Hans Neij

Major General Arvid Hans Magnus Neij (22 June 1921 – 24 April 1985) was a Swedish Air Force officer.

Hans Neij
Captain Neij in his S-29C after breaking the world speed record in 1955.
Birth name	Arvid Hans Magnus Neij
Born	22 June 1921 Jönköping, Sweden
Died	24 April 1985 (aged 63) Fort Walton Beach, Florida, USA
Allegiance	Sweden
Service/branch	Swedish Air Force
Years of service	1939–1985
Rank	Major General
Commands held	Bråvalla Air Force Wing Section 2, Air Staff Chief of Staff, Milo Ö Chief of the Air Staff

Early life

Neij was born on 22 June 1921 in Jönköping, Sweden, the son of Arvid Neij, an adjunct lecturer, and his wife Elsa (née Lund).[1] He passed studentexamen in 1939 and attended the Swedish Air Force Candidate and Cadet School (Flygvapnets aspirant- och kadettskola) from 1939 to 1942.[2]

Career

Neij was commissioned as an officer in the Swedish Air Force in 1942 and was promoted to Lieutenant in 1944. Neij attended the Royal Swedish Air Force Staff College from 1947 to 1948[2] and its Staff Course from 1948 to 1949.[1] He was promoted to Captain in 1949 and to Major in 1955. He attended the Swedish National Defence College in 1956[2] and then served as an Air Force Press Officer form 1955 to 1958.[1]

Neij, then a Captain of Södermanland Air Force Wing (F 11) at Nyköping, broke the world speed record with his S-29C on 23 March 1955. Scooting along a 1,000-kilometer closed circuit, Neij and his wingman Birger Eriksson averaged 559.6 miles per hour (900.6 km/h) to better the existing record of 510.8 miles per hour (822.1 km/h) set in 1950 by a Gloster Meteor Mk 8.[3][4] The distance was covered in 1 hour, 6 min, 37 sec.[5]

In 1959 he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. Neij served as head of the Air Force program within the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College from 1961 to 1964 and he was promoted to Colonel in 1963.[1] Neij served as commander of Bråvalla Air Force Wing (F 13) from 1964 to 1966 and of Section 2 in the Air Staff from 1966 to 1970 when he was promoted to Major General and appointed Chief of Staff of the Eastern Military District. In 1973, Neij was appointed Chief of the Air Staff. After five years in this position, Neij was appointed defense and air attaché[6] in Washington, D.C. and Ottawa in 1978, serving until his death in 1985.[1]

Personal life

In 1942, he married Kerstin Gyllenberg (born 1922), the daughter of station master Clæs Gyllenberg and Ellen (née Pettersson).[1]

Death

Neij died in a drowning accident during a holiday stay in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.[7]

Dates of rank

• 1942 – Fänrik
• 1944 – Lieutenant
• 1949 – Captain
• 1955 – Major
• 1959 – Lieutenant Colonel
• 1963 – Colonel
• 1970 – Major General

Awards and decorations

• Knight of the Order of the Sword[2]
• Officer of the Legion of Merit (13 June 1985; posthumously)[8]
• Royal Swedish Aero Club's Silver Medal[2]
• Air Force Badge in Silver[2]

Honours

• Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences

References

1. Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1985 [Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1985] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. 1984. pp. 795–796. ISBN 91-1-843222-0. SELIBR 3681527.
2. 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. 946. SELIBR 53509.
3. Karlström, Björn; Gladych, Michael (February 1956). "In NATO's Air Defense Chain, the Swedish Air Force Is... THE MISSING LINK". Air Force Magazine: 40.
4. Olson, Björn; Erichs, Rolf; Ahremark, C.G. (1987). The Saab-Scania story. Translated by Byrne, Tom; Lutz, Rony. Stockholm: Streiffert. p. 47. ISBN 9178860245. SELIBR 7672410.
5. "?". Aeronautics. 32–33: 61. 1955.
6. Diplomatic List. Department of State Publication 7894. February 1984. p. 68.
7. "Diplomat drunknade" [Diplomat drowned]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 25 April 1985. p. 1. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
8. "Postum medalj till Hans Neij" [Posthumous medal to Hans Neij]. Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). 15 June 1985. p. 35. Retrieved 15 May 2020.