Years of service 1910–1945 Service/branch Swedish Army | Rank Colonel Allegiance Sweden | |
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Birth name Axel Fredrik Carlos Adlercreutz Born 26 January 1890
Stockholm, Sweden ( 1890-01-26 ) Died 7 October 1963, Enköping, Sweden | ||
Axel Fredrik Carlos Adlercreutz (26 January 1890 – 7 October 1963) was a Swedish Army officer. Adlercreutz is credited with the formation of the General Security Service (Allmänna säkerhetstjänsten) in 1938 (predecessor of the Swedish Security Service), and the intelligence agency C-byrån in 1939.
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Career
Adlercreutz was born in Stockholm, Sweden to count and major Carl Adlercreutz and Jeanna Evers. He became passed studentexamen in 1908 and became a Second lieutenant at the Svea Life Guards (I 1) in 1910 and received a Candidate of Law degree in Stockholm in 1916. Adlercreutz attended the Royal Swedish Army Staff College from 1918 to 1920, the French War College from 1920 to 1922 and did a course at the French Air Force in 1922. He was promoted to Captain in 1925 and served at the General Staff in 1926. Adlercreutz was expert assistance of Sweden's representative at the League of Nations' disarmament commission from 1929 to 1931 and then served as military attaché in Helsinki from 1932 to 1935.
He was Major at the General Staff in 1933 and served at Älvsborg Regiment (I 15) in 1935 and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1936. Adlercreutz was head of the International Department of the General Staff in 1936 and then the Intelligence Department of the Defence Staff from 1937 to 1942. Adlercreutz was promoted to colonel in 1939 and served again as military attaché in Helsinki from 1942 to 1945. He was back serving at the Defence Staff in 1945, the same year he retired from active service. Adlercreutz remained in the General Staff Corps Reserve until 1960.
Adlercreutz became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences in 1944. He wrote essays in journals and was editor of Arméer, flottor och flyg from 1938 to 1941.
Personal life
In 1944 he married Louise Lovén (1916–1979), the daughter of Colonel Fredrik Lovén and the Baroness Elisabet af Ugglas. He was the father of Thomas (born 1944) and Gustaf (born 1946). After his retirement he ran Brunsholms Manor in Enköping. He died in Enköpings-Näs Parish on 7 October 1963 and was buried at Norra begravningsplatsen in Stockholm.
Awards and decorations
Adlercreutz's awards: