Colonel Axel Fredrik Carlos Adlercreutz (26 January 1890 – 7 October 1963) was a Swedish Army officer. Adlercreutz is credited with the formation of the General Security Service (Allmänna säkerhetstjänsten) in 1938 (predecessor of the Swedish Security Service), and the intelligence agency C-byrån in 1939.
Carlos Adlercreutz | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Birth name | Axel Fredrik Carlos Adlercreutz |
| Born | 26 January 1890 Stockholm, Sweden |
| Died | 7 October 1963 (aged 73) Enköping, Sweden |
| Allegiance | Sweden |
| Service/ | Swedish Army |
| Years of service | 1910–1945 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Commands held | International Dep., General Staff Intelligence Dep., Defence Staff |
Early life edit
Adlercreutz was born on 26 January 1890 in Stockholm, Sweden, the son of count and major Carl Adlercreutz and his wife Jeanna (née Evers). He passed studentexamen in 1908.[1]
Career edit
Adlercreutz was commissioned as an officer in 1910 with the rank of second lieutenant and was assigned to Svea Life Guards (I 1). Adlercreutz received a Candidate of Law degree in Stockholm in 1916. He then attended the Royal Swedish Army Staff College from 1918 to 1920, the French War College from 1920 to 1922 and did a course at the French Air Force in 1922. He was promoted to captain in 1925 and served in the General Staff in 1926. Adlercreutz was expert assistance of Sweden's representative at the League of Nations' disarmament commission from 1929 to 1931 and then served as military attaché in Helsinki from 1932 to 1935.[1]
He was a major in the General Staff in 1933 and served in Älvsborg Regiment (I 15) in 1935 and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1936. Adlercreutz was head of the International Department of the General Staff in 1936 and then the Intelligence Department of the Defence Staff from 1937 to 1942. Adlercreutz was promoted to colonel in 1939 and served again as military attaché in Helsinki from 1942 to 1945. He was back serving in the Defence Staff in 1945, the same year he retired from active service. Adlercreutz remained in the General Staff Corps' reserve until 1960.[1][2]
Adlercreutz became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences in 1944. He wrote essays in journals and was editor of Arméer, flottor och flyg ("Armies, navies and air") from 1938 to 1941.[1]
Personal life edit
In 1944 he married Louise Lovén (1916–1979), the daughter of Colonel Fredrik Lovén and the Baroness Elisabet af Ugglas. He was the father of Thomas (born 1944) and Gustaf (born 1946).[3] After his retirement he ran Brunsholms Manor in Enköping.[1]
Death edit
He died in Enköpings-Näs Parish on 7 October 1963[4] and was buried at Norra begravningsplatsen in Stockholm.[5]
Awards and decorations edit
Adlercreutz's awards:[3]
Swedish edit
Commander of the Order of the Sword
Knight of the Order of the Polar Star
Knight of the Order of Vasa- Swedish Civil Defence League's gold medal (Sveriges civilförsvarsförbunds guldmedalj)
- Swedish Civil Defence League's silver medal (Sveriges civilförsvarsförbunds silvermedalj)
Foreign edit
Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog
First and Second Class of the Order of the Cross of Liberty with swords
Commander of the Order of the White Rose of Finland
Commander of the Order of the Three Stars
Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau with swords
Commander of the Order of St. Olav
Commander of the Order of Polonia Restituta
Commander of the Order of the German Eagle
Officer of the Legion of Honour
Commander of the Order of Merit of the Kingdom of Hungary
Bibliography edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d e Burling, Ingeborg, ed. (1962). Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1963 [Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1963] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. p. 4.
- ^ "Adlercreutz, Axel Fredrik Carlos (1890 – 1963)" (in Swedish). National Archives of Sweden. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
- ^ 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. pp. 5–6.
- ^ Sveriges dödbok 1901–2009 [Swedish death index 1901–2009] (in Swedish) (Version 5.0 ed.). Solna: Sveriges släktforskarförbund. 2010. ISBN 978-91-87676-59-8. SELIBR 11931231.
- ^ "Norra begravningsplatsen, kvarter 04A, gravnummer 443" (in Swedish). Hittagraven.se. Retrieved 29 April 2016.