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 ...

Karl Gustaf Brandberg (13 September 1905 – 19 September 1997) 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. He served as Commanding General of the VII Military District (1963–1966) and

Gotland Military Command Gotland Military Command ( sv, Gotlands militärkommando, MKG) previously VII Military District ( sv, VII. militärområdet) was a military district, and later a command in the Swedish Armed Forces. It existed between the years 1942 and 2000. The ...

(1966–1968) and as

Chief of Home Guard The Chief of Home Guard, also called the Chief of the National Swedish Home Guard ( sv, Rikshemvärnschefen, RiksHvC) is the Swedish Home Guard chief representative. He reports to the Chief of Armed Forces Training & Procurement. The Home Guard f ...

(1968–1971).

Early life

Brandberg was born on 13 September 1905 in Tryde Parish,

Tomelilla Municipality Tomelilla Municipality (''Tomelilla kommun'') is a municipality in Skåne County in southern Sweden. Its seat is located in the town Tomelilla. The municipality was formed through a series of amalgamations taking place in 1952, 1969 and 1971. ...

, Sweden, the son of Sven Brandberg, an engineer, and Emma (née Andrén). He became a volunteer in

Svea Life Guards The Svea Life Guards ( sv, Svea livgarde), 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 Tro ...

at the age of 17 and thus began an unusual career "the long way" from non-commissioned officer to lieutenant general. He attended the Swedish Army Non-Commissioned Officer School and at the same time studied for ''

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 ...

'', which he passed in 1929.

Career

Brandberg attended 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 ...

and graduated in 1931. He was commissioned as an officer the same year and was assigned to South Scania Infantry Regiment as a second lieutenant. Brandberg was promoted to lieutenant in 1935 and to captain in 1941. From 1938 to 1940, he studied at Royal Swedish Army Staff College. He served from 1943 to 1945 at the Recruiting and Replacement Office (''Centrala värnpliktsbyrån'') in the Army Staff and was then the first teacher in tactics at the Artillery and Engineering College from 1945 to 1949. In 1949 he was promoted to major and served as chief of staff in

Home Guard Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense. The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting wi ...

from 1949 to 1952, after which he served in Northern Scanian Infantry Regiment from 1952 to 1955 and became lieutenant colonel in 1954. Brandberg studied at the

Swedish National Defence College The Swedish Defence University ( sv, Försvarshögskolan, FHS) is situated on Drottning Kristinas väg 37 in Östermalm, Stockholm City Centre, next to the campus of the Royal Institute of Technology. History Today's Swedish Defence University ...

in 1955. In 1955 he was promoted to colonel, after which he was head of the Section for Organization and Equipment in the Army Staff from 1955 to 1958. Brandberg was regimental commander of

Norrbotten Regiment The Norrbotten Regiment ( sv, Norrbottens regemente), designation I 19, is a Swedish Army arctic armoured, light infantry and commando regiment that traces its origins back to the 19th century. The regiment's soldiers were originally recruited fr ...

from 1958 to 1961 and served as deputy commander of the VI Military District from 1961 to 1963 as well as acting commander of the VI Military District in 1963. He was promoted to major general in 1963 and was Commanding General of the VII Military District from 1 October 1963 to 30 September 1966 and Commanding General of the

from 1 October 1966 to 30 September 1968. Brandberg was then the

from 1 October 1968 to 30 September 1971. Brandberg retired from active service in 1971 and was promoted to lieutenant general. Brandberg was a member of the ''Gruppchefsutredningen '' from 1949 to 1952 and the Total Defence Personnel Inquiry (''Totalförsvarets personalutredning'') from 1955 to 1961.From 1971 to 1980, he served as deputy chairman of the Swedish Civil Defence League (''Sveriges civilförsvarsförbund'').

Personal life

In 1938, Brandberg married Carin Högman (1908–1999), the daughter of Carl Högman, a vicar, and Frida Lundholm. They had three children: Karl Magnus (1940–1988), Christina (born 1943) and Anders (born 1948).

Death

Brandberg died on 19 September 1997 in

Solna Municipality Solna Municipality ( sv, Solna kommun or , ) is a municipality in Stockholm County in Sweden, located just north of Stockholm City Centre. Its seat is located in the town of Solna, which is a part of the Stockholm urban area. Solna is one of t ...

. He interred on 31 October 1997 at Nacka Northern Cemetery in

Nacka Nacka () is the municipal seat of Nacka Municipality and part of Stockholm urban area in Sweden. The municipality's name harks back to a 16th-century industrial operation established by the Crown at Nacka farmstead where conditions for water mil ...

Stockholm County Stockholm County ( sv, Stockholms län, link=no ) is a county or '' län'' (in Swedish) on the Baltic Sea coast of Sweden. It borders Uppsala County and Södermanland County. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stockholm ...

Dates of rank

*1931 –

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 ...

*1935 –

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 ...

*1941 –

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 ...

*1949 –

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 ...

*1954 –

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 ...

*1955 –

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 ...

*1963 –

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 ...

*1971 –

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

King Gustaf V's Jubilee Commemorative Medal (21 May 1948) * 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 1970) * Royal_Order_of_the_Sword_-_Commander_1st_Class_BAR

Commander 1st Class of the

(6 June 1962)

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 ...

(1957)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brandberg, Karl Gustaf 1905 births 1997 deaths Swedish Army lieutenant generals People from Tomelilla Municipality Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword