Thord Bonde

Thord Bonde
Thord Bonde
Birth name	Thord C:son Bonde
Born	17 March 1900; Stockholm, Sweden
Died	18 October 1969 (aged 69); Danderyd, Sweden
Allegiance	Sweden
Service/branch	Swedish Army
Years of service	1920–1963
Rank	General
Commands held	UNTSO (1948); Svea Life Guards (1950–53); VII. Military Area (1955); III. Military Area (1955–57); Chief of the Army (1957–63)
Relations	Carl Bonde (father); Carl C:son Bonde (brother)
Other work	Chief of His Majesty's Military Staff

General Count Thord C:son (Carlsson) Bonde af Björnö (17 March 1900 – 18 October 1969) was a Swedish Army general. He was commander of the VII. Military Area in 1955, commander of the III. Military Area from 1955 to 1957 and Chief of the Army from 1957 to 1963.

Career

Bonde was born in Stockholm, Sweden, the son of Crown Equerry, Count Carl Bonde 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.^[1]

Bonde became second lieutenant in the Life Regiment Hussars (K 3) in 1920 and captain of the General Staff in 1932. He was promoted to major in 1941, lieutenant colonel in 1943 and was military attaché in Washington, D.C. from 1943 to 1945. He was promoted to colonel in 1946 and became head of Section 1 and Vice Chief of the Defence Staff the same year.^[1] Bonde was Chief of Staff of United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) from May 1948 to July 1948 when Åge Lundström succeeded him.^[2]

He was second-in-command of the Svea Life Guards (I 1) from 1950 to 1953 and head of the Swedish National Defence College from 1953 to 1955. Bonde was promoted to major general in 1954.^[1] Bonde was the military commander of the VII. Military Area in 1955 and the III. Military Area 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.^[1]

Other work

Bonde was chief of His Majesty's Military Staff from 1963 to 1969 and chairman of the Directorate of the House of the Nobility (Riddarhusdirektionen) from 1965. He became a member of Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences in 1945.^[1]

Personal life

In 1926, Bonde married Anna-Greta Sjöberg (1900–1983),^[3] 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).^[4]

Dates of rank

1920 – Fänrik
19?? – Lieutenant
1932 – Captain
1941 – Major
1943 – Lieutenant Colonel
1946 – Colonel
1954 – Major General
1957 – Lieutenant General
1963 – General

Awards and decorations

Bonde's awards:^[4]

Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword
Commander of the Order of Vasa
Knight of the Order of the Polar Star
Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion of Finland
Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav
Commander of the Legion of Merit (4 December 1959)^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Lagerström, Sten, ed. (1968). Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1969 [Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1969] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. p. 124.
^ "UNITED NATIONS TRUCE SUPERVISION ORGANISATION 60th ANNIVERSARY" (PDF). UNTSO News Magazine. United Nations. p. 23. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
^ Olsson, Kjell. "Thord Carlsson-Bonde". www.tjelvar.se (in Swedish). Gotland militärhistoria & Gotlands trupper. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
^ ^a ^b Harnesk, Paul, ed. (1962). Vem är vem? 1, Stor-Stockholm [Who is who? 1, Greater Stockholm] (in Swedish) (2nd ed.). Stockholm: Vem är vem. p. 183.
^ "Count Thord Bonde: AWARDS AND CITATIONS". www.valor.militarytimes.com. Military Times. December 4, 1959. Retrieved December 7, 2017.

Military offices
Preceded by Nils Swedlund	Vice Chief of the Defence Staff 1946–1948	Succeeded by Knut Mauritz Östberg
Preceded by Ivar Backlund	IV. Military Area 1955–1955	Succeeded by Hilding Kring
Preceded by Sven Colliander	III. Military Area 1955–1957	Succeeded by Richard Åkerman
Preceded by Carl August Ehrensvärd	Chief of the Army 1957–1963	Succeeded by Curt Göransson
Court offices
Preceded by Hugo Cederschiöld	Chief of His Majesty's Military Staff 1963–1969	Succeeded by Gustav Åkerman

[Lagerström_(1968),_p._124-1] Lagerström, Sten, ed. (1968). Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1969 [Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1969] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. p. 124.

[2] "UNITED NATIONS TRUCE SUPERVISION ORGANISATION 60th ANNIVERSARY" (PDF). UNTSO News Magazine. United Nations. p. 23. Retrieved 24 September 2015.

[3] Olsson, Kjell. "Thord Carlsson-Bonde". www.tjelvar.se (in Swedish). Gotland militärhistoria & Gotlands trupper. Retrieved 24 September 2015.

[Harnesk_(1962),_p._183-4] Harnesk, Paul, ed. (1962). Vem är vem? 1, Stor-Stockholm [Who is who? 1, Greater Stockholm] (in Swedish) (2nd ed.). Stockholm: Vem är vem. p. 183.

[5] "Count Thord Bonde: AWARDS AND CITATIONS". www.valor.militarytimes.com. Military Times. December 4, 1959. Retrieved December 7, 2017.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]