Bengt Rasin

Rear Admiral Bengt Göran Rasin, né Larsson (17 April 1922 – 2 January 2013) was a Swedish Navy officer. His senior commands include chief of the Coastal Fleet, commanding officer of the West Coast Military Command and commanding officer of the Western Military District. Rasin also served as chairman of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences.

Bengt Rasin
Birth name	Bengt Göran Larsson
Born	17 April 1922 Gothenburg, Sweden
Died	2 January 2013 (aged 90) Gothenburg, Sweden
Allegiance	Sweden
Service/branch	Swedish Navy
Years of service	1944–1985
Rank	Rear Admiral
Commands held	HSwMS U2 HSwMS Sjöborren HSwMS Svärdfisken HSwMS U3 1st Submarine Flotilla Coastal Fleet West Coast Military Command Gothenburg and Bohus Defence District Western Military District

Career

Rasin was born Bengt Göran Larsson on 17 April 1922 in Annedal Parish, Gothenburg, Sweden,[1] the son of chief physician Hjalmar Larsson and his wife Elsa (née Rasin).[2] He passed studentexamen at the Vasa högre allmänna läroverk in 1941 and became an officer candidate in the Swedish Navy on the 20 June the same year with number 6.[3] Rasin graduated from the Royal Swedish Naval Academy in 1944 as number four of the 39 remaining cadet,[4] and was commissioned into the navy with the rank of fänrik.[2] During his time at the Royal Swedish Naval Academy, Rasin was trained in seamanship aboard the armored cruiser HSwMS Fylgia.[5] In October 1944 he embarked on the submarine HSwMS Svärdfisken - a service that at that time entailed considerable risks.[6] Rasin then attended submarine school.[4]

The best fänrik's in each course also got to make long journeys, whereby Rasin temporarily had to stop his submarine service for a trip with the cruiser HSwMS Gotland to Rio de Janeiro. Rasin's talent was also used in a training course in the Royal Navy in 1948, to bring home the new radar technology.[4] Rasin served as captain of the submarines HSwMS U2 (1946), HSwMS Sjöborren (1953–54 and 1957) and HSwMS Svärdfisken (1954).[7] He was trained in submarine and staff service and attended the staff course at the Royal Swedish Naval Staff College from 1951 to 1953. Rasin attended the Royal Naval College, Greenwich in the United Kingdom in 1961[2] and he served as captain of the submarine HSwMS U3 in 1962.[7] Rasin underwent the general course at the Swedish National Defence College in 1966. He served as chief of Section 1 from 1966[8] and chief of staff of the Western Military District (Milo V) and was commanding officer of the 1st Submarine Flotilla from 1971 to 1972.[2]

In 1973, Rasin took a management course and in 1977 he was promoted to rear admiral and was appointed chief of the Coastal Fleet. Rasin left the post in 1980 and in 1981 he was appointed commanding officer of the West Coast Military Command with Älvsborg Coastal Artillery Regiment. He was then military commander of the Western Military District from 1983 to 1985.[2]

Other work

Rasin was elected in 1961, with number 851,[9] into the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences. He was its chairman from 1979 to 1984.[10] In 1978, Rasin became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences, Section II, Naval Studies. He was also Inspektor of the naval academies associations UppSjö and SjöBorg from 1978 to 1982. Rasin's great interest in sailing made, among other things, that he was chairman of the organizing committee for the Tall Ships' Races in 1986, when Gothenburg for the first time constituted final destination.[11]

Personal life

On 16 November 1947, Rasin married Gunnel Björklund (1922–2011),[12] the daughter of Ernst Björklund and Edith (née Uhlén).[2] They had two sons; Bengt and Lars.[6]

Rasin died on 2 January 2013 in Vasa Parish, Gothenburg.[1] He is buried at Nya Varvet Cemetery in Gothenburg.[13]

Dates of rank

• 1944 – Acting sub-lieutenant (Fänrik)
• 1946 – Sub-lieutenant (Löjtnant)
• 1954 – Lieutenant (Kapten)
• 1962 – Lieutenant commander
• 1963 – Commander
• 1970 – Captain
• 1977 – Rear admiral

Awards and decorations

• Knight of the Order of the Sword[14]

Honours

• Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences[2] (1978)
• Honorary member of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences (chairman 1978–1983)[2]

References

1. Sveriges dödbok 1901-2013 Swedish death index 1901-2013 (in Swedish) (Version 6.0 ed.). Solna: Sveriges släktforskarförbund. 2014. ISBN 978-91-87676-64-2. SELIBR 17007456.
2. Salander Mortensen, Jill, ed. (1996). Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1997 [Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1997] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. pp. 926–927. ISBN 91-1-960852-7. SELIBR 3681533.
3. Hafström, Georg, ed. (1942). Kungl. Sjökrigsskolan 75 år. D. 2, 1867-1942 (in Swedish). Stockholm. p. 615. SELIBR 861054.
4. Kihlberg, Lennart; Ellsén, Jarl (15 March 2013). "Minnesord Bengt Rasin". Göteborgs-Posten (in Swedish). Retrieved 30 May 2019 – via PressReader.
5. "Bengt Rasin fyller 70 år – Stadens siste amiral" (PDF). www.gg-kamratforening.se (in Swedish). Garnisonssällskapet i Göteborg Kamratföreningssektion. 1992. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
6. Herolf, Gunilla (2013). "Minnesord över bortgångna ledamöter" (PDF). Kungl. Krigsvetenskapsakademiens handlingar och tidskrift (in Swedish) (4): 6. ISSN 0023-5369. SELIBR 9922522. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 January 2018.
7. Klintebo, Roderick, ed. (2004). Det svenska ubåtsvapnet 1904-2004. Forum navales skriftserie, 1650-1837 ; 9 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Literatim. pp. 303–304. ISBN 91-973075-3-X. SELIBR 9421249.
8. Sköldenberg, Bengt, ed. (1970). Sveriges statskalender. 1970 (in Swedish). Uppsala: Fritzes offentliga publikationer. p. 387.
9. Kjellander, Rune (2007). Svenska marinens högre chefer 1700-2005: chefsbiografier och befattningsöversikter samt Kungl Örlogsmannasällskapets ämbetsmän och ledamöter 1771-2005. Stockholm: Probus. p. 260. ISBN 978-91-87184-83-3. SELIBR 10452099.
10. Kjellander, Rune (2007). Svenska marinens högre chefer 1700-2005: chefsbiografier och befattningsöversikter samt Kungl Örlogsmannasällskapets ämbetsmän och ledamöter 1771-2005. Stockholm: Probus. p. 224. ISBN 978-91-87184-83-3. SELIBR 10452099.
11. Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå, 1986-04-02, 15:55.
12. Sveriges befolkning 1990 (in Swedish). Ramsele: Svensk arkivinformation (SVAR), Riksarkivet. 2011. ISBN 978-91-88366-91-7. SELIBR 12076919.
13. "Rasin, Bengt Göran". www.svenskagravar.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 30 May 2019.
14. Sveriges statskalender för skottåret 1964 (in Swedish). Uppsala: Fritzes offentliga publikationer. 1964. p. 401.