Carl-Olof Wrang

Carl-Olof Wrang (27 January 1917 – 18 September 1998) was a Swedish Army lieutenant colonel. Wrang joined the Waffen-SS in 1939 but deserted and instead fought the Soviets in Finland during the Winter War. Wrang also participated in the Continuation War and saw action in the Battle of Hanko. After the war, Wrang re-entered the Swedish Army and was placed in the reserve in 1946. He worked as a factory manager for a few years, before resuming his military career. Wrang served as commanding officer of the Swedish Army Paratroop School in the late-1950s and served as a UN observer in Kashmir and with the Swedish battalions during the Congo Crisis and during the Cyprus dispute in the 1960s. He retired in 1977.

Early life Wrang was born on 27 January 1917 in Lidingö, Sweden, the son of Lieutenant Colonel Ragnar Vrang and his wife Hild (née Stenhammar). Wrang passed studentexamen in Gävle in 1936 and was commissioned as an officer in 1939 and was assigned as a second lieutenant to Hälsinge Regiment (I 14).

Career Wrang joined the Waffen-SS in 1939 but never experienced active service. Instead he deserted from his unit in order to cross the Norwegian frontier. His intention, however, was not SS service. In 1939 he applied to the French Army, as he felt war between France and Germany was imminent. Foreign service being limited to the French Legion, he remained in Sweden. Instead, Wrang joined the Finnish Army during the Winter War and was promoted to second lieutenant and took part in the battle of Märkäjärvi. Wrang subsequently joined the Swedish Volunteer Battalion on the Hanko Front

Dates of rank

Swedish Army 1939 – Second lieutenant 1941 – Lieutenant 1947 – Captain 1959 – Major ???? – Lieutenant colonel

Finnish Army 1939 – Second lieutenant 1941 – Lieutenant

German Army 1941 –Obersturmführer

Awards and decorations

Swedish

Commemorative Medal on the occasion of the second Lingiad (Minnesmedalj med anledning av andra Lingiaden) (1949)

Finnish War Memorial Medal 3 x Finnish Memorial Cross on the occasion of Finland's war 1939–45