Carl Björeman

Lieutenant General Karl (Carl) Erik Björeman (8 June 1924 – 10 September 2020) was a senior Swedish Army officer. Björeman served as Chief of Staff of the Southern Military District (1980–1984), and as Commanding General of the Southern Military District (1984–1988).

Early life Björeman was born on 8 June 1924 on the farm Kinäs in Östra Ryd Parish, Östergötland County, Sweden, the son of Wiktor Johansson, a farmer, and his wife Anna (née Nilsson). He had two brothers and was the oldest in a group of 22 cousins who all came from Höstbäck farm in Åtvidaberg. One of his cousins was , a member of parliament for Östergötland County. Björeman worked at home on the farm at a young age, but already at the age of 17 applied to become a volunteer at the Life Grenadier Regiment in Linköping in the autumn of 1941. He passed studentexamen in 1948. Björeman then served as brigade commander of Jämtland Brigade (Jämtlandsbrigaden) in Jämtland Ranger Regiment from 1974 to 1976. He was promoted to senior colonel in 1976 and was from 1976 to 1980 head of Operations Command 1 and 2 in the Defence Staff. At the beginning of December 1977, senior colonel Björeman was both the oldest and the fastest when commanders and conscripts from units, staffs and schools in Stockholm completed a military test of a 30 kilometer loaded march with 18 kilos Stäket-Rosersberg round trip. In groups, the 73 participants went on forest roads and carried out a live fire exercise with the Carl Gustaf m/45 submachine gun and Automatkarbin 4 battle rifle. Björeman got full score and reached the finish line in less than seven hours.

In 1980, Björeman was promoted to major general and then served as Chief of Staff in the Southern Military District from 1980 to 1984, after which he was promoted to lieutenant general on 1 October 1984 and was appointed Commanding General, Southern Military District. He retired from active service in 1988 and transferred to the reserve. He was active as a writer in Vårt försvar from 1964 to 1980, in Dagens Nyheter from 1979 to 1988 and in Kristianstadsbladet from 1991 to 2003. He wrote eight books, including his memoirs Soldat och general under kalla kriget ("Soldier and general during the Cold War") (2005).

Personal life In 1949, Björeman married Gunvor Carlsson (1920–2007), the daughter of Per Carlsson and Emy (née Nordberg).

He was chairman of Fältjägarnas kamratförening in Stockholm, chairman of the orienteering club Pan-Önos and a member of Björsäters hembygdsförening.

Dates of rank 1949 – Second lieutenant 1951 – Lieutenant 1959 – Captain 1966 – Major 1968 – Lieutenant colonel 1 April 1974 – Colonel 1976 – Senior colonel 1980 – Major general 1 October 1984 – Lieutenant general

Awards and decorations

Honours Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences (1969)