Lieutenant General Mertil Börje Melin (17 July 1945 – 20 October 2023) was a Swedish Army officer. Born in Stånga, Sweden, in 1945, Melin developed an early passion for horses, which continued during his military service at Norrland Dragoons in Umeå. He graduated from the Military Academy Karlberg in 1968, embarking on a distinguished military career. He excelled in various officer training programs, becoming a lieutenant general and serving as the Chief of Army Command. His achievements include being the youngest colonel and regimental commander in Sweden at age 43. Melin also represented Sweden in the European Union and NATO military committees. Later in life, he served as the Crown Equerry of the Royal Court of Sweden from 2003 to 2015.
Mertil Melin | |
|---|---|
 Melin as Crown Equerry in 2015. | |
| Birth name | Mertil Börje Melin |
| Born | 17 July 1945 Stånga, Sweden |
| Died | 20 October 2023 (aged 78) Stockholm, Sweden |
| Allegiance |  Sweden |
| Service | Swedish Army |
| Years of service | 1968–2000 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Commands | Norrland Dragoon Regiment Chief of Army Command Northern Military District Chairman of the European Union Military Committee |
| Other work | Crown Equerry |
Early life
editMelin was born on 17 July 1945 in Stånga, Sweden, the son of Sven Erik Olof Melin (1909–1987) and Dagny Gertrud Emilia Ulmstedt (1913–2004).[1] His interest in horses started in the mid-1950s at the farm in Stånga where his neighbor had three Ardennais and a Gotland pony.[2] He left Gotland and the farm in Stånga in 1963 to do his military conscription at the cavalry regiment Norrland Dragoons (K 4) in Umeå. Melin's interest in horses came in handy there too as the regiment had 400 horses in its stable.[2] He then attended the Swedish Armed Forces School for Secondary Education from which he graduated in 1967.[3]
Career
editMelin graduated from the Military Academy Karlberg in 1968 and was commissioned as an officer with the rank of second lieutenant the same year. Melin served in Norrland Dragoons (K 4) in Umeå from 1968 to 1979.[3] Melin attended the Infantry and Cavalry Officer School from 1970 to 1971 and was promoted to captain in 1972. He completed Ranger School at Fort Benning in Georgia in 1977, the first Swedish officer to do that.[4][5] After that he did the Higher Staff Course at the Military Academy Karlberg from 1977 to 1979.[1] Melin was a major in the Defence Staff in 1979 and the General Staff Corps in 1981 and was section head at Gotland Military Command from 1982 to 1987.[1] He was also adjutant of His Majesty the King from 1980 to 1988.[6]
Melin was appointed lieutenant colonel in 1984 and was the battalion commander at Norrland Dragoon Regiment (K 4) from 1987 to 1989.[1] He was promoted to colonel and appointed commander of Norrland Dragoon Regiment (K 4) 1 July 1989. At the age of 43, he was Sweden's youngest colonel and regimental commander.[7] On 4 June 1992, Melin was promoted to senior colonel,[8] and assumed the position as head of operation at the Northern Military District (Milo N) in Boden, serving until 1995.[1] Melin was promoted to major general and was deputy Chief of Army Command at Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters from 1995 to 1996. On 1 April 1996, Melin was promoted to lieutenant general and was appointed Chief of Army Command.[9] He was after that military commander of the Northern Military District from 1998 to 2000 and the Sweden's member of the European Union Military Committee and the NATO military committee for partner countries[1] based at Sweden's permanent representation to the EU in Brussels.[10] The military committee was started during Sweden's EU presidency in 2001, and Melin served for a short time as the Chairman of the European Union Military Committee.[11]
Melin served as Crown Equerry of the Royal Court of Sweden from 1 April 2003 to 2015.[6][12]
Personal life
editIn 1968, Melin married Gurli Margaretha Åberg (born 1944 in Umeå), the daughter of Stig and Gurli Åberg.[3] He is the father of Stig Magnus (born 1969 in Umeå) and Anna Margareta (born 1976 in Umeå).[1]
Death
editMelin died on 20 October 2023 in Hedvig Eleonora Parish in Stockholm, Sweden.[13] On 24 November 2023, the funeral service was held in the Royal Chapel in Stockholm.[14]
Dates of rank
edit- 1968 – Second lieutenant
- 19?? – Lieutenant
- 1972 – Captain
- 1979 – Major
- 1984 – Lieutenant colonel
- 1 July 1989 – Colonel
- 4 June 1992 – Senior colonel
- 15 October 1995 – Major general[9]
- 1 April 1996 – Lieutenant general[9]
Awards and decorations
editSwedish
edit12th size gold medal worn around the neck on a chain of gold (silver-gilt)
- etc
Foreign
editCommander 1st Class of the Order of the White Rose of Finland
Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
2nd Class of the Order of the Cross of the Eagle (12 January 2011)[17]
- etc
Honours
edit- Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences (1995)[18]
- Grand Master of the Order of Innocence[19]
- Board member of the Association for the Mounted Royal Guards (Föreningen för den Beridna Högvakten)[20]
- Honorary member of the Cavalry and Ranger Officers Association (Kavalleri- och Jägarbefälsföreningen)[21]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Olsson, Kjell. "Mertil Börje Melin". www.tjelvar.se (in Swedish). Gotlands Militärhistoria och Gotlands Trupper. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
- ^ a b Nilsson, Christer (2010-06-19). "Mertil - en av de viktigaste" [Mertil - one of the most important]. www.helagotland.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 12 April 2016.
- ^ a b c Jönsson, Lena, ed. (2000). Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 2001 [Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 2001] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. p. 790. ISBN 9172850426. SELIBR 8261515.
- ^ Andersson, Jonny (2013). "Utveckling av jägartjänst vid Fort Benning, USA" (PDF). Arménytt (in Swedish) (1). Stockholm: Arméledningen: 15. SELIBR 3404334. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
- ^ Larsson, Roger (2011-07-14). "61 dagar av tuffa utmaningar och minimal sömn" [61 days of tough challenges and minimal sleep]. Norrbottens-Kuriren (in Swedish). Retrieved 12 April 2016.
- ^ a b Andersson, Birgitta (26 October 2002). "Hallå där...Mertil Melin" [Hello there...Mertil Melin]. Gotlands Tidningar (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 26 October 2002. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
- ^ "Mertil Melin". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 6 July 1989. p. 11 (15). Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ^ "Militära utnämningar". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 6 June 1992. p. 13. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ^ a b c "Vår nye armechef" (PDF). Flygvapennytt (in Swedish) (4). Stockholm: Flygstaben: 2. 1995. ISSN 0015-4792. SELIBR 8257600.
- ^ Holmström, Mikael (2000-09-18). "Sverige på plats i nya EU-försvaret". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). p. 10. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ Holmström, Mikael (2008-08-20). "ÖB kan bli EU:s högste militär". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ "Hovet anställer ny statsfru och hovstallmästare". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). TT. 2002-09-26. p. 29. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ "Mertil Melin". www.ratsit.se (in Swedish). Ratsit AB. 29 October 2023. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- ^ "Familjeannonser". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 2023-10-29. p. 42. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
- ^ "Mertil Melin" (in Swedish). Royal Court of Sweden. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
- ^ "Mertil Melin" (in Swedish). Royal Court of Sweden. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
- ^ "Mertil Melin". Office of the President of the Republic. 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
- ^ "Denna lista omfattar alla Kungl Krigsvetenskapsakademiens valda ledamöter i alfabetisk ordning, sammanlagt 416 st" [This list includes all the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences elected members in alphabetical order, a total of 416] (in Swedish). Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences. Archived from the original on 21 December 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
- ^ "Solenne Dag 2015" (in Swedish). Order of Innocence. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
- ^ "Organisation". www.beridnahogvakten.se (in Swedish). Association for the Mounted Guard. Archived from the original on 4 July 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
- ^ Eckered, Thomas (2010). "Förbundets medlemmar i kortegevakt" [Association members as procession guards]. Slagfjädern: Medlemsblad för Stockholms befälsutbildningsförbund (in Swedish). 92 (3). Stockholm: Stockholms befälsutbildningsförbund: 8. SELIBR 1855497. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
External links
edit- Film clip from a talk by Mertil Melin (1996) (in Swedish)