Thord Bonde

General Count Thord C:son (Carlsson) Bonde af Björnö (17 March 1900 – 18 October 1969) was a Swedish Army officer. His senior commands include military commander of the VII Military District in 1955, commander of the III Military District from 1955 to 1957 and Chief of the Army from 1957 to 1963.

Count Thord Bonde
Bonde as lieutenant general (1957–1963).
Birth name	Thord C:son Bonde
Born	(1900-03-17)17 March 1900 Stockholm, Sweden
Died	18 October 1969(1969-10-18) (aged 69) Danderyd, Sweden
Allegiance	Sweden
Branch	Swedish Army
Years of service	1920–1963
Rank	General
Commands	Section 1, Defence Staff Vice Chief of the Defence Staff UNTSO Svea Life Guards National Defence College VII Military District III Military District Chief of the Army
Battles / wars	Arab–Israeli conflict
Relations	Carl Bonde (father) Carl C:son Bonde (brother)
Other work	Chief of His Majesty's Military Staff

Early life

Bonde was born on 17 March 1900 in Stockholm, Sweden, the son of Crown Equerry, Count Carl Bonde and his first wife Blanche (née Dickson). He was brother of Carl C:son Bonde and half-brother of financier and cabinet chamberlain Peder Bonde.^[1]

Career

Bonde became second lieutenant in the Life Regiment Hussars (K 3) in 1920 and captain of the General Staff in 1932. He was promoted to major in 1941, lieutenant colonel in 1943 and served as military attaché in Washington, D.C. from 1943 to 1945.^[1] In March 1946, Bonde was appointed colonel in the General Staff Corps with appointment as colonel in the Defence Staff, head of Section 1 and Vice Chief of the Defence Staff.^[2] In March 1947, Bonde was appointed by the Minister of Defense as an adviser in the Defence Committee from 1 April.^[3] Bonde served as Chief of Staff of United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) from May 1948 to July 1948 when Åge Lundström succeeded him.^[4] On 6 July 1948, Bonde was subjected to Arab firing as he intervened in a battle that occurred near the Arab village of Jaba' south of Haifa en route to Tel Aviv. Bonde was rescued from the situation by a UN jeep.^[5] Bonde returned to Sweden from Damascus on 13 July.^[6]

Back in Sweden, Bonde continued serving as head of Section 1 in the Defence Staff until February 1950 when he was appointed second-in-command of the Svea Life Guards (I 1).^[7] He took command of the regiment on 1 October 1950.^[8] He then served as head of the Swedish National Defence College from 1953 to 1955. Bonde was promoted to major general in 1954.^[1] Bonde was the military commander of the VII Military District in 1955 and the III Military District from 1955 to 1957 when he was promoted to lieutenant general. He was Chief of the Army from 1957 to 1963 and was appointed general upon his retirement in 1963.^[1]

Bonde was chief of His Majesty's Military Staff from 1963 to 1969 and chairman of the Directorate of the Swedish Nobility Foundation from 1965.^[1]

Personal life

In 1926, Bonde married Anna-Greta Sjöberg (1900–1983),^[9] the daughter of the state agricultural engineer A. L. G. Sjöberg and his wife. He was the father of Birgitta (born 1927), Margaretha (born 1931) and Claes (born 1941).^[10]

Dates of rank

• 1920 – Second lieutenant
• 19?? – Lieutenant
• 1932 – Captain
• 1941 – Major
• 1943 – Lieutenant colonel
• 1946 – Colonel
• 1954 – Major general
• 1957 – Lieutenant general
• 1963 – General

Awards and decorations

Swedish

• Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword (6 June 1959)^[11]
• Commander of the Order of Vasa^[10]
• Knight of the Order of the Polar Star^[10]

Foreign

• Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion of Finland^[10]
• Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav (1 July 1960)^[12]
• 1st Class / Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (15 July 1968)^[13]
• Commander of the Legion of Merit (4 December 1959)^[14]
• Officer of the Legion of Merit (1946)^[15]
• Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Star for Services to the Republic of Austria (1960)^[16]

Honours

• Member of Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences (1945)^[1]