Gösta Odqvist

Lieutenant General Gösta Odqvist (9 January 1913 – 15 February 2005) was a Swedish Air Force officer. His senior commands include commanding officer of the Västmanland Air Force Wing (F 1), the Fourth Air Group (E 4), the Chief of the Air Staff and the First Air Group.

Gösta Odqvist
Born	(1913-01-09)9 January 1913 Uppsala, Sweden
Died	15 February 2005(2005-02-15) (aged 92) Västerås, Sweden
Allegiance	Sweden
Service/branch	Swedish Air Force
Years of service	1935–1973
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands held	Swedish Air Force Squadron Leader School Flygvapnets krigsskola Västmanland Air Force Wing Vice Chief of the Air Staff Fourth Air Group Chief of the Air Staff First Air Group

Career

Odqvist was born on 9 January 1913 in Uppsala, Sweden, the son of lieutenant colonel Hjalmar Odqvist and his wife Ella (née Nordlöf).[1] He grew up in Strängnäs where his father was an officer in the Södermanland Regiment (I 10).[2] He passed studentexamen in 1932 and trained as an officer at the Military Academy Karlberg.[2] Odqvist became an officer in 1935 when he was commissioned as fänrik in the Södermanland Regiment (I 10).[1] The Swedish Air Force was now under strong construction, which attracted him.[3] He joined the Air Force, underwent pilot training at the Swedish Air Force Flying School, finishing in 1937. He became lieutenant in the Air Force in 1939[3] and captain in 1942. Odqvist completed the staff course of the Royal Swedish Air Force Staff College from 1944 to 1945 and then served in the Air Staff. He was teacher at the Royal Swedish Air Force Staff College and the Artillery and Engineering College from 1944 to 1949 when he was promoted to major. Odqvist then served as chief of staff in the First Air Group from 1949 to 1951 and then as commanding officer of the Swedish Air Force Squadron Leader School (Flygvapnets bomb- och skjutskola, FBS) from 1951 to 1952 when he was promoted to lieutenant colonel.[1]

Odqvist was commanding officer of the Flygvapnets krigsskola (F 20) from 1952 to 1954 and the Västmanland Air Force Wing (F 1) from 1954 to 1959. In 1955, Oqvist was promoted to colonel and from 1959 to 1961 he was Vice Chief of the Air Staff. He was appointed commanding officer of the Fourth Air Group (Fjärde flygeskadern, E 4) in 1961 and the year after he was promoted to major general.[1] In 1964, Odqvist was appointed Chief of the Air Staff and in 1966 he was appointed commanding officer of the First Air Group. He left the position in 1973 and retired from active service and was then also promoted to lieutenant general.[4]

After retirement, Västerås became his home town. He was unanimously elected to chairman of the F 1 Kamratförening, a position he held until 1990, when he became honorary chairman of the association.[5] Odqvist was chairman of the Swedish Aviation Historical Society (Svensk flyghistorisk förening, SFF) from 1974 to 1978 and governor of the Rotary International's district 234 from 1979 to 1980.[4] He became honorary member of the Swedish Aviation Historical Society in 1982.[6]

Personal life

In 1938, Odqvist married Märta Sundell (1911–2003), the daughter of the Ernst Sundell and Elin (née Olsson).[1] He was the father of Eva (born 1941), Kerstin (born 1944), Ulla (born 1946) and Inger (born 1947).[7] His daughter Ulla, a diplomat, was one of the hostages of the 1975 AIA building hostage crisis in Kuala Lumpur.

The farm Kalfsund in Överenhörna socken was acquired by the Odqvist's in 1941.[5] His wife Märta died on 13 August 2003 and he on 15 February 2005 in Västerås. They are buried at Överenhörna Church, a few kilometers from Kalfsund.[2]

Dates of rank

• 1935 – Fänrik (Swedish Army)
• 1939 – Lieutenant (Swedish Air Force)
• 1942 – Captain
• 1949 – Major
• 1952 – Lieutenant Colonel
• 1955 – Colonel
• 1962 – Major General
• 1973 – Lieutenant General

Awards and decorations

• Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword (5 June 1971)[8]
• Knight of the Order of Vasa[7]
• Commander of the Order of the Crown of Thailand[7]
• National Federation of Swedish Women's Auxiliary Defence Services' Siler Medal (Riksförbundet Sveriges lottakårers silvermedalj)[7]

Honours

• Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences (1960)[1]

Bibliography

• Odqvist, Gösta (1987). Min krönika (in Swedish). [Västerås]: [G. Odqvist]. SELIBR 701124.
• Odqvist, Gösta; Andersson, Uno; Andersson, Stig, eds. (1985). Kungl. Västmanlands flygflottiljs historia. D. 2, 1979-1983(1985) (in Swedish). Västerås: Västmanlands regementes och flygflottiljs kamratfören. SELIBR 604902.
• Odqvist, Gösta, ed. (1979). Kungl. Västmanlands flygflottiljs historia [D. 1] 1929-1979 (in Swedish). [Västerås]: [Komm.] SELIBR 604901.
• Odqvist, Gösta (1965). Svenskt luftförsvar åren 1945-1975 mot bakgrund av utvecklingen i utlandet: årsberättelse av föredraganden i luftkrigsvetenskap (avd III) (in Swedish). Linköping. SELIBR 12032912.

References

1. Burling, Ingeborg, ed. (1962). Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1963 [Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1963] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. p. 825. SELIBR 9649168.
2. Paues Odqvist, Kerstin. "Gösta och Märta Odqvist". www.hwjsoderman.se (in Swedish). H W och Josefina Södermans släktförening. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
3. Welin, Gustaf (2005). "Minnesteckningar över bortgångna ledamöter" (PDF). Kungl. Krigsvetenskapsakademiens handlingar och tidskrift (in Swedish). Stockholm: Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences (6): 5. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
4. Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1981 [Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1981] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. 1980. p. 797. ISBN 91-1-805012-3. SELIBR 3681525.
5. Olson, Sven-Olof; Personne, Nils (2005-03-03). "Gösta Odqvist. Nestor i flygvapnet". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 23 January 2019.
6. "Hedersmedlemmar" (in Swedish). Swedish Aviation Historical Society. 20 January 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
7. Davidsson, Åke, ed. (1968). Vem är vem?. 5, Norrland : supplement, register [Who's Who?. 5, Norrland : supplements, directory] (in Swedish) (2nd ed.). Stockholm: Vem är vem. p. 851. SELIBR 53513.
8. Kungl. Hovstaterna: Kungl. Maj:ts Ordens arkiv, Matriklar (D 1), vol. 14 (1970–1979), p. 21, digital imaging.

External links

• Webpage about the Odqvist family (in Swedish)

Military offices
Preceded by Ingvar Berg	Västmanland Air Force Wing 1954–1959	Succeeded by Henrik Nordström
Preceded by Stig Möller	Vice Chief of the Air Staff 1959–1961	Succeeded by Nils Personne
Preceded by Greger Falk	Fourth Air Group 1961–1964	Succeeded by Åke Mangård
Preceded by Stig Norén	Chief of the Air Staff 1964–1966	Succeeded by Claës-Henrik Nordenskiöld
Preceded by Stig Norén	First Air Group 1966–1973	Succeeded by Bengt Rosenius