Swedish Infantry Officers' College

Swedish Infantry Officers’ College
Swedish Infantry Officers’ College
Infanteriets officershögskola
	Coats of arms 1981–1995.
Active	1915–1995
Country	Sweden
Allegiance	Swedish Armed Forces
Branch	Swedish Army
Type	Infantry
Role	College
Size	School
Part of	Halland Regiment (1962–1991); Army's Infantry and Cavalry Center (1991–1995)
Garrison/HQ	Linköping
Motto(s)	Posse Est Velle ("To be willing is to be able")
March	"The Thin Red Line" (Alford)
Insignia
Branch insignia m/1960

The Swedish Infantry Officers’ College (Swedish: Infanteriets officershögskola, InfOHS) was an officers’ college in the Swedish Army which operated in various forms from 1915 to 1995. The staff was located to Linköping Garrison.

History

The Infantry Officers’ College (Infanteriets officershögskola) was formed in 1878 as the Infantry Volunteer School (Infanteriets volontärskola), then located to Karlsborg. On 20 October 1915, remaining parts of the school were reorganized into the Infantry Officer Candidate School (Infanteriets officersaspirantskola, IOAS). At Karlsborg, the school operated until 1927, when it was relocated to Linköping according to the Defence Act of 1925. In 1940, the school was relocated to Karlstad, however, during the years 1941-1942 the education was canceled. On 21 September 1942, the school was relocated to Solna.^[2] On 29 September 1945, the school was reorganized into the Infantry Cadet School (Infanteriets kadettskola, InfKS). When the school was relocated to Halmstad, it was at the same time, on 1 January 1962, reorganize into the Infantry [Cadet and] Officer Candidate School (Infanteriets kadett- och aspirantskola, InfKAS). In Halmstad, the school was subordinated to the commanding officer of Halland Regiment. Through the Ny befälsordning ("New Command System") reform, the school was reorganized on 1 June 1981 into the Infantry Officers’ College (Infanteriets officershögskola, InfOHS).^[3]

Through the 1988 Defense Investigation, the Riksdag decided that all officer colleges within the army service branches would be dissolved as independent authorities, and instead be incorporated into service branch centers (truppslagscentrum). For the Infantry Officers’ College, it meant that the school was incorporated into the Army's Infantry and Cavalry Center (Arméns infanteri- och kavallericentrum, InfKavC). In addition to the Infantry Officers’ College, the Infantry and Cavalry Officers’ College (Infanteriets och Kavalleriets officershögskola, Inf/KavOHS) and the Swedish Infantry Combat School (InfSS) in Army's Infantry and Cavalry Center were also included. In 1993, the school was relocated to Linköping.^[3] On 1 July 1995, the Army's Infantry and Cavalry Center was amalgamated with the Swedish Army Armoured Center and formed the Army Brigade Center (Arméns brigadcentrum, BrigC). Through this reorganization, on 1 July 1995, three new army-based schools, Combat School North (Stridsskola Nord, SSN), Combat School Middle (Stridsskola Mitt, SSM) and Combat School South (Stridsskola Syd, SSS), were formed, where the Infantry Officers’ College together with the Infantry Combat School formed the Combat School Middle.

The Infantry Officers’ College continued to be part of the Combat School Middle until 31 December 1998, when the education was taken over centrally by the Military Academy Karlberg (MHS K), Military Academy Halmstad (MHS H) and Military Academy Östersund (MHS Ö). Remaining parts of Combat School Middle and Combat School South formed on 1 January 1999 the Land Warfare Centre.

Operations

When the school was formed in 1915 as the Infantry Officer Candidate School (Infanteriets officersaspirantskola), it was responsible for the basic education of the infantry's reserve and commissioned officers. When the school was reorganized in 1945 into the Infantry Cadet School (Infanteriets kadettskola), the school trained conscript officers and reserve officers, and during its first year, also future commissioned officers in the infantry. From 1962, the school became responsible for the commissioned officers' basic education from the fourth month of the conscripts training.^[4] With the Ny befälsordning ("New Order of Command") reform, the school from 1981 became responsible for the first year of the then two-year education of commissioned officers. In addition, the school was also responsible for the basic officers education of reserve officers and conscript officers.^[4] When the Combat School Middle (Stridsskola Mitt, SSM) was formed in 1995, the new school became responsible for the basic education of officers belonging to the infantry, cavalry and armoured troops from units within the Middle Military District (Milo M). On 31 December 1998, the basic education ceased within the respective military branch and in the service branches of the army. Instead, on 1 January 1999, the officers training was gathered at three new military academies, Military Academy Karlberg (MHS K), Military Academy Halmstad (MHS H) and Military Academy Östersund (MHS Ö).

Garrisons and training areas

When the school was founded in 1878 as the Infantry Volunteer School (Infanteriets volontärskola), was located to Karlsborg Fortress. In 1879 the school buildings were completed in direct connection to the fortress. In connection with the Defence Act of 1925, the school was relocated on 10 October 1927, to Linköping Garrison, where barracks were taken over from the disbanded 2nd Life Grenadier Regiment (I 5). A decommissioning organization remained in Karlsborg until 31 December 1927. In 1936, the school barracks in Karlsborg were taken over by Västgöta Wing (F 6). On 7 October 1940, the school was relocated to Karlstad Garrison, where it co-located with Värmland Regiment (I 2). However, it was only two years later, on 21 September 1942, relocated to Karlberg Palace.^[2] In connection with the Defence Act of 1948, the school was relocated to Bagartorp on 1 September 1949, where the barracks were taken over from the disbanded First Commissariat Company (Första intendenturkompaniet, Int 1). On 7 October 1940, the school was relocated from Bagartorp to Halmstad Garrison, where it was co-located with Halland Regiment (I 16). In connection with the 1988 Defense Investigation, the school was relocated on 1 September 1993 to Linköping Garrison, where it operated until 1995.^[3]

Heraldry and traditions

Coat of arms

The coat of the arms of the Swedish Infantry Cadet and Officer Candidate School (Infanteriets kadett- och aspirantskola, InfKAS) 1961–1981. Blazon: "Two muskets in saltire or - between the butts a scroll or with the text POSSE EST VELLE sable - inside an open chaplet of laurels vert, berries gules and under a royal crown proper (the cadet crown)".^[5]

The coat of the arms of the Swedish Infantry Officers’ College (Infanteriets officershögskola, InfKAS) 1981–1995. This coat of arms was later used by the Combat School Middle (Stridsskola Mitt, SSM) 1995–1999. Blazon: "Azure, two muskets in saltire or. The shield surrounded by an open chaplet of laurels or".^[5]

Coat of arms of the Swedish Infantry Cadet and Officer Candidate School (Infanteriets kadett- och aspirantskola, InfKAS) 1961–1981.
Coat of arms of the Swedish Infantry Officers’ College (Infanteriets officershögskola, InfKAS) 1981–1995.

Commanding officers

1915–1916: Pontus Reuterswärd
1917–1919: Ernst af Sandeberg
1920–1924: ?
1924–1926: Per Adolf Erlandsson
1926–1929: Curt Vogel
1929–1932: Hans Palmaer
1932–1935: Gillis Graffman
1935–1937: Carl Björkman
1937–1939: Ivar Göthberg
1939–1940: Carl Axel Grewell
1940–1941: Sven Nordenberg
1942–1944: Harry Gerlach
1944–1948: Erik Drakenberg
1948–1951: Wilhelm af Klinteberg
1951–1954: Curt Alsterlund
1954–1957: Jan von Horn
1957–1960: Carl von Mentzer
1961–1963: Bele Jansson
1963–1967: Torsten Nordin
1967–1970: Gunnar Åberg
1971–1972: Carl-Gustaf Tiselius (acting)
1972–1976: Carl-Gustaf Tiselius
1976–1982: Kjell Widberg
1982–1987: Kaj Sjösten
1987–1989: Per Källström
1990–1992: Hans Hacksell
1992–1993: Georg Aminoff
1994–1995: Håkan Nestor

Names, designations and locations

Names	Translation	From		To
Infanteriets volontärskola	[Swedish] Infantry Volunteer School	1878	–	1915-10-19
Infanteriets officersaspirantskola	[Swedish] Infantry Officer Candidate School	1915-10-20	–	1945-09-27
Infanteriets kadettskola	[Swedish] Infantry Cadet School^[6]	1945-09-28	–	1961-12-31
Infanteriets kadett- och aspirantskola	[Swedish] Infantry [Cadet and] Officer Candidate School^[6]	1962-01-01	–	1981-05-30
Infanteriets officershögskola	[Swedish] Infantry Officers’ College	1981-06-01	–	1995-06-30
Designations		From		To
IOAS		1915-10-20	–	1945-09-27
InfKS		1945-09-28	–	1961-12-31
InfKAS		1962-01-01	–	1981-05-30
InfOHS		1981-06-01	–	1995-06-30
Location		From		To
Karlsborg Garrison		1915-10-20	–	1927-10-09
Linköping Garrison		1927-10-10	–	1940-10-06
Karlstad Garrison		1940-10-07	–	1942-09-20
Stockholm Garrison		1942-09-21	–	1961-12-31
Halmstad Garrison		1962-01-01	–	1993-08-31
Linköping Garrison		1993-09-01	–	1995-06-30

References

Notes

^ Sandberg 2007, p. 13
^ ^a ^b Holmberg 1993, p. 58
^ ^a ^b ^c Holmberg 1993, p. 56
^ ^a ^b Nelsson et al. 1993, p. 260
^ ^a ^b Braunstein 2006, p. 42
^ ^a ^b Gullberg 1977, p. 347

Print

Braunstein, Christian (2006). Heraldiska vapen inom det svenska försvaret [Heraldry of the Swedish Armed Forces] (PDF). Skrift / Statens försvarshistoriska museer, 1101-7023 ; 9 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Statens försvarshistoriska museer. ISBN 91-971584-9-6. SELIBR 10099224.
Gullberg, Ingvar E. (1977). Svensk-engelsk fackordbok för näringsliv, förvaltning, undervisning och forskning [A Swedish-English dictionary of technical terms used in business, industry, administration, education and research] (in Swedish) (2nd ed.). Stockholm: Norstedt. ISBN 91-1-775052-0. SELIBR 8345587.
Holmberg, Björn (1993). Arméns regementen, skolor och staber: [en uppslagsbok] : en sammanställning (in Swedish). Arvidsjaur: Svenskt militärhistoriskt bibliotek (SMB). ISBN 91-972209-0-6. SELIBR 7796532.
Nelsson, Bertil; Lannerbäck, Alf; Nordin, Mats; Sjögren, Lasse (1993). Från Brunkeberg till Nordanvind: 500 år med svenskt infanteri (in Swedish). Stockholm: Probus. ISBN 91-87184-23-0. SELIBR 7762911.
Sandberg, Bo (2007). Försvarets marscher och signaler förr och nu: marscher antagna av svenska militära förband, skolor och staber samt igenkännings-, tjänstgörings- och exercissignaler (in Swedish) (New ed.). Stockholm: Militärmusiksamfundet med Svenskt marscharkiv. ISBN 978-91-631-8699-8. SELIBR 10413065.