Evert Båge

Major General Evert Karl Erik Båge (25 August 1925 – 21 January 2021) was a Swedish Air Force officer. Båge served as Chief of the Air Staff from 1980 to 1984 and as head of the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College from 1984 to 1990.

Evert Båge
Birth name	Evert Karl Erik Båge
Born	25 August 1925 Alingsås, Sweden
Died	21 January 2021 (aged 95) Arild, Sweden
Allegiance	Sweden
Service/branch	Swedish Air Force
Years of service	1948–1990
Rank	Major General
Commands held	Jämtland Air Force Wing Operations Command 2, Defence Staff Chief of Staff, Milo ÖN Chief of the Air Staff Swedish Armed Forces Staff College

Early life

Båge was born on 25 August 1925 in Alingsås Parish, Älvsborg County, Sweden,[1] the son of Erik Båge, a repairer, and his wife Selma. Båge passed studentexamen in 1945.[2]

Career

Båge graduated from the Swedish Air Force Flying School in 1948 and was commissioned as an officer the same year in Svea Air Force Wing with the rank of Fänrik. Båge served there from 1948 to 1958 and he was promoted to Lieutenant in 1950. In 1958, Båge was promoted to Captain, whereupon he served in the Third Air Group (Tredje flygeskadern, E 3) and Air Staff from 1958 to 1963. He was promoted to Major in 1962.[3] He was head of Operation Command I in the Defence Staff from 1963 to 1966, and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1965 and was head of Section 1 of the staff of the Eastern Military District from 1966 to 1968.[3][4][5]

In 1969, he was promoted to Colonel, after which he was commander of Jämtland Air Force Wing from 1969 to 1973. He was promoted to Senior Colonel in 1973,[3] after which he served as head of Operations Command 2 in the Defence Staff from 1973 to 1978.[3][6] In 1978, Båge was promoted to Major General, after which he served as Chief of Staff of the Upper Norrland Military District from 1978 to 1980. He then served as Chief of the Air Staff from 1980 to 1984 and head of the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College from 1984 to 1990.[3] When Båge (Class of 1945) retired in the autumn of 1990, with 45 years and 4 months he was the person who served the longest in the Sweden Air Force.[7]

Personal life

In 1948, Båge married Gunnel Brandt (born 1925).[2]

Death

Båge died on 21 January 2021 in Arild, Sweden. The funeral service was held in Brunnby Church.[8]

Dates of rank

• 1948 – Fänrik
• 1950 – Lieutenant
• 1958 – Captain
• 1962 – Major
• 1965 – Lieutenant Colonel
• 1969 – Colonel
• 1963 – Senior Colonel
• 1978 – Major General

Awards and decorations

• Commander First Class of the Order of the Sword (3 December 1974)[9]
• Commanderof the Order of the Sword (11 November 1972)[10]
• Knight First Class of the Order of the Sword (1965)[11]
• Grand Knight's Cross with Star of the Order of the Falcon (26 October 1981)[12]

Honours

• Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences (1981)[13]

References

1. Sveriges befolkning 1980 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Sveriges släktforskarförb. 2004. ISBN 9187676370. SELIBR 9632925.
2. Uddling, Hans; Paabo, Katrin, eds. (1994). Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1995 [Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1995] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. p. 188. ISBN 91-1-943202-X. SELIBR 8261514.
3. Kjellander, Rune (2013). Svenska flygvapnets högre chefer 1925-2005: chefsbiografier och befattningsöversikter (in Swedish). Värmdö: Rune Kjellander. p. 48. ISBN 9789163711831. SELIBR 15870537.
4. Sveriges statskalender. 1965 (in Swedish). Uppsala: Fritzes offentliga publikationer. 1965. p. 98.
5. Sveriges statskalender för skottåret 1968 (in Swedish). Uppsala: Fritzes offentliga publikationer. 1968. p. 354.
6. Sveriges statskalender. 1978 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Fritzes offentliga publikationer. 1978. p. 92. ISBN 91-38-03894-3. SELIBR 3682759.
7. Jacobsson, Göran (2012-08-28). "Ett unikt jubileum!". www.flyghistoria.org (in Swedish). Svensk flyghistorisk förening. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
8. "Dödsannons" [Obituary]. www.familjesidan.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 3 February 2021.
9. Kungl. Hovstaterna: Kungl. Maj:ts Ordens arkiv, Matriklar (D 1), vol. 14 (1970–1979), p. 34, digital avbildning.
10. Kungl. Hovstaterna: Kungl. Maj:ts Ordens arkiv, Matriklar (D 1), vol. 14 (1970–1979), p. 46, digital avbildning.
11. Bihang till Sveriges statskalender 1968. Kungl. Svenska riddareordnarna 1968 (in Swedish). Uppsala. 1968. p. 108.
12. "ORÐUHAFASKRÁ" (in Icelandic). President of Iceland. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
13. Kjellander, Rune (1996). Kungl Krigsvetenskapsakademien: Svenska krigsmanna sällskapet (till 1805), Kungl Krigsvetenskapsakademien : biografisk matrikel med porträttgalleri 1796-1995 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Akad. p. 188. ISBN 9163041812. SELIBR 7451162.