Erik af Klint (1901–1981)

Vice Admiral Erik Viktor Philip Gustafsson af Klint (12 March 1901 – 26 December 1981) was a Swedish Navy naval officer. af Klint's senior commands include postings as Chief of Staff of the Coastal Fleet, head of Section 2 of the Defence Staff, Chief of the Coastal Fleet and commanding officer of the Naval Command East.

Erik af Klint
af Klint aboard HSwMS Tre Kronor in 1955.
Nickname(s)	Erik Viktor Philip Gustafsson af Klint
Born	12 March 1901 Stockholm, Sweden
Died	26 December 1981 (aged 80) Ekerö, Sweden
Buried	Galärvarvskyrkogården
Allegiance	Sweden
Service/branch	Swedish Navy
Years of service	1923–1966
Rank	Vice Admiral
Commands held	HSwMS Oscar II HSwMS Drottning Victoria Chief of Staff, Coastal Fleet HSwMS Tre Kronor Section 2, Defence Staff Chief of the Coastal Fleet Naval Command East

Career

af Klint was born on 12 March 1901 in Stockholm, Sweden, the son of Rear Admiral Gustaf af Klint and his wife Elisabet (née Helling). He was the brother of Börje af Klint (1903–1989), artillery director at AB Bofors and Captain (N) Viktor af Klint (1904–1986). He passed studentexamen in 1920 and he was commissioned as a naval officer in 1923.[1] af Klint was promoted to Sub-Lieutenant (Löjtnant) in 1925 and attended the staff course at the Royal Swedish Naval Staff College from 1930 to 1931.[2] He served as a flag adjutant from 1935 to 1938 and was promoted to Lieutenant (Kapten) in 1937. He served as a teacher of tactics at the Royal Swedish Naval Staff College, a position which he held in two tours until 1942, interrupted from 1939 to 1941 by service in the Defence Staff.[2] In 1942, he was promoted to lieutenant commander and was appointed adjutant in the Royal Court and appointed head of department in the Naval Staff. In 1945, af Klint was promoted to commander and then served as captain of HSwMS Oscar II from 1945 to 1946, of the HSwMS Drottning Victoria from 1946 to 1947 and of the HSwMS Tre Kronor from 1947 to 1948.[3]

In 1950, af Klint was appointed chief aide-de-camp (överadjutant) to His Majesty the King. af Klint was promoted captain in 1950 and served as Chief of Staff of the Coastal Fleet (Flaggkapten) from 1950 to 1951 and as head of Section 2 of the Defence Staff from 1951 to 1953 when he was promoted to rear admiral.[3][2] From 1953 to 1957, af Klint served as Chief of the Coastal Fleet. He then served as commanding officer of the Naval Command East from 1957 to 1966 when he was promoted to vice admiral and retired from the military. In 1967, af Klint was appointed Cabinet Chamberlain to His Majesty the King Gustaf VI Adolf.[1]

Personal life

In 1934 he married Ulla Wibom (1912–2007), the daughter of Commander Ivar Wibom and Siri (née Hedblom). They had three children: Gustaf (1935–2010), Johan (born 1939) and Elisabet (born 1940).[3]

The votive ship hanging in Adelsö Church was build by af Klint and his father.[4]

Hilma af Klint, bequeathed her entire work to her nephew Erik af Klint. In 1972 - after the Moderna Museet rejected the collection - he let a foundation take over ownership. Erik af Klint wrote in the statutes that the majority of the board should belong to the Anthroposophical Society, because the artist had a strong interest in anthroposophy.[5]

Death

af Klint died on 26 December 1981 in Ekerö Municipality, Sweden. He was interred on 19 May 1982 at Galärvarvskyrkogården in Stockholm.[6]

Dates of rank

• 19?? – Acting Sub-Lieutenant (Fänrik)
• 1925 – Sub-Lieutenant (Löjtnant)
• 1937 – Lieutenant (Kapten)
• 1942 – Lieutenant commander
• 1945 – Commander
• 1950 – Captain
• 1953 – Rear admiral
• 1966 – Vice admiral

Awards and decorations

af Klint's awards:[3]

Swedish

• King Gustaf V's Jubilee Commemorative Medal (1948)
• Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword
• Knight of the Order of Vasa
• Swedish Naval Volunteers' Gold Medal (Sjövärnskårens guldmedalj)
• StockhfkGM

Foreign

• Grand Cross of the Order of the House of Orange
• Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon (5 May 1971)[7]
• Commander First Class of the Order of the Dannebrog
• Commander of the Legion of Honour
• Third Class of the Order of the Cross of Liberty with Swords
• Knight 1st Class of the Order of St. Olav
• King Christian X's Liberty Medal

Honours

• Member of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences (1941)[3]
• Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences (1951)[3]
• Honorary member of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences (1953)[8]

References

1. Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1981 [Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1981] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. 1980. p. 556. ISBN 91-1-805012-3. SELIBR 3681525.
2. lnsulander, Per (1982). "Minnesteckningar" (PDF). Tidskrift i sjöväsendet (in Swedish). Carlskrona: Tidskrift i sjöväsendet (4): 189. SELIBR 8258455.
3. Harnesk, Paul, ed. (1962). Vem är vem? 1, Stor-Stockholm [Who's Who? 1, Greater Stockholm] (in Swedish) (2nd ed.). Stockholm: Vem är vem. p. 704. SELIBR 53509.
4. "Adelsö kyrka vid Kungens Hovgård" (PDF) (in Swedish). Church of Sweden. p. 10. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
5. Andersson, Elisabet (2013-02-20). "Hilma af Klint i limbo". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 1 April 2020.
6. "af Klint, Erik Viktor Philip G:son". www.svenskagravar.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 31 March 2020.
7. "ORÐUHAFASKRÁ" (in Icelandic). President of Iceland. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
8. Sköldenberg, Bengt, ed. (1970). Sveriges statskalender. 1970 (in Swedish). Uppsala: Fritzes offentliga publikationer. p. 966.