{{Infobox military person | honorific_prefix = | name = Bo Westin | honorific_suffix = | image = Bo Westin D 15046 4.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | birth_name = Bo Lars Axel Westin | nickname = | birth_date = {{birth date|1913|9|12|df=yes}} | birth_place = Norrköping, Sweden | death_date = {{death date and age|2009|1|17|1913|9|12|df=yes}} | death_place = Stockholm, Sweden | burial_place = Lidingö Cemetery | burial_label = | burial_coordinates = <!-- {{Coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} --> | allegiance = Sweden | branch = Coastal Artillery (Swedish Navy) | service_years = 1937–1978 | rank = Lieutenant General | service_number = <!-- Do not use data from primary sources such as service records --> | unit = | commands = {{bulleted list|Vice Chief of the Defence Staff|Chief of the Naval Staff|Chief of the Defence Staff|Swedish National Defence College}} | battles = | battles_label = | awards = Knight of the Order of the Sword | memorials = | spouse = <!-- Add spouse if reliably sourced --> | relations = | other_work = | signature = | signature_size = | signature_alt = | website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} --> | module = }}
Lieutenant General '''Bo Lars Axel Westin''' (12{{nbsp}}September 1913 – 17{{nbsp}}January 2009) was a Swedish Coastal Artillery officer. Westin was Chief of the Naval Staff from 1968 to 1970 and Chief of the Defence Staff from 1970 to 1972.
==Early life== Westin was born on 12 September 1913 in Norrköping Saint Olof Parish in Norrköping, Sweden,<ref>{{cite book |title=Sveriges befolkning 1980 |year=2004 |publisher=Sveriges släktforskarförb. |location=Stockholm |language=sv |isbn=91-87676-37-0 |id={{SELIBR|9632925}}}}</ref> the son of accountant Axel Westin and his wife Gottfrida "Frida" (née Nilsson).<ref name="Harnesk (1962), p. 1381">{{cite book |editor1-last=Harnesk |editor1-first=Paul |date=1962 |title=Vem är vem? 1, Stor-Stockholm |trans-title=Who's Who? 1, Greater Stockholm |edition=2nd |location=Stockholm |publisher=Vem är vem |language=sv |id={{SELIBR|53509}} |url=https://runeberg.org/vemarvem/sthlm62/1405.html |page=1381}}</ref><ref name="Rossander (2009), pp. 8-9">{{cite journal |url=http://www.kkrva.se/wp-content/uploads/Artiklar/096/kkrvaht_6_2009_3.pdf |journal=Kungl. Krigsvetenskapsakademiens handlingar och tidskrift |title=Minnesteckningar över bortgångna ledamöter |first=Erik |last=Rossander |year=2009 |publisher=Kungl. Krigsvetenskapsakademien |location=Stockholm |number=6 |language=sv |id={{SELIBR|3417415}} |pages=8–9}}</ref> He passed ''studentexamen'' in 1933.<ref name="Rossander (2009), pp. 8-9"/>
==Career==
===Military career=== Westin enrolled at the Royal Swedish Naval Academy where he graduated as second lieutenant in Karlskrona Coastal Artillery Regiment (KA 2) in 1937. He focused early on anti-aircraft artillery and was placed early as a teacher at various artillery schools through his technical and mathematical orientation.<ref name="Rossander (2009), pp. 8-9"/> Westin was promoted to lieutenant in 1939 and served in the Defence Staff in 1943 and passed the general course of the Royal Swedish Naval Staff College in 1944 and was promoted to captain in 1945. He passed the artillery course of the Royal Swedish Naval Staff College in 1946 and he was a teacher at the Royal Swedish Naval Academy from 1946 to 1948.
Westin served at the Swedish Missile Defence Agency (''Försvarets robotvapenbyrå'') within the Royal Swedish Air Force Materiel Administration in 1949 and he was a teacher at the Royal Swedish Naval Staff College from 1949 to 1950.<ref name="Harnesk (1962), p. 1381"/> Westin was promoted to major in 1951 and served as deputy defence attaché in Washington, D.C., United States from 1951 to 1953. He served in the Royal Swedish Naval Materiel Administration in 1955 and in the Naval Staff from 1956 to 1957 when he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. Westin was appointed Inspector of the Swedish Coastal Artillery in 1958 and studied at the Swedish National Defence College the same year. He was then promoted to colonel in 1961 and was also appointed chief of Section II (Attaché, Intelligence and Domestic Department) in the Defence Staff.<ref name="Harnesk (1962), p. 1381"/><ref name="Rossander (2009), pp. 8-9"/>
Westin was an intellectual officer with great analytical ability, and he went on to become influential when it came to transforming the old coastal artillery to modern systems. In the 1960s there was a schism within the Swedish Armed Forces on how the future air defense would be designed. Westin was appointed chairman of a comprehensive composite investigation, and after two years, he succeeded in presenting a completely unanimous proposal.<ref name="Rossander (2009), pp. 8-9"/> Westin was section chief in the Defence Staff from 1961 to 1966 when he was promoted to major general and he was then Vice Chief there and head of the Operations Command from 1966 to 1968.<ref name="Vem är det (1980), p. 1112">{{cite book |title=Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1981 |trans-title=Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1981 |year=1980 |publisher=Norstedt |location=Stockholm |language=sv |isbn=91-1-805012-3 |id={{SELIBR|3681525}} |url=https://runeberg.org/vemardet/1981/1132.html |page=1112}}</ref> He was promoted to lieutenant general in 1969 and was the Chief of the Naval Staff from 1968 to 1970 before assuming the position of Chief of the Defence Staff on 1 October 1970.<ref name="Vem är det (1980), p. 1112"/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://tidningar.kb.se/3678898/1970-01-10/edition/156590/part/1/page/5/?q=%22bo%20westin%22&from=1969-01-01&to=1971-12-31 |work=Göteborgs Handels- och Sjöfartstidning |title=Synnergren ny ÖB Lundvall marinchef |agency=TT |page=5 |date=10 January 1970 |accessdate=23 April 2020 |language=sv}}</ref> In June 1972 he visited Cyprus and had meetings with Archbishop Makarios, Vice President Fazıl Küçük, the Secretary-General's Special Representative in Cyprus, Mr. Osorio-Tafall, the Force Commander, Major General Dewan Prem Chand as well as the Swedish Contingent.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://unficyp.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/bb_28_june_1972.pdf |newspaper=The Blue Beret |title=Swedish Chief of Staff Visits Cyprus |volume=10 |number=14 |date=28 June 1972 |location=Nicosia |id={{SELIBR|678282}} |page=1}}</ref> Westin retired from active service the same year. He was then head of the Swedish National Defence College from 1972 to 1978.<ref name="Vem är det (1980), p. 1112"/>
===Other work=== He was also expert in the 1954 and 1957 Supreme Commander Investigations. Westin was a member of the Parliamentary Defense Preparation (''Parlamentariska försvarsberedningen'') from 1955 to 1957,<ref name="Uddling & Paabo (1992), p. 1170">{{cite book |editor1-last=Uddling |editor1-first=Hans |editor2-last=Paabo |editor2-first=Katrin |date=1992 |title=Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1993 |trans-title=Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1993 |location=Stockholm |publisher=Norstedt |isbn=91-1-914072-X |language=sv |id={{SELIBR|8261513}} |url=https://runeberg.org/vemardet/1993/1170.html |page=1170}}</ref> the 1957 Navy Missile Committee and the 1957 Helicopter Committee.<ref name="Harnesk (1962), p. 1381"/> He was also chairman of the Air Defense Investigation (''Luftförsvarsutredningen'') from 1967 to 1969. Westin was a board member of the National Society for Road Safety (NTF)<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Lagerström |editor-first=Sten |date=1966 |title=Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1967 |trans-title=Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1967 |location=Stockholm |publisher=Norstedt |language=sv |id={{SELIBR|3681518}} |url=https://runeberg.org/vemardet/1967/0996.html |page=980}}</ref> and ''Statens allmänna bevakning AB''.<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Lagerström |editor-first=Sten |date=1968 |title=Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1969 |trans-title=Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1969 |location=Stockholm |publisher=Norstedt |language=sv |id={{SELIBR|3681519}} |url=https://runeberg.org/vemardet/1969/1033.html |page=1017}}</ref>
==Personal life== In 1939 he married Karin Rydin, the daughter of veterinarian Karl Rydin and Karin Boëthius. He was the father of Agneta (born 1941).<ref name="Harnesk (1962), p. 1381"/> Westin was very versatile: he was interested in sports and played himself tennis, table tennis, football and bandy. He was fond of P. G. Wodehouse and became a member of the Woodhouse Society and he loved jazz. He was a consultant in ''Svenskt visarkiv'' 1980-1993 and wrote books about, among others, Thore Ehrling, Stig Holm, Skånska Lasse, Benny Goodman and Gösta Törner.<ref name="Rossander (2009), pp. 8-9"/> He was also chairman of the Evert Taube Society (''Evert Taube-sällskapet'')<ref name="Uddling & Paabo (1992), p. 1170"/> from 1989 to 1993.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.taubesallskapet.se/taube_html/htm_styrelsen.html |publisher=Taube Society |website=www.taubesallskapet.se |title=Styrelsen 2017 |access-date=17 October 2017 |language=sv}}</ref> He was also a formidable tomato grower, and his balcony in Lidingö was like a veritable greenhouse.<ref name="Rossander (2009), pp. 8-9"/>
==Death== Westin died on 17 January 2009 in Saint John Parish in Stockholm.<ref>{{cite book |title=Sveriges dödbok 1901-2013 |trans-title=Swedish death index 1901-2013 |edition=Version 6.0 |year=2014 |publisher=Sveriges släktforskarförbund |location=Solna |language=sv |isbn=978-91-87676-64-2 |id={{SELIBR|17007456}}}}</ref> The funeral service was held on 25 April 2019 in {{ill|Lidingö Church|sv|Lidingö kyrka}}.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/2019-03-30/SVNY/57 |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=DÖDA |page=57 |date=30 March 2019 |access-date=9 September 2022 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}}</ref> He was buried at Lidingö Cemetery on 9 March 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://finngraven.se/(S(ctvhaijfwqyvt5ocnltk0tyj))/DisplayInfo.aspx?id=1564017 |publisher=Finngraven.se |title=Bo Lars Axel Westin |access-date=17 October 2017 |language=sv}}</ref>
==Dates of rank== *1937 – Second lieutenant *1939 – Lieutenant *1945 – Captain *1951 – Major *1957 – Lieutenant colonel *1961 – Colonel *1966 – Major general *1969 – Lieutenant general
==Awards and decorations== * 50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword (6 June 1973)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/E0000849_00015#?c=&m=&s=&cv=14&xywh=3035%2C-92%2C4054%2C2222 |publisher=Royal Court of Sweden |work=Kungl. Maj:ts Ordens arkiv |title=Matriklar (D 1) |trans-title=Directory (D 1) |volume=14 |page=22 |date=1970–1979 |access-date=13 February 2026 |language=sv |via=National Archives of Sweden |url-access=registration}}</ref> * 50x50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} Commander 1st Class of the Order of the Sword (6 June 1968)<ref>{{cite book |url=https://gupea.ub.gu.se/bitstream/2077/65665/1/gupea_2077_65665_1.pdf |title=Sveriges statskalender. 1969 |editor-first=Bengt |editor-last=Sköldenberg |year=1969 |publisher=Fritzes offentliga publikationer |location=Stockholm |language=sv |id={{LIBRIS|3682754}} |page=99}}</ref> *50x50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} Commander of the Order of the Sword (4 June 1965)<ref>{{cite book |url=https://gupea.ub.gu.se/bitstream/2077/65026/1/gupea_2077_65026_1.pdf |title=Sveriges statskalender för skottåret 1968 |year=1968 |publisher=Fritzes offentliga publikationer |location=Stockholm |language=sv |id={{LIBRIS|8261599}} |page=101}}</ref>
==Honours== *Member of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences (1954)<ref name="Harnesk (1962), p. 1381"/> *Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences (1959)<ref name="Harnesk (1962), p. 1381"/>
==Bibliography== *{{cite book |last=Westin |first=Bo |title=Från Skånska Lasse till Benny Goodman|series=Publikationer från Jazzavdelningen, Svenskt visarkiv, 0281-5567; 7 |year=1991 |publisher=Gidlund |location=Hedemora |isbn=91-7844-187-0 |id={{SELIBR|7668552}} |language=sv}} *{{cite book |last=Westin |first=Bo |title=Gösta Törner: musikanare, tecknare |series=Publikationer från Jazzavdelningen, Svenskt visarkiv, 0281-5567; 10 |year=1993 |publisher=Svenskt visarkiv |location=Stockholm |isbn=91-85374-26-1 |id={{SELIBR|7748508}} |language=sv}} *{{cite book |last=Westin |first=Bo |title=Säg det med musik: Thore Ehrling och hans orkester |series=Publikationer från Jazzavdelningen, Svenskt visarkiv, 0281-5567; 5 |year=1987 |publisher=Gidlund i samarbete med STIM |location=Stockholm |isbn=91-7844-102-1|id={{SELIBR|98698}} |language=sv}} *{{cite book |last=Westin |first=Bo |title=Stig Holm: Sveriges meste pianist |series=Publikationer från Jazzavdelningen, Svenskt visarkiv, 0281-5567; 6 |year=1989 |publisher=Svenskt visarkiv |location=Stockholm |isbn=91-85374-22-9 |id={{SELIBR|7748505}} |language=sv}} *{{cite book |editor-last=Westin |editor-first=Bo |title=Försvarshögskolan 1951–1976 |year=1976 |publisher=Utg. |location=Stockholm |id={{SELIBR|197569}} |language=sv}} *{{cite book |last=Westin |first=Bo |title=Skjutning med Kustartilleriets automatkanoner |year=1944 |publisher=[s.n.] |location=[s.l.] |id={{SELIBR|8237928}} |language=sv}}
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name |1966743}}
{{S-start}} {{S-mil}} {{succession box | title = Vice Chief of the Defence Staff | years = 1966–1968 | before = Bengt Lundvall | after = Dick Stenberg }} {{Succession box | title = Chief of the Naval Staff | years = 1968–1970 | before = Henrik Lange | after = Gunnar Eklund }} {{Succession box | title = Chief of the Defence Staff | years = 1970–1972 | before = Stig Synnergren | after = Gunnar Eklund }} {{Succession box | title = {{no wrap|Swedish National Defence College}} | years = 1972–1978 | before = Claës Skoglund | after = Bengt Liljestrand }} {{S-end}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Westin, Bo}} Category:1913 births Category:2009 deaths Category:Swedish Coastal Artillery lieutenant generals Category:People from Norrköping Category:20th-century Swedish military personnel Category:Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword Category:Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences Category:Members of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences Category:Chiefs of the Defence Staff (Sweden)