Axel Ljungdahl

General Axel Georg Ljungdahl (7 August 1897 – 12 April 1995) was a Swedish Air Force officer. He was Chief of the Air Force from 1954 to 1960.

Early life Ljungdahl was born on 7 August 1897 in Lund, Sweden, the son of merchant August Ljungdahl and his wife Clara (née Lundberg) and brother of Karl-Gustaf Ljungdahl, the CEO of ÅF.

Career Ljungdahl was commissioned as an officer in 1918 and was assigned to the South Scanian Infantry Regiment (I 25) the same year. He trained as a pilot at Malmslätt from 1921 to 1923. Ljungdahl also attended the Royal Central Gymnastics Institute from 1922 to 1924, the Royal Swedish Army Staff College from 1924 to 1926 and the Royal Swedish Naval Staff College from 1926 to 1927. He served as captain of the General Staff in 1930 and as teacher at the Royal Swedish Army Staff College from 1930 to 1937. Ljungdahl was military attaché and air attaché in London from 1935 to 1936 and was promoted to major in the Swedish Air Force the same year. He retired in 1960 and was then promoted to full general. Ljungdahl became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences in 1943 and was its president from 1955 to 1957.

Personal life In 1938, Ljungdahl married Ruth Hallert (née Johansson, born 1907), the daughter of managing director Axel Johansson and his wife. Ljungdahl was the father of Birgitta (born 1940).

Dates of rank 1922 – Lieutenant 1930 – Captain 1936 – Major 1939 – Lieutenant colonel 1940 – Colonel 1943 – Major general 1954 – Lieutenant general 1960 – General

Awards and decorations

Swedish

Foreign