Göta Armoured Life Guards' Company in Gotland ( or ''P 1 Gotland''), designated P 1 G, 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 ...
armoured
Armour (Commonwealth English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat ...
unit that was active in various forms 1944–1963. The unit was based in Visby Garrison in
Visby
Visby () is an urban areas in Sweden, urban area in Sweden and the seat of Gotland Municipality in Gotland County on the island of Gotland with 24,330 inhabitants . Visby is also the episcopal see for the Diocese of Visby. The Hanseatic League, ...
,
Gotland
Gotland (; ; ''Gutland'' in Gutnish), also historically spelled Gottland or Gothland (), is Sweden's largest island. It is also a Provinces of Sweden, province/Counties of Sweden, county (Swedish län), Municipalities of Sweden, municipality, a ...
. It was part of
Göta Armour Guards Regiment until 1963.
History

The unit was raised in 1944 as a detachment on
Gotland
Gotland (; ; ''Gutland'' in Gutnish), also historically spelled Gottland or Gothland (), is Sweden's largest island. It is also a Provinces of Sweden, province/Counties of Sweden, county (Swedish län), Municipalities of Sweden, municipality, a ...
of the
Göta Armour Guards Regiment (P 1). The detachment mainly consisted of a heavy tank company, which had been added from the
10th Armored Brigade. Initially, the company was armed with 18
Stridsvagn m/42, which were replaced in September by 20
Stridsvagn m/41. On 30 March 1963, the detachment was disbanded. On 1 April 1963, the unit was amalgamated with the
Gotland Infantry Regiment
The Gotland Infantry Regiment (), designations I 27 and I 18, was a Swedish Army infantry regiment that traced its origins back to the 19th century. It was reorganized into an Gotland_Regiment, armoured regiment in 1963. The regiment's soldiers we ...
(I 18) and formed
Gotland Regiment
The Gotland Regiment (, P 18) is a Swedish Army armoured warfare, armoured regiment which has been active in various forms between 1963–1994 and 2000–2005, when it was disbanded. The regiment was re-established on 1 January 2018. The regiment ...
(P 18).
Barracks and training areas
Barracks
On 1 October 1944, the company was placed to Gotland. The detachment was placed in barracks at Gotland Infantry Regiment (I 18). From 1946, the detachment moved into a newly built barracks, Barracks IV (known from the 1960s as barracks
Havde), at Gotland Infantry Regiment.
Training areas
The detachment on Gotland conducted its training at Hällarna in Visby and at the
Tofta proving ground.
Heraldry and traditions
Colours, standards and guidons
The unit received its colour on 6 June 1947. It was presented by the military commander of the
VII Military Area, major general
Samuel Åkerhielm at a ceremony at Oscarsstanen, at which both
I 18,
A 7, P 1 G and
Lv 3 G participated. P 1 G's colour was taken down on 31 March 1963, the last day P 1 G existed as an independent unit. The colour was then put away for 25 years. Colonel Stig Barke, the commanding officer of P 18 from 1983 to 1988, thought that P 18 would manage the memory of P 1 G with the colour as the basis. When P 18 on 30 March 1988 celebrated its 25 years as an armoured regiment, the colour was shown once again. It was handed over to major Anders Österberg, commander of the tank company, by the last commanding officer of P 1 G, the retired lieutenant colonel Bo Forsman. The colour then came to be carried in parallel with the regiment's own colour until the spring of 2000, when it was taken down for the last time, because the tank training at P 18 then ceased.
Commanding officers
List of commanding officers of the detachment from 1944 to 1963.
*1944-04-01 – 1945-09-30:
CPT Rolf von Krusenstierna
*1945-10-01 – 1949-05-20: CPT Bengt Ewertz
*1949-05-21 – 1953-08-31: CPT Sten Sundblad
*1953-09-01 – 1955-09-30: CPT Gustaf Follin
*1955-10-01 – 1959-03-31: CPT Gunnar Lagerström
*1959-04-01 – 1963-03-31: CPT Bo Forsman
Names, designations and locations
See also
*
List of Swedish armoured regiments
Footnotes
References
Notes
Print
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Further reading
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Göta Armoured Life Guards' Company in Gotland
Armor units and formations of the Swedish Army
Disbanded units and formations of Sweden
Military units and formations established in 1944
Military units and formations disestablished in 1963
Guards regiments
1944 establishments in Sweden
1963 disestablishments in Sweden
Visby Garrison
20th-century establishments in Gotland County