Knut Gunnar Bjurner (10 January 1882 – 28 January 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. Bjurner commanded three different

coastal defence ship Coastal defence ships (sometimes called coastal battleships or coast defence ships) were warships built for the purpose of coastal defence, mostly during the period from 1860 to 1920. They were small, often cruiser-sized warships that sacrifi ...

s, headed Karlskrona Naval Yard (1931–1936) and commanded the Winter Squadron (1933–1934) as well as the South Coast Naval District (1936–1938). Bjurner is mostly known for his work within the

Royal Swedish Naval Materiel Administration The Royal Swedish Naval Materiel Administration ( sv, Kungliga Marinförvaltningen, KMF) was the central board of the Swedish Navy in technical and economic terms. It was active between the years 1878 and 1968 when it was disbanded and amalgamated ...

, which he headed from 1938 to 1943.

Early life

Bjurner was born on 10 January 1882 in

Hedvig Eleonora Parish Hedvig Eleonora Parish ( sv, Hedvig Eleonora församling) 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 ...

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

, Sweden, the son of Gustav Adolf Carlsson and his wife Ellen Hallström. Bjurner enrolled as a cadet at

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 1895 and was appointed at the age of 19 years to second lieutenant (''underlöjtnant'') in the navy in 1901.

Career

Bjurner was promoted to sub-lieutenant in 1903. Richly gifted, especially in the mathematical field, he received the highest grades from 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 ...

(1906–1908) and the Artillery and Engineering College's higher course (1908–1910). Bjurner was promoted to lieutenant in 1910. After varying positions, specialized in the field of artillery, he received commands positions within the naval artillery, among other things as an artillery officer on the coastal defence ship , on which he in 1913 through a very skilled fire control conquered for the ship the much coveted King's Cup (''Kungapokalen''). He was promoted to lieutenant commander and appointed head of the Artillery Department 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 ...

in 1919. Bjurner was then promoted to commander and appointed head of the

's Artillery Department in 1923. As head of the Royal Swedish Naval Materiel Administration's Artillery Department, Bjurner got great use for his solid artillery knowledge. Based on the experiences from

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, extensive modernisations of the warships' artillery

fire-control system A fire-control system (FCS) is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a director, and radar, which is designed to assist a ranged weapon system to target, track, and hit a target. It performs the same task as a ...

s were initiated through the introduction of central sight facilities and modern fire-control systems. Bjurner made efforts to develop the

air defence Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

artillery. Thus he gave the impetus for the manufacture within the country of 40 mm

autocannon An autocannon, automatic cannon or machine cannon is a fully automatic gun that is capable of rapid-firing large-caliber ( or more) armour-piercing, explosive or incendiary shells, as opposed to the smaller-caliber kinetic projectiles (bull ...

s. After a study trip to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, among other places, he came to the realization that reliable 40 mm autocannons could not be obtained from abroad, Bjurner managed to persuade the management of

AB Bofors BAE Systems AB is a Swedish defence company and a subsidiary of BAE Systems Land & Armaments, whose ultimate parent is the British defence contractor BAE Systems. The company is a holding company for Land Systems Hägglunds AB and BAE Systems Bofo ...

to adopt autocannon manufacturing in their production program. The Royal Swedish Naval Materiel Administration thus ordered a test cannon, the mechanism of which would be based on the Navy's well-proven semi-automatic block mechanism, and after extensive experiments, Bofors' gun designers succeeded in solving the ammunition loading and rammer problems. The result was the later world-famous Bofors 40 mm L/70 gun. Bjurner captained HSwMS ''Dristigheten'', from 1926 to 1927 and on a trip to the Mediterranean between 1929 and 1930. Bjurner was promoted to captain in 1931, was head of Karlskrona Naval Yard from 1931 to 1936, and commanded the Winter Squadron (''Vintereskadern'') from 1933 to 1934. He was promoted to rear admiral in 1936 and was appointed Commanding Admiral and station commander in Karlskrona the same year. Bjurner was then commander of the South Coast Naval District from 1937 to 1938 when he was appointed head of the Royal Swedish Naval Materiel Administration. Bjurner's time as head of the Royal Swedish Naval Materiel Administration coincided with

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and the turbulent time immediately before the outbreak of war. Intensive work was initiated to cover the shortcomings in the navy's mobilization equipment. New shipbuilding was forced, older ships were modernized and planned mobilization productions were initiated, etc. Bjurner also had several public assignments during his career. He was chairman of the naval officers' association and the navy's representation fund in Karlskrona, chairman of the Society for Swedish Culture Abroad's (''Riksföreningen för svenskhetens bevarande i utlandet'') local branch in Karlskrona from 1932 to 1938 and president of the

Rotary Club Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, profe ...

in Karlskrona from 1936 to 1938. Furthermore, Bjurner was chairman of the Naval Pension Fund (''Flottans pensionskassa'') from 1936 to 1938, the Swedish Sailing School Association (''Stiftelsen Svenska seglarskolan'') in 1944 and member of the board of the

Maritime Museum A maritime museum (sometimes nautical museum) is a museum specializing in the display of objects relating to ships and travel on large bodies of water. A subcategory of maritime museums are naval museums, which focus on navies and the militar ...

from 1939 to 1943. Bjurner resigned as head of the Royal Swedish Naval Materiel Administration prematurely in 1943 and served as investigator at the

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

regarding the naval materiel from 1943 to 1945. Bjurner also assisted General

Olof Thörnell General Olof Gerhard Thörnell (19 October 1877 – 25 July 1977) was a Swedish Army officer. He was Sweden's first Supreme Commander from 8 December 1939 until 1944. Before 1939 that had been the role of the King. Early life Thörnell was bor ...

in compiling a history of Sweden's defense preparedness before and during World War II. Bjurner retired in 1947 was promoted to vice admiral on the retirement list the same year.

Personal life

In 1910, Bjurner married Elsa Schram (1888–1971), the daughter of Fredrik Schram and Alma Dillberg. They had one child: Gösta (born 1912).

Death

Bjurner died on 28 January 1964 in Stockholm. He was interred on 30 May 1964 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.

Dates of rank

*1901 – ''

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 1926 ...

'' *1903 –

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 ...

*1910 –

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 ...

*1919 –

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 ...

*1923 –

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. ...

*1931 –

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 ...

*1936 –

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 ...

*1947 – 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 ...

(5 June 1943) * Royal_Order_of_the_Sword_-_Commander_1st_Class_BAR

Commander 1st Class of the

(6 June 1936) * Royal_Order_of_the_Sword_-_Knight_1st_Class_BAR

Knight 1st Class of the

(1922) *

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 ...

(1926) *

Knight 1st Class of the

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

(1913)

Foreign

* 1st Class of the

Order of the Cross of Liberty The Order of the Cross of Liberty ( fi, Vapaudenristin ritarikunta; sv, Frihetskorsets orden) is one of three official state orders in Finland, along with the Order of the White Rose of Finland and the Order of the Lion of Finland. Organisation ...

with swords (between 1940 and 1942) * Grande ufficiale OCI Kingdom BAR

Grand Officer 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 ...

(between 1940 and 1942) * GRE Order of the Phoenix - Commander BAR

Commander of the Order of the Phoenix (between 1925 and 1931) * Legion Honneur Officier ribbon

Officer of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

(between 1925 and 1931) * DNK Order of Danebrog Knight 1st Degree BAR

Knight 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 ...

(between 1921 and 1925) * Ord

Knight 4th Class of the

Order of the Red Eagle The Order of the Red Eagle (german: Roter Adlerorden) was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful se ...

(between 1905 and 1909) * Order St

Knight 3rd Class of the

Order of Saint Stanislaus The Order of Saint Stanislaus ( pl, Order Św. Stanisława Biskupa Męczennika, russian: Орден Святого Станислава), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Ponia ...

(between 1909 and 1915) * DNK Kong Christian den Tiendes frihedsmedaille ribbon bar

King Christian X's Liberty Medal King Christian X's Liberty Medal ( da, Kong Christian den Tiendes frihedsmedaille) was a commemorative decoration awarded by King Christian X for special services to Denmark during World War II. Appearance The medal is circular and made of silver. ...

(before 1962)

Honours

*Member of 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 ...

(1915; honorary member in 1936; president 1937–1938) *Member of 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 ...

(1927)

Bibliography

* * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bjurner, Gunnar 1882 births 1964 deaths Swedish Navy vice admirals Military personnel from Stockholm Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences Members of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences Burials at Galärvarvskyrkogården Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword Knights of the Order of the Polar Star Knights of the Order of Vasa