Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Swedish group of eight to Colonel Gilbert Nordqvist, Commander of the Swedish Royal Military Academy

Sweden, Order of the North Star, Knight’s breast badge, by C. F. Carlman, 18 ct. gold and enamel; Order of the Vasa, Knight’s breast badge, by C. F. Carlman, 18 ct. gold and enamel; Volunteer Automobile Corps Service Medal, Gustaf V, silver-gilt, by Sporrong & Co., hallmarks for 1944, rev. engraved, ‘G. Nordqvist’; Swedish Militia Medal (Landstorm), Gustaf V, silver-gilt; Swedish Militia Medal (Hemvärn), Gustaf VI Adolf, silver-gilt, by Sporrong & Co., hallmarked; Swedish Lotta Corps National Association Medal, Gustaf V, silver, by Sporrong & Co., hallmarks for 1949; Swedish Blue Star Service Medal, Gustaf VI Adolf, silver, rev. inscribed, ‘G. Nordqvist’; Medal for the Voluntary Care of the Sick, Gustaf VI Adolf, silver, edge impressed, ‘Silver, 1954’. reverse inscribed, ‘G. Nordqvist, 1957’, mounted as worn, good very fine (8) £550-650

Ex Flatow Collection, Spink, 25 November 1998, lot 1498.

Colonel Gilbert Nordqvist was born on 5 December 1897 and commissioned into the Swedish Army in 1918. He was appointed Colonel and Commander of the Royal Military Academy in 1944 and was Commander of the 7th Royal Södra Skanska Infantry Regiment in 1947. In 1954 he was appointed Commander of the Defence District of Gothenburg. Colonel Nordqvist retired in 1957 and died on 29 April 1969.

During the course of his military career, both as an officer of the General Staff with duties in the Ministry of Defence and as a commander of several military units, he was awarded several other orders in addition to the above - the Swedish Order of the Sword, Commander 1st Class; Danish Order of the Dannebrog, Commander; Norwegian Order of St. Olaf, Commander and Belgian Order of Leopold II, Knight.

Notes: The Swedish ‘Landstorm’ Militia was founded in 1885 and continued until 1941 when it was renamed the ‘Hemvärn’ Militia. The ‘Swedish Lotta Korps’ was a mainly women’s organization working within various branches of the armed forces and providing ancillary support. The ‘Swedish Blue Star’ organization was devoted to the care of sick animals and animal welfare. Sold with copied research.