Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank 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 battlefield, who was norma ...

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

Swedish Army The Swedish Army () is the army, land force of the Swedish Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Sweden. Beginning with its service in 1521, the Swedish Army has been active for more than 500 years. History Svea Life Guards dates back to the year 1 ...

officer. Söderbom began his military career in 1902 after graduating from the

Military Academy Karlberg Military Academy 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 Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urb ...

and was first assigned to the

Hälsinge Regiment The Hälsinge Regiment (), 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 originally recruited from the p ...

. He became a qualified

quartermaster Quartermaster is a military term, the meaning of which depends on the country and service. In land army, armies, a quartermaster is an officer who supervises military logistics, logistics and requisitions, manages stores or barracks, and distri ...

in 1907 and steadily advanced through roles within the

Swedish Army Quartermaster Corps The Swedish Army Quartermaster Corps () was an Corps, administrative corps for personnel within the Swedish Army created in 1880. From the corps, the Swedish Army was provided with staff for various commissary positions. The head of the corps was ...

, gaining promotions up to colonel by 1928. In parallel with his military duties, he held key administrative roles, including expert positions in Swedish and Finnish defence reforms and taught at the

Royal Swedish Army Staff College The Royal Swedish Army Staff College (, KHS) was a Swedish Army training establishment between 1866 and 1961, providing courses for army officers. It was the home of the Swedish Army's staff college, which provided advanced training for officers ...

. In 1935, he was promoted to major general and appointed Quartermaster-General of the Swedish Army, a position he held until 1946. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he played a crucial role in overseeing the army’s logistical mobilization and rearmament. He also served as vice chief of the

Royal Swedish Army Materiel Administration The Royal Swedish Army Material Administration (, KAF) was a Government agencies in Sweden, Swedish central government agency that replaced the War College (Sweden), War College in 1865. It was active between the years 1866 and 1954. History Th ...

from 1944 to 1946. Upon retiring, he was promoted to lieutenant general in recognition of his outstanding organizational abilities.

Early life

Söderbom was born on 21 May 1881 in in

Lessebo Municipality Lessebo Municipality () is a Municipalities of Sweden, 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 ...

Kronoberg County Kronoberg County (; ) 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 the city of V ...

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

Gävle Gävle ( ; ) is a Urban areas in Sweden, city in Sweden, the seat of Gävle Municipality and the capital of Gävleborg County. It had 79,004 inhabitants in 2020, which makes it the List of cities in Sweden, 13th-most-populated city in Sweden. I ...

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 () of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous w ...

and chairman of Malmö AIF sports club in

Malmö Malmö is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, sixth-largest city in Nordic countries, the Nordic region. Located on ...

from 1941 to 1943.

Career

Sports career

Söderbom competed for IFK Gävle, where he was also chairman. In 1899, Söderbom won the

Swedish Athletics Championships The Swedish Athletics Championships () 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. History The first Swedish Athletics Champio ...

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

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

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

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 19 ...

'' 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

, 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 (armed forces), 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 ...

to the Quartermaster-General of the Swedish Army 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. Following that, he was a teacher in military administration at the

from 1919 to 1924, and was 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 of its time in Europe. It was built in 1919–1920 based on designs by Swedish arch ...

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 or , ) is the parliament and the parliamentary sovereignty, supreme decision-making body of the Kingdom of Sweden. Since 1971, the Riksdag has been a unicameral parliament with 349 members (), elected proportional rep ...

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 A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

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

Finnish Defence Forces The Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) (; ) 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 becomes part of the Finnish Defence For ...

. 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

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 rank, enlisted, and civilian staff who serve the commanding officer, commander of a ...

'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, (1909–2002), a Swedish Army colonel.

Death

Söderbom died on 3 January 1975 in in

Uppsala County Uppsala County () 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. Province The nor ...

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 19 ...

'' *1905 –

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

*1915 –

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

*1924 –

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

*1926 – Lieutenant colonel *1928 –

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), 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 colon ...

*1935 – Major general *1946 –

Lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank 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 battlefield, who was norma ...

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 23 February 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 founded on 29 May 1772 by Gustav III, King Gustav III. It is awarded to Swedish citizens for service to state and society especially in the fields of agriculture, mining and commerce. His ...

(1921) * Knight of the

Order of the Polar Star The Royal Order of the Polar Star (Swedish language, Swedish: ''Kungliga Nordstjärneorden''), sometimes translated as the Royal Order of the North Star, is a Swedish order of chivalry created by Frederick I of Sweden, King Frederick I on 23 F ...

(1925) *

SWE_Home_Guard_Royal_Medal_of_Merit_ribbon

Home Guard Medal of Merit Home Guard Medal of Merit (, HVGM & HVSM) is a Swedish reward medal established in 1947 by the National Home Guard Council. It is awarded to those who, through significant service, have contributed to developing the Home Guard in addition to what ...

in gold * 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 wher ...

Silver Medal

Foreign

FIN_Order_of_the_Lion_of_Finland_1Class_BAR

Grand Cross of the

Order of the Lion of Finland Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...

Order of the German Eagle The Order of Merit of the German Eagle () 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 following the collapse of Nazi Germany at the e ...

with Star * Order_of_the_Dannebrog_K

Commander of the

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

Finland Cross of Liberty 1st Class Ribbon Military Peacetime

1st Class of the

Order of the Cross of Liberty The Order of the Cross of Liberty (; ) is one of three official state Order (decoration), orders in Finland, along with the Order of the White Rose of Finland and the Order of the Lion of Finland. The awards of the Order of the Cross of Liberty ...

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 (; ) 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. The President of Finland is the Grand Master of all three orders. The ...

Honours

*Member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences () 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 military (army and air force) and de ...

(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