General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
Count Thord C:son (Carlsson) Bonde af Björnö (17March 1900 – 18October 1969) was a
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. His senior commands include military commander of the
VII Military District in 1955, commander of the
III Military District from 1955 to 1957 and
Chief of the Army from 1957 to 1963.
Early life
Bonde was born on 17 March 1900 in
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
Crown Equerry, Count
Carl Bonde
Count Carl Gustaf Bonde af Björnö (28 April 1872 – 13 June 1957) was a Swedish Army officer, equerry and horse rider who competed at the 1912 and 1928 Olympics.
Military career
Bonde was born in Stockholm, Sweden and was the son of landowne ...
and his first wife Blanche (née Dickson). He was brother of
Carl C:son Bonde and half-brother of financier and cabinet chamberlain
Peder Bonde.
Career
Bonde became second lieutenant in the
Life Regiment Hussars
The Life Regiment Hussars ( sv, Livregementets husarer; designated K 3) is one of the world's oldest regiments still active. The regiment descends directly from units set up by King Gustav I of Sweden (Gustav Vasa) in 1536, when Sweden set ...
(K 3) in 1920 and captain of 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 ...
in 1932. He was promoted to major in 1941, lieutenant colonel in 1943 and served as military attaché in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
from 1943 to 1945. He was promoted to colonel in 1946 and was appointed head of Section 1 and
Vice Chief of the Defence Staff the same year.
Bonde was Chief of Staff of
United Nations Truce Supervision Organization
The United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) is an organization founded on 29 May 1948 for peacekeeping in the Middle East. Established amidst the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, its primary task was initially to provide the military c ...
(UNTSO) from May 1948 to July 1948 when
Åge Lundström
Major General John Åge Lundström (8 June 1890 – 26 September 1975) was a Swedish Air Force officer and horse rider who competed in the 1920 and 1924 Summer Olympics.
Early life
Lundström was born on 8 June 1890 in Stockholm, Sweden, the s ...
succeeded him. On 6 July 1948, Bonde was subjected to Arab firing as he intervened in a battle that occurred near the Arab village of
Jaba' south of
Haifa
Haifa ( he, חֵיפָה ' ; ar, حَيْفَا ') is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropol ...
en route to
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
. Bonde was rescued from the situation by a UN jeep. Bonde returned to Sweden from
Damascus
)), is an adjective which means "spacious".
, motto =
, image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg
, image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg
, seal_type = Seal
, map_caption =
, ...
on 13 July.
Back in Sweden, Bonde continued serving as head of Section 1 in the Defence Staff until February 1950 when he was appointed second-in-command of the
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 ...
(I 1). He took command of the regiment on 1 October 1950. He then served as head of 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 ...
from 1953 to 1955. Bonde was promoted to major general in 1954.
Bonde was the military commander of the
VII Military District in 1955 and the
III Military District from 1955 to 1957 when he was promoted to lieutenant general. He was
Chief of the Army from 1957 to 1963 and was appointed general upon his retirement in 1963.
Bonde was chief of
His Majesty's Military Staff
His Majesty's Military Staff ( sv, H.M. Konungens stab) is the military staff of the Swedish monarch and functions as a unit of the Royal Court. It is led by the chief of staff and supports the King and the Royal Family at official ceremonies, mil ...
from 1963 to 1969 and chairman of the Directorate of the Swedish Nobility Foundation (''Riddarhusdirektionen'') from 1965.
Personal life
In 1926, Bonde married Anna-Greta Sjöberg (1900–1983), the daughter of the state agricultural engineer A. L. G. Sjöberg and his wife. He was the father of Birgitta (born 1927), Margaretha (born 1931) and Claes (born 1941).
Dates of rank
*1920 –
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 ...
*19?? –
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 ...
*1932 –
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 ...
*1941 –
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 ...
*1943 –
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 ...
*1946 –
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 ...
*1954 –
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 ...
*1957 –
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 ...
*1963 –
General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
Awards and decorations
Swedish
*
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 1959)
*
Commander 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 ...
*
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 t ...
Foreign
*
Commander 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 ...
*
Grand Cross of the
Order of St. Olav (1 July 1960)
*
1st Class / Knight Grand Cross of the
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic ( it, Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana) is the senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi.
The highest-ranking ...
(15 July 1968)
*
Commander of the
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...
(4 December 1959)
*
Officer of the
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...
(1946)
Honours
*Member of
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 ...
(1945)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonde, Thord
1900 births
1969 deaths
Swedish Army generals
United Nations military personnel
Chiefs of Army (Sweden)
Military personnel from Stockholm
Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences
Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword
Commanders of the Order of Vasa
Knights of the Order of the Polar Star
Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion of Finland
Commanders of the Legion of Merit
20th-century Swedish military personnel
Swedish military attachés