Gustaf Welin

Lieutenant General Nils Gustaf Axel Welin (12 July 1930 – 11 November 2008) was a senior Swedish Army officer. Welin served as head of the Swedish National Defence College (1984–1987), as Force Commander of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) (1986–1988) and as Commanding General of the Southern Military District (1988–1992).

Early life[]

Welin was born on 12 July 1930 in Gothenburg Vasa Parish (Göteborgs Vasa församling), Gothenburg and Bohus County, Sweden^[1] the son of colonel Axel Welin and his wife Märta (née Löfgren).^[2] The family moved to Stockholm where he passed studentexamen at Norra Real in 1949.^[3][4]

Career[]

Welin was commissioned as an officer in Svea Life Guards in 1952 with the rank of fänrik. He attended the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College from 1960 to 1962, served as captain in the Defence Staff in 1964 and in Västerbotten Regiment in 1967. He then served as company commander with the United Nations in Cyprus, part of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) from 1967 to 1968. Welin atteneded the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College in 1968 and was promoted to major. He served as lieutenant colonel in the Defence Staff in 1971 and at the Ministry of Defence from 1972 to 1973. Welin served in Hälsinge Regiment in 1974, was promoted to colonel in 1975 and served at the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College the same year, and attended the Swedish National Defence College in 1976.

He served Värmland Regiment in 1977 and was promoted to senior colonel in the General Staff Corps in 1979 and appointed Chief of Staff of the Western Military District. Welin was promoted to major general in 1980 and was appointed Chief of Staff of the Eastern Military District the same year.^[2] In 1981, Welin attended a staff school in United States.^[3] He then served as head of the Swedish National Defence College from 1984 to 1986^[2] and as Force Commander of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) on the Golan Heights from July 1986 to September 1988.^[5] Welin was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed Commanding General of the Southern Military District in 1988. He served in this position until 1992 when he retired from active service. Welin was then head of the Office of the Minister of Defence in the Ministry of Defence from 1993 to 1994.^[2]

Welin took an active part in the defence debate with articles in the daily press and he was a commentator in Radio/TV between 1968 and 1973.^[3] Welin was also a board member of the Swedish Fencing Federation (Svenska Fäktförbundet) from 1974 to 1982^[2] and chairman of the Sveagardesföreningen from 1993 to 2000 and in the association De Femton. Welin became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences in 1973 and served as chairman of Departmen I from 1996 to 2000 and was vice president from 2002 to 2006.^[3]

Personal life[]

In 1954, Welin married Lillemor Gunvor Elisabet (Coco) Selfelt (1931–1997), the daughter of lieutenant colonel Robert Selfelt and Gunvor (née Lindeman).^[2][6] They had two children: Anders and Elisabeth.^[3]

Death[]

Welin, who suffered from COPD,^[3] died on 11 November 2008 in Engelbrekt Parish, Stockholm.^[7] He was interred on 15 June 2009 at Solna Cemetery.^[6]

Dates of rank[]

• 1952 – Second lieutenant
• 19?? – Lieutenant
• 1964 – Captain
• 1968 – Major
• 1971 – Lieutenant colonel
• 1975 – Colonel
• 1979 – Senior colonel
• 1980 – Major general
• 1988 – Lieutenant general

Awards and decorations[]

• Knight of the Order of the Sword (6 June 1970)^[8]

Honours[]

• Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences (1973)^[2]

Bibliography[]

• Huldt, Bo; Welin, Gustaf; Örn, Torsten, eds. (1995). Bevara eller skapa fred: FNs nya roll (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. ISBN 9119522622. SELIBR 7156839.
• Lehander, Bengt; Welin, Gustaf; Persson, Ragnar (1981). Försvarsmaktens avvägning (in Swedish). Linköping. SELIBR 639084.
• Welin, Gustaf; Bringmark, Gösta (1973). Några synpunkter på det militära försvarets roll i framtida svensk säkerhetspolitik: inträdesanförande i Kungl Krigsvetenskapsakademien 27 november 1973 (in Swedish). [Stockholm]. SELIBR 2055316.
• Welin, Gustaf; Ekelund, Christer O:son (1999). FN på Cypern: den svenska fredsbevarande insatsen 1964-1993 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Probus. ISBN 9187184613. SELIBR 7762944.
• Welin, Gustaf; Ekelund, Christer O:son; Von Horn, Johan (2004). The U.N. in Cyprus: the Swedish peace-keeping operations 1964-1993. London: Hurst & Company. ISBN 1850657416. SELIBR 9800747.

References[]