Vice Admiral Johan Erik Samuelson (16 April 1893 – 15 December 1964) was a senior

Swedish Navy The Swedish Navy ( sv, Svenska marinen) is the naval branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is composed of surface and submarine naval units – the Fleet () – as well as marine units, the Amphibious Corps (). In Swedish, vessels o ...

officer. Samuelson's senior postings includes as

flag captain In the Royal Navy, a flag captain was the captain of an admiral's flagship. During the 18th and 19th centuries, this ship might also have a "captain of the fleet", who would be ranked between the admiral and the "flag captain" as the ship's "First ...

(1943–1945), as Chief of the

Coastal Fleet The Coastal Fleet ( sv, Kustflottan, 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 ...

(1946–1950), and Commanding Admiral of the Naval Command South (1950–1958).

Early life

Samuelson was born on 16 April 1893 at Ekedal Estate in Hyringa socken,

Grästorp Municipality Grästorp Municipality (''Grästorps kommun'') is a municipality in Västra Götaland County in western Sweden. Its seat is located in the town of Grästorp. Grästorp Municipality is located right in the middle of Västra Götaland County, by t ...

Skaraborg County Skaraborg County ( sv, Skaraborgs län ) was a county of Sweden from 1634 until 1997. It was disestablished at the end of 1997 when it was merged with the counties of Gothenburg and Bohus and Älvsborg to form Västra Götaland County. The count ...

, Sweden, the son of Johan Samuelson and his wife Augusta Modh. He was brother of hippologist Frans Oscar Samuelson (born 1876). Erik Samuelson 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 ...

'' in

Vänersborg Vänersborg () is a locality and the seat of Vänersborg Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 23,882 inhabitants (out of a municipal total of 39,591) Until 1997 it was the capital of Älvsborg County, which was dissolved in 1998. Sin ...

in 1911. He spent some time as an engineer student on the Swedish East Asian Company's steamship ''Ceylon'' during a trip to

East Asia East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea and ...

. He also had some time employment at a shipyard in

Le Havre Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very cl ...

Career

Military career

Samuelson graduated from the

Royal Swedish Naval Academy The Royal Swedish Naval Academy ( sv, Kungliga Sjökrigsskolan, KSS) was a school for officer training for the Swedish Navy, which operated in various forms between the years 1756 and 1987. History 1683–1791 In 1683, when the charter was issue ...

in 1915 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant the same year. He was promoted to sub-lieutenant in 1917, attended naval mine school the same year. He then took part in the

minesweeping Minesweeping is the practice of the removal of explosive naval mines, usually by a specially designed ship called a minesweeper using various measures to either capture or detonate the mines, but sometimes also with an aircraft made for that ...

, which during the ongoing

world war A world war is an international conflict which involves all or most of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World WarI (1914 ...

in the summer and autumn of 1918 was carried out in the

Kattegat The Kattegat (; sv, Kattegatt ) is a sea area bounded by the Jutlandic peninsula in the west, the Danish Straits islands of Denmark and the Baltic Sea to the south and the provinces of Bohuslän, Västergötland, Halland and Skåne in Sweden ...

to enable people to carry out vital fishing even outside Swedish territorial waters. In particular, the division of three old torpedo boats, to which Samuelson belonged, did a very meritorious job in the German minefields. The

Vasa Medal Vasa Medal ( sv, Vasamedaljen, VGM/SM) Is a Swedish medal, awarded for general civil virtues. It was established by King Oscar II of Sweden in 1895. It was given in gold and silver in 8th and 5th sizes. It ceased to be awarded in 1974. Torsten S ...

in gold that Samuelson held was awarded to him after the end of this minesweeping. Samuelson then attended a telegraphy course in 1919 and submarine school from 1919 to 1920. Samuelson then attended the

French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...

torpedo school in

Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...

from 1920 to 1921. Samuelson served in the submarine service between 1921 and 1933, among other things as submarine and division commander. During this time he also captained patrol boats and torpedo boats. Samuelson also served aboard coastal defence ships and the cruiser during a trip to the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

. He attended the general course and the staff course at the

Royal Swedish Naval Staff College The Royal Swedish Naval Staff College ( sv, Kungliga Sjökrigshögskolan, KSHS) was a Swedish Navy training establishment between 1898 and 1961, providing courses for naval officers. It was the home of the Swedish Navy's staff college, which prov ...

from 1921 to 1923 and served as flag lieutenant (''flaggadjutant'') in the staff of the

from 1924 to 1928. From 1926 to 1928 he was a substitute teacher in naval art at the Royal Swedish Naval Academy. Promoted to lieutenant in 1928, Samuelson served as adjutant in the commandant staff in

Karlskrona Karlskrona (, , ) is a locality and the seat of Karlskrona Municipality, Blekinge County, Sweden with a population of 66,675 in 2018. It is also the capital of Blekinge County. Karlskrona is known as Sweden's only baroque city and is host to Swed ...

from 1933 to 1934 and in the Naval Staff from 1934 to 1937, including as head of the Aviation Department from 1936 to 1937. Samuelson was then posted as naval attaché in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, Italy from 1936 to 1937. Samuelson served as a teacher in tactics at the Royal Swedish Naval Staff College from 1936 to 1939 and was promoted to lieutenant commander in 1937. In 1938, he served as commanding officer of the cruiser and the coastal defence ship HSwMS ''Tapperheten''. Samuelson was head of the Royal Swedish Naval Academy from 1937 to 1943. There he made a great profit from producing and arranging for the school to move from the old premises on

Skeppsholmen Skeppsholmen is one of the islands of Stockholm. It is connected with Blasieholmen and Kastellholmen by bridges. It is accessible by foot from Kungsträdgården, past the Grand Hôtel and Nationalmuseum, by bus number 65, or by boat from Slussen ...

to the new establishment at the Näsby Castle area. In connection with this, he organized a uniform and effective practical training for all categories of future officers in the navy. Samuelson was promoted to commander in 1940 and to captain in 1942. Samuelson served for a few months in 1943 as the Inspector of the Torpedo and Submarine Service (''Inspektör för torped och ubåtsvapnet'') and the same year he served as

. Samuelson was promoted to rear admiral in 1945 and was appointed Chief of the

the same year. Five years later, in 1950, he assumed the position of Commanding Admiral of the South Coast Naval District, which became Naval Command South in 1957. Samuelson retired from active service in 1958 and was then promoted to vice admiral. Samuelson has written essays in journals and been a contributor to ''Marinlitteraturföreningen'' ("Naval Literature Association"). He was also vice chairman of the Swedish Officers Association (''Svenska officersförbundet'') from 1943 to 1944.

Retirement

After Samuelson retired, his vast experience concerning seafarers and their conditions was used within the ''Föreningen för skandinaviska sjömanshem i utländska hamnar'' ("Association of Scandinavian Seamen's Homes in Foreign Ports"). This position of trust interested him very much. In order to better assess the issues that could come up during his trial, he visited in 1963 as chairman of the Swedish branch of the association several of the sailors' homes in southern and western Europe. Samuelson was elected to the

Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences The Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences ( sv, Kungliga Örlogsmannasällskapet, KÖMS), founded in 1771 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden. The Society is an independent organization and a forum for navy and defence i ...

1931 and became an honorary member in 1945. During the years 1950-1958 he serves as its president. He was elected to the

Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences ( sv, Kungliga Krigsvetenskapsakademien) 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 m ...

in 1942 and serves as its president from 1959 to 1961.

Personal life

In 1926, Samuelson married Marianne Gullberg (1903–1995), the daughter of consul general Herman Gullberg and Gunborg Sjöstrand. They had two children: Gustaf (born 1927) and Anne (born 1929).

Death

Samuelson died on 15 December 1964 in

Ingarö Ingarö is an island in Värmdö Municipality, Stockholm County. The chief settlement is called Brunn. With an area of 63.26 km2, it is the 16th biggest island in Sweden. Petroglyphs indicate that the island has been inhabited since the No ...

. He was buried at

Galärvarvskyrkogården Galärvarvskyrkogården (literally Galley Shipyard Cemetery) is a cemetery on the island of Djurgården in Stockholm, Sweden. It has about 1,300 burial sites and an area of approximately 0.9 hectares. History Galärvarvskyrkogården in Djurgård ...

in Stockholm on 22 December 1964.

Dates of rank

*1915 –

Second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

*1917 –

Sub-lieutenant Sub-lieutenant is usually a junior officer rank, used in armies, navies and air forces. In most armies, sub-lieutenant is the lowest officer rank. However, in Brazil, it is the highest non-commissioned rank, and in Spain, it is the second high ...

*1928 –

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

*1937 –

Lieutenant commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...

*1940 –

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

*1942 –

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

*1945 –

Rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

*1958 – Vice admiral

Awards and decorations

Swedish

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 February 23, 1748, together with the Or ...

Knight of the

(1936) *

Order of the Polar Star - Ribbon bar, pre 1975

Knight of the

Order of the Polar Star The Royal Order of the Polar Star (Swedish: ''Kungliga Nordstjärneorden'') is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim. The Order of the ...

(1943) *

SWE_Order_of_Vasa_-_Knight_2nd_Class_BAR

in gold, 8th size (1918)

Foreign

Commander 1st Class of the

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

Knight of the

(1926) *

Commander of the

Order of the Crown of Italy The Order of the Crown of Italy ( it, Ordine della Corona d'Italia, italic=no or OCI) was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861. It was awarded in five degrees for civi ...

(1941) *

Officer of the

Order of the German Eagle The Order of Merit of the German Eagle (german: Verdienstorden vom Deutschen Adler) 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 follo ...

(1937) *

FIN_Order_of_the_White_Rose_Knight_1st_Class_BAR

Knight 1st Class of the

Order of the White Rose of Finland The Order of the White Rose of Finland ( fi, Suomen Valkoisen Ruusun ritarikunta; sv, Finlands Vita Ros’ orden) 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. ...

Knight of the

(1925)

Honours

*Member of the

(1931; honorary member in 1945; president 1950–1958) *Member of the

(1942; president 1959–1961)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Samuelson, Erik 1893 births 1964 deaths Swedish Navy vice admirals People from Grästorp Municipality Swedish naval attachés Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences Members of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword Knights of the Order of the Polar Star Burials at Galärvarvskyrkogården