Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) 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 ...

Johan ''Helge'' Fritiof Söderbom (21 May 1881 – 3 January 1975) was a senior

Swedish Army The Swedish Army ( sv, svenska armén) is the land force of the Swedish Armed Forces. History Svea Life Guards dates back to the year 1521, when the men of Dalarna chose 16 young able men as body guards for the insurgent nobleman Gustav Vas ...

officer. Söderbom served as head of the Quartermaster Staff from 1928 to 1935 and was Quartermaster-General and as commanding officer of the Swedish Army Quartermaster Corps from 1935 to 1946.

Early life

Söderbom was born on 21 May 1881 in Ekeberga Parish in

Lessebo Municipality Lessebo Municipality (''Lessebo kommun'') is a municipality in eastern Kronoberg County in southern Sweden, where the town Lessebo is seat. The nationwide local government reform of 1971 saw the creation of the present municipality, when three su ...

Kronoberg County Kronoberg County (; sv, Kronobergs län) is a county or '' län'' in southern Sweden. Kronoberg is one of three counties in the province of Småland. It borders the counties of Skåne, Halland, Jönköping, Kalmar, and Blekinge. Its capital is ...

, Sweden the son of Janne Söderbom and his wife Anna Ekström. Söderbom passed ''mogenhetsexamen'' in

Gävle Gävle () is a city in Sweden, the seat of Gävle Municipality and the capital of Gävleborg County. It had 77,586 inhabitants in 2020, which makes it the 13th most populated city in Sweden. It is the oldest city in the historical Norrland (Swede ...

in 1900. His brother Erik Söderbom (1894–1998), was a well-known sports journalist in

Scania Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conte ...

and chairman of Malmö AIF sports club in

Malmö Malmö (, ; da, Malmø ) is the largest city in the Swedish county (län) of Scania (Skåne). It is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in the Nordic region, with a municipal populat ...

from 1941 to 1943.

Career

Sports career

Söderbom competed for

IFK Gävle IFK Gävle was a sports club in Gävle, Sweden. It was founded on 12 March 1897 and the club used the old spelling of their home town's name, ''IFK Gefle'', until 1943. The club has been active in a great number of different sports, like bandy, ...

, where he was also chairman. In 1899, Söderbom won the

Swedish Athletics Championships The Swedish Athletics Championships ( sv, Svenska mästerskapen i friidrott) is an annual outdoor track and field competition organised by the Swedish Athletics Association, which serves as the national championship for the sport in Sweden.

in the long jump with a jump of 5.73 meters. On 27 May 1900, he improved Gustaf Rundberg's unofficial Swedish record in long jump, from 6.17 to 6.20 meters. He kept the record until 1902, when Frans Frise improved it by six centimeters. At the Swedish Athletics Championships in 1900, he won gold in the 110 meter hurdles (18.0 seconds), long jump (5.66 meters) and triple jump (11.61 meters). Söderbom stopped competing in 1900.

Military career

Söderbom graduated from the

Military Academy Karlberg Military Academy Karlberg ( sv, Militärhögskolan Karlberg, MHS K) is a Swedish military academy, since its inauguration in 1792 in operation in the Karlberg Palace in Solna, just north of central Stockholm. It is thus the oldest military academ ...

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 ...

in 1902 and was commissioned as an officer the same year, assigned to

Hälsinge Regiment The Hälsinge Regiment ( sv, Hälsinge regemente), 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 original ...

as a ''

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 ...

'' where he was promoted to lieutenant in 1905. He graduated as a finance and supply officer/quartermaster (''intendent'') in 1907 and was transferred in 1908 to the Swedish Army Quartermaster Corps, where he was appointed ''underintendent'' in 1908, ''intendent av 2. klass'' in 1909, ''intendent av 1. klass'' in 1914 and to captain in 1915. He served as

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

to the

Quartermaster-General of the Swedish Army The Quartermaster-General of the Swedish Army ( sv, generalintendenten, genint) was a general officer who was responsible for the Swedish Army Quartermaster Corps, the quartermaster branch of the Swedish Army. History In Sweden, the Quartermas ...

from 1913 to 1917 and as regimental paymaster (''regementsintendent'') in the Position Artillery Regiment (''Positionsartilleriregementet'') from 1917 to 1919 and as head of the Fodder Section in the National Household Commission (''Folkhushållningskommissionen'') from 1918 to 1920. After that he was a teacher in military administration at the Royal Swedish Army Staff College from 1919 to 1924, and he was for a time active as a civilian as head of

Filmstaden Filmstaden was a film studio situated in Råsunda, Solna Municipality in Stockholm, Sweden. History Filmstaden was once one of the most modern film studios in Europe. It was built in 1919–1920 on the basis of designs by Swedish archit ...

in Råsunda between 1920 and 1921. Söderbom was an expert assistant in the Defence Inquiry (''Försvarsutredningen'') from 1920 to 1925, secretary of the Committee on Defence in the

Riksdag The Riksdag (, ; also sv, riksdagen or ''Sveriges riksdag'' ) is the legislature and the supreme decision-making body of Sweden. Since 1971, the Riksdag has been a unicameral legislature with 349 members (), elected proportionally and se ...

in 1925, expert for the organization of the economic war preparedness in 1926, secretary in the preparation for the organization of the central defence administration from 1926 to 1927 and expert in administrative matters 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 ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

from 1926 to 1928, in which he led the work of reorganizing the administration of the

Finnish Defence Forces The Finnish Defence Forces ( fi, Puolustusvoimat, sv, Försvarsmakten) are the military of Finland. The Finnish Defence Forces consist of the Finnish Army, the Finnish Navy and the Finnish Air Force. In wartime the Finnish Border Guard (which i ...

. He was also chairman of the Quartermaster Department (''Intendenturavdelningen'') from 1926 to 1935 when he was appointed honorary chairman. In 1924 Söderbom was promoted to major, after which he was divisional paymaster (''fördelningsintendent'') in the VI Army Division (''VI. arméfördelningen'') from 1925 to 1926. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1926 and was head of the Maintenance Bureau at the Quartermaster Department (''Intendenturdepartementet'') in the

Royal Swedish Army Materiel Administration The Royal Swedish Army Material Administration ( sv, Kungliga Arméförvaltningen, KAF) was a Swedish central government agency that replaced the War Collegium (''Krigskollegium'') in 1865. It was active between the years 1866 and 1954. History ...

from 1927 to 1928. In 1928 he was promoted to colonel, after which he was head of the Quartermaster Staff (''Intendenturstaben'') from 1928 to 1935. At this time he was also chairman of the experts for state procurement from 1933 to 1934. He was promoted to major general in 1935, after which he served as Quartermaster-General of the Swedish Army and head of the Swedish Army Quartermaster Corps from 1935 to 1946. In the years 1940–1941, Söderbom was an expert in investigations regarding the future organization of the central military administration. In his capacity as Quartermaster-General of the Swedish Army he was also vice chief of the Royal Swedish Army Materiel Administration from 1944 to 1946. Söderbom retired in 1946 and was then promoted to lieutenant general. His "organizational talent has gained general recognition, not least because during the contingency period 1939-1945 he had to lead the work of the army's quartermaster rearmament and be responsible for the maintenance of the mobilized forces".

Business career

Söderbom was a member of the board of AB Turitz & Co from 1946 to 1958 and chairman of the board of Börtzells Tryckeri AB and 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 and civilian staff who serve the commander of a division or other large military un ...

's Lithographic Institute from 1947 to 1956.

Personal life

In 1906, Söderbom married Helga Kjöllerström (1881–1974), the daughter of Theodor Kjöllerström and Selma Klinghjerdt. They had one son, Åke Söderbom (1909–2002), a Swedish Army colonel.

Death

Söderbom died on 3 January 1975 in Uppsala domkyrkoförsamling in

Uppsala County Uppsala County ( sv, Uppsala län) is a county or ''län'' on the eastern coast of Sweden, whose capital is the city of Uppsala. It borders the counties of Dalarna, Stockholm, Södermanland, Västmanland, Gävleborg, and the Baltic Sea. Provi ...

Dates of rank

*1902 – ''

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 ...

'' *1905 –

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 ...

*1915 –

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 ...

*1924 –

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

*1926 –

Lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

*1928 –

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military 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 colonel was typically in charge of ...

*1935 –

Major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

*1946 –

Lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) 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 ...

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 ...

(6 June 1942) * Royal_Order_of_the_Sword_-_Commander_1st_Class_BAR

Commander 1st Class of the

(25 November 1933) * Order_of_the_Sword_-_Ribbon_bar

Knight of the

(1923) *

Knight 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 ...

(1921) *

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 ...

(1925) *

SWE_Home_Guard_Royal_Medal_of_Merit_ribbon

Home Guard Medal of Merit in gold * Försvarsutbildarnas_förtjänstmedalj

Federation of Landstorm Associations Medal of Merit (1924) * Stockholm Landstorm Association Medal of Merit (''Stockholms landstormsförbunds förtjänstmedalj'') (1926) *

Swedish Red Cross The Swedish Red Cross (Swedish: ''Svenska Röda Korset'') is a Swedish humanitarian organisation and a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Founded in 1865, its purpose is to prevent and alleviate human suffering where ...

Silver Medal

Foreign

FIN_Order_of_the_Lion_of_Finland_1Class_BAR

Grand Cross of the

Order of the Lion of Finland The Order of the Lion of Finland ( fi, Suomen Leijonan ritarikunta; sv, Finlands Lejons orden) is one of three official orders in Finland, along with the Order of the Cross of Liberty and the Order of the White Rose of Finland. The President o ...

Grand 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 ...

Commander 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 ...

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 * FIN_Order_of_the_White_Rose_Commander_BAR

Commander 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. ...

Honours

*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)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Söderbom, Helge 1881 births 1975 deaths Swedish Army lieutenant generals People from Lessebo Municipality Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences 20th-century Swedish military personnel Swedish male long jumpers Swedish male triple jumpers Swedish male hurdlers Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword Knights of the Order of Vasa Knights of the Order of the Polar Star Sportspeople from Kronoberg County