Claes Tornberg
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Short description|Swedish Navy officer}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Claes Tornberg
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| birth_name = Claes Egmont Tornberg
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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1936|2|10|df=y}}
| birth_place = Västerås, Sweden
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| allegiance = Sweden
| branch = Swedish Navy
| serviceyears = 1958–1998
| rank = Rear admiral
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| commands = {{bulleted list|Flag Captain|Coastal Fleet|Swedish Armed Forces Staff College|Swedish National Defence College}}
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Rear Admiral Claes Egmont Tornberg (born 10 February 1936) is a retired Swedish Navy officer. He served as Commander-in-Chief of the Coastal Fleet from 1985 and 1990 and as head of the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College from 1990 to 1996 and the newly created Swedish National Defence College from 1997 to 1998.
Early life
Tornberg was born on 10 February 1936 in Västerås Parish, Sweden,{{cite book |title=Sveriges befolkning 1980 |year=2004 |publisher=Sveriges släktforskarförb. |location=Stockholm |language=sv |isbn=9187676370 |id={{LIBRIS|9632925}}}} the son of colonel Egmont Tornberg and his wife Aina (née Setterborg).{{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/vemardet/1997/1129.html |editor-last=Salander Mortensen |editor-first=Jill |year=1996 |title=Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1997 |trans-title=Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1997 |location=Stockholm |publisher=Norstedt |isbn=91-1-960852-7 |language=sv |id={{SELIBR|3681533}} |page=1129}} He passed studentexamen at Södra Latin in Stockholm on 7 May 1955.{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1955-05-08/12/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=Lördagens studenter |page=12A |date=8 May 1955 |access-date=29 September 2022 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}}
Career
Tornberg graduated from the Royal Swedish Naval Academy in September 1958.{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1958-09-24/8/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=Examen vid sjökrigsskolan |page=8A |date=24 September 1958 |access-date=29 September 2022 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}} He underwent a staff course at the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College between 1966 and 1968, and attended the Naval War College in the United States from 1976 to 1977. Tornberg commanded the 11th Torpedo Boat Division (11. torpedbåtsdivisionen) from 1977 to 1979 and was head of the Naval Staff's Planning Section from 1979 to 1983.
He was promoted to captain on 25 June 1981.{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1981-06-26/13/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=På nya poster inom det militära |editor-first=Ingela |editor-last=Walck |page=13 |date=26 June 1981 |access-date=29 September 2022 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}} On 1 October 1983, Tornberg was appointed flag captain in the Coastal Fleet.{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1983-06-04/15/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=Militära chefer |page=15 |date=4 June 1983 |access-date=29 September 2022 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}} He was promoted to rear admiral and appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Coastal Fleet from 1 October 1985.{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1985-02-23/17/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=Claes Tornberg |editor-first=Barbro |editor-last=Hultman |page=17 |date=23 February 1985 |access-date=29 September 2022 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}}
In October 1990, Major General Evert Båge was to be replaced as the head of the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College. The Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces, General Bengt Gustafsson, proposed Tornberg for the job, but Defence Minister Roine Carlsson preferred Senior Colonel {{ill|Einar Lyth|sv}}. Despite all authorities except Gustafsson supporting Lyth, the appointment of Tornberg came as a surprise on 27 July 1990, during vacation time, with Carlsson absent. The decision was signed by {{ill|Rune Molin|sv}} and Bengt Göransson as acting Prime Minister and Defence Minister, respectively. This was one of several feuds between General Gustafsson and Defence Minister Carlsson.{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1990-09-23/15/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=Konsten att bli general |page=15 |date=1990-09-23 |access-date=26 March 2024 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}}
When the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College was amalgamated with the Swedish National Defence College on 1 January 1997, Tornberg became its head. He retired on 31 March 1998.{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1998-04-03/8/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=Ny chef för Försvarshögskolan |page=8/E1 |date=3 April 1998 |access-date=29 September 2022 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}}
Tornberg was a board member of the {{ill|Kristineberg Center for Marine Research and Innovation|sv|Kristinebergs marina forskningsstation}} from 1999.{{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/vemardet/2001/1143.html |editor-last=Jönsson |editor-first=Lena |title=Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 2001 |trans-title=Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 2001 |year=2000 |publisher=Norstedt |location=Stockholm |language=sv |isbn=9172850426 |id={{SELIBR|8261515}} |page=1143}}
Personal life
Tornberg got engaged on 31 December 1958 to Ann-Charlotte von Hofsten (born 1937) at {{ill|Borrud|sv}} in Töreboda Municipality.{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1959-01-02/2/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=FÖRLOVADE |page=2A |date=2 January 1959 |access-date=29 September 2022 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}} She was the daughter of county council director Erland von Hofsten and his wife Ebba Sörensen.{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1959-01-02/10/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=FÖRLOVADE |page=10A |date=2 January 1959 |access-date=29 September 2022 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}} The banns were issued on 7 June 1959 and the wedding took place in {{ill|Bäcks Church|sv|Bäcks kyrka}} on 19 June 1959.{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1959-05-25/2/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=LYSNING |page=2A |date=25 May 1959 |access-date=29 September 2022 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}}{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1959-06-21/2/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=VIGDE |page=2A |date=21 June 1959 |access-date=29 September 2022 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}} The wedding officiant was court chaplain {{ill|Robert Murray (theologian)|lt=Robert Murray|sv|Robert Murray (teolog)}}.{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1959-06-21/11/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=FAMILJENYTT |page=A11 |date=21 June 1959 |access-date=29 September 2022 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}} Their daughter was born on 23 September 1962 at Allmänna BB in Stockholm{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1962-09-25/2/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=FÖDDE |page=2A |date=25 September 1962 |access-date=29 September 2022 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}} and a second daughter was born on 31 December 1963 at Allmänna BB.{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1964-01-02/2/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=FÖDDE |page=2A |date=2 January 1964 |access-date=29 September 2022 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}} He also has two sons.{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1996-02-08/19/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=DAGENS JUBILAR |first=Erik |last=Lidén |page=19 |date=8 February 1996 |access-date=29 September 2022 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}}
Dates of rank
- 1958 – Acting sub-lieutenant
- 1960 – Sub-lieutenant
- 1966 – Lieutenant
- 1971 – Lieutenant commander
- 1972 – Commander
- 1979 – ''{{ill|Kommendörkapten med särskild tjänsteställning|sv}}
- 25 June 1981 – Captain
- 1 October 1985 – Rear admiral
Awards and decorations
- 50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} H. M. The King's Medal, 12th size gold (silver-gilt) medal worn around the neck on a blue ribbon (2007){{cite web |url=https://www.kungahuset.se/sveriges-monarki/ordnar-och-medaljer/sok-ordens--och-medaljforlaningar?medaljar=2007&medaljtyp=0&medaljnamn=Claes+Tornberg#! |publisher=Royal Court of Sweden |title=Sök ordens- och medaljförläningar |access-date=29 September 2022 |language=sv |archive-date=29 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929131122/https://www.kungahuset.se/sveriges-monarki/ordnar-och-medaljer/sok-ordens--och-medaljforlaningar?medaljar=2007&medaljtyp=0&medaljnamn=Claes+Tornberg#! |url-status=dead }}
- 50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences Medal of Merit in Gold (1999){{cite web |url=https://www.koms.se/beloningar-och-stipendier/medaljer/ |publisher=Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences |title=Kungl. Örlogsmannasällskapet utdelade medaljer i guld och silver |access-date=8 September 2023 |language=sv}}
Honours
- Member of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences (1977){{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1977-11-21/13/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=Pansarbåts-studier gav örlogsdiplom |editor-first=Hans |editor-last=Westtorp |page=13 |date=21 November 1977 |access-date=29 September 2022 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}}
- Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences (1983){{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1983-04-27/19/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=Krigsvetenskapsakademien |page=19 |date=27 April 1983 |access-date=29 September 2022 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}}
- President of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences (1991)
References
{{Reflist}}
{{S-start}}
{{S-mil}}
{{Succession box
| title = Commander-in-Chief of the Coastal Fleet
| years = 1985–1990
| before = Jan Enquist
| after = Sten Swedlund
}}
{{Succession box
| title = Swedish Armed Forces Staff College
| years = 1990–1996
| before = Evert Båge
| after = None
}}
{{Succession box
| title = Swedish National Defence College
| years = 1997–1998
| before = Nils Gyldén
| after = Karlis Neretnieks
}}
{{s-npo|pro}}
{{succession box
| title = {{no wrap|Chairman of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences}}
| years = 1991–2000
| before = Bror Stefenson
| after = Bertil Björkman
}}
{{S-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tornberg, Claes}}
Category:Swedish Navy rear admirals
Category:Members of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences
Category:Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences