officers chosen for duty in the Defence Staff and Army Staff. It replaced the earlier General Staff. Histo ...

. On 1 October 1980, he was appointed chief of staff of the

Eastern Military District The Order of the Red Banner Eastern Military District ( Russian: Восточный военный округ) is a military district of Russia. It is one of the five military districts of the Russian Armed Forces, with its jurisdiction wi ...

Strängnäs Strängnäs is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Strängnäs Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 15,363 inhabitants in 2020. It is located by Lake Mälaren and is the episcopal see of the Diocese of Strängnäs, one of t ...

and was appointed major general at the same time. In 1981, Welin attended a staff school in

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. On 1 April 1984, Welin assumed the position of head of the Swedish National Defence College. On 1 July 1986, he succeeded major general

Gustav Hägglund Johan Edvin Birger Gustav Hägglund (born 6 September 1938) is a retired Finnish general. He was the Chief of Defence (Finland), Chief of Defence 1994–2001, and Chairman of the European Union Military Committee 2001–2004. Life and caree ...

as Force Commander of the

(UNDOF) on the

Golan Heights The Golan Heights, or simply the Golan, is a basaltic plateau at the southwest corner of Syria. It is bordered by the Yarmouk River in the south, the Sea of Galilee and Hula Valley in the west, the Anti-Lebanon mountains with Mount Hermon in t ...

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

, with headquarters in

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

. He served in this position until September 1988. On 1 October 1988, Welin was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed Commanding General of the

Kristianstad Kristianstad ( , ) is a Urban areas in Sweden, city and the seat of Kristianstad Municipality, Scania County, Sweden with 41,198 inhabitants in 2023. Since the 1990s, the city has gone from being a garrison town to a developed commercial city, ...

. He served in this position until 1992 when he retired from active service. Welin was then head of the Office of the

Minister of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

in the Ministry of Defence from 1993 to 1994. As appointed by Minister of Defence

Anders Björck ''Anders'' Per-Arne Björck (born 19 September 1944) is a Swedish politician who was Minister for Defence from 1991 to 1994 and Governor of Uppsala County from 2003 to 2009. Early life Björck was born on 19 September 1944 in Nässjö, Swede ...

, Welin did a solo investigation into where the UN school and a possible international disaster and aid center should be located;

Karlsborg Karlsborg (, outdatedly ) is a locality and the seat of Karlsborg Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 3,551 inhabitants in 2010. This garrison town lies at the shore of lake Vättern in Västergötland Västergötland (), ...

Södertälje Södertälje ( , ) is a Urban areas in Sweden, city in Stockholm County, Sweden and seat of Södertälje Municipality. It is also a part of Stockholm urban area, Greater Stockholm Metropolitan Area. As of 2020, it has 73,872 inhabitants. Södert� ...

. Welin took an active part in the defence debate with articles in the daily press and he was a commentator in

Radio Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...

/ TV between 1968 and 1973. Welin was also a board member of the Swedish Fencing Federation (''Svenska Fäktförbundet'') from 1974 to 1982 and chairman of the ''Sveagardesföreningen'' from 1993 to 2000 and in the association ''De Femton''. Welin became a 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 ...

in 1973 and served as chairman of Departmen I from 1996 to 2000 and was vice president from 2002 to 2006.

Personal life

Welin got engage to Coco Selfelt in March 1954. The

banns of marriage The banns of marriage, commonly known simply as the "banns" or "bans" (from a Middle English word meaning "proclamation", rooted in Frankish and thence in Old French), are the public announcement in a Christian parish church, or in the town cou ...

were issued on 10 October 1954 and on 5 November 1954 in

Gustaf Adolf Church The Gustaf Adolf Church () is a church building in the at Östermalm in Stockholm, Sweden. Belonging to the Oscar Parish of the Church of Sweden The Church of Sweden () is an Evangelical Lutheran national church in Sweden. A former state churc ...

, Stockholm, Welin married Lillemor Gunvor Elisabet (Coco) Selfelt (1931–1997), the daughter of lieutenant colonel Robert Selfelt and Gunvor (née Lindeman). They had two children: Anders (born 31 May 1957 at

Allmänna BB Allmänna BB (''Allmänna barnbördshuset'', "General maternity hospital", literally ''The general childbirth house'') was a maternity hospital in Stockholm, Sweden. The hospital was inaugurated on February 20, 1775, on Riddarholmen. In 1785 the ho ...

, Stockholm), and Elisabeth (born 14 May 1960 at Allmänna BB, Stockholm).

Death

Welin, who suffered from

COPD Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of progressive lung disease characterized by chronic respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. GOLD defines COPD as a heterogeneous lung condition characterized by chronic respiratory s ...

, died on 11 November 2008 in

, Stockholm. The funeral took place in the

on 18 December 2008. He was interred on 15 June 2009 at Solna Cemetery.

Dates of rank

*1952 – Second 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 ...

*1964 –

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 ...

*1968 –

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 ...

*1971 – Lieutenant colonel *1975 –

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 ...

*1 April 1979 –

Senior colonel __NOTOC__ Senior colonel is an officer rank usually placed between a regular colonel and a British brigadier or American brigadier general. Use Most western militaries tend to equate a senior colonel as being on the level of a "brigadier general ...

*1 October 1980 – Major general *1 October 1988 –

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

Knight 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 1970) * UNFICYP_Medal_bar

United Nations Medal A United Nations Medal is an international decoration awarded by the United Nations (UN) to the various world countries members for participation in joint international military and police operations such as peacekeeping, humanitarian efforts, a ...

( UNFICYP) (1968) *

(

UNDOF The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) is a United Nations peacekeeping mission tasked with maintaining the ceasefire between Israel and Syria in the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The mission was established by United ...

) (1988)

Honours

*Member of the

(1973)

Bibliography

* * * * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Welin, Gustaf 1930 births 2008 deaths Swedish Army lieutenant generals UNDOF Force Commanders Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences Military personnel from Gothenburg Knights of the Order of the Sword