Stig H:son Ericson

Admiral Stig (Hansson) H:son Ericson (12 July 1897 – 8 January 1985) was a Swedish Navy naval officer. He was Commander-in-Chief of the Coastal Fleet from 1950 to 1953 and the Chief of the Navy from 1953 to 1961. After retiring from the Navy in 1961, Ericson held court offices in the Royal Court of Sweden. He was First Marshal of the Court from 1962 to 1973 and Marshal of the Realm from 1966 to 1976.

Early life Ericson was born on 12 July 1897 in Stockholm, Sweden, the son of rear admiral Hans Ericson and his wife Elin (née Gadelius). He passed studentexamen in 1915.

Career Chief of the Navy, Vice Admiral Ericsson (left) and Chief of Danish Navy Staff, Vice Admiral Hans Alfred Nyholm in 1955.

Ericson was commissioned as a naval officer and acting sub-lieutenant in the Swedish Navy in 1918. Ericson served at the Naval Staff from 1926 to 1932. Ericson was a teacher at the Royal Swedish Naval Staff College from 1928 to 1938 and served as a naval assistant at the Board of Telecommunications Services (Telegrafstyrelsen) from 1929 to 1932. He was commanding officer of the 3rd Destroyer Division (3. jagardivisionen) in 1936 and of from 1937 to 1938. Ericson was head of Naval Operations Department in the Defence Staff from 1939 to 1942 and captain of the coastal defence ship from 1942 to 1943

He left the position of Chief of the Navy and retired from the navy in 1961 and was at the same time promoted to full admiral.

Other work Ericson was an expert in 1930 and the 1945 Defense Commission, secretary of the 1936 Ship Class Investigation and the investigation into the Coast Guard in 1941. He was a member of the Council of the Factory Board (Fabrikstyrelsens råd) and the Defence Research Council (Försvarets forskningsnämnd) from 1943 to 1945. Ericson was a board member of the Swedish National Defence Research Institute from 1945 to 1950, chairman of the Swedish Board for Computing Machinery from 1948 to 1950, chairman of Vegetebolagen from 1949 to 1957 and vice chairman of the board of the Maritime Museum from 1948 to 1950.

Death

Ericsson died on 8 January 1985 in his home in Stockholm. The funeral service was held on 17 January 1985 in the Royal Chapel in Stockholm. At the funeral were King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, Princess Christina with her husband Tord Magnuson and both of Stig H:son Erikson's successors in the office of Marshal of the Realm, and Sten Rudholm. Prime Minister Olof Palme with his wife Lisbeth Palme, personal physician Gunnar Björck, former Master of Ceremonies and Princess were among the roughly 300 guests at the funeral. Court chaplain officiated the funeral. Stockholm's boys' choir sang Viktor Rydberg's "Gläns över sjö och strand" and "Ave Maria", and among the hymns were "" and, according to Ericson's own wish, hymn 29. On the coffin, draped in the Swedish flag, lay Ericson's admiral's cap and saber while the guard of honor consisted of four admirals. The funeral was framed by Albinoni's "Adagio" and Lindberg's "". Afterwards, a reception was given for 200 people in his home at Slottsbacken. Ericson was interred at Galärvarvskyrkogården in Stockholm.

Dates of rank 1918 – Acting sub-lieutenant 19?? – Sub-lieutenant 1931 – Lieutenant 1938 – Commander 1943 – Captain 1945 – Rear admiral 1953 – Vice admiral 1961 – Admiral

Awards and decorations

Swedish

Lingiad Anniversary Medal (Lingiadens jubileumsmedalj)

Foreign

50x50px Knight 1st Class of the Order of St. Olav (before 1940)

Honours Member of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences (1932; honorary member in 1945) Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences (1942; president 1953-1955) Associate honorary member of the United States Naval Institute (1959)