Malcolm Murray (Swedish Army officer)

Murray was born on 7 September 1904 in Stockholm, Sweden, the son of Ståthållare Adolf Murray and his wife Ebba (née de Champs). He passed studentexamen in 1923.^[1]

Career

Murray was commissioned as an officer with the rank of second lieutenant in 1925 and assigned to

Back in Sweden, Murray was promoted to major in 1942 and served as first teacher at the Royal Military Academy from 1942 to 1944. He was then teacher at the Royal Swedish Air Force Staff College from 1942 to 1944, commanding officer of the Army Department of the Defence Staff from 1944 to 1948, before being promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1947. Murray served in the Swedish Armoured Troops in 1948 and was commanding officer of the Royal Military Academy from 1949 to 1953. Promoted to colonel in 1951, Murray served as executive officer of Svea Life Guards from 1953 to 1957 and Inspector of the Swedish Armoured Troops from 1957 to 1960. Murray was promoted to major general in 1960 and appointed military commander of the II Military District.^[2] He was then commanding officer of the Swedish National Defence College from 1966 to 1968, head of the Crown Prince's Royal Household from 1968 to 1973, Chief of His Majesty's Military Staff from 1973 to 1978, and First Aide-de-Camp to the King from 1973.^[5]

Murray, who in the 1930s belonged to the elite class in orienteering, was prominent in most military sports and won in the Stockholm Garrison's field competitions in 1934 and 1938.^[6] He was chairman of the Swedish Orienteering Federation from 1938 to 1961 and corps chief of Stockholm Scout Corps from 1935 to 1939 as well of Jämtland-Härjedalen Scout District in 1961.^[2] Furthermore, Murray was chairman of the Swedish Central Association for Sports Promotion (Sveriges centralförening för idrottens främjande) from 1962 to 1974 and the Sweden-Finland Society (Samfundet Sverige-Finland) from 1967 to 1975.^[5]

Death

Murray died on 21 April 1995 in Stockholm and was buried on 22 September 1995 at Norra begravningsplatsen in Stockholm.^[7]

Dates of rank

• 1925 – Second lieutenant
• 19?? – Lieutenant
• 1938 – Captain
• 1942 – Major
• 1948 – Lieutenant colonel
• 1951 – Colonel
• 1960 – Major general
• 1968 – Lieutenant general

Awards and decorations

Swedish

• Royal Order of the Seraphim ribbon (1978)^[8]
• King Gustaf V's Jubilee Commemorative Medal (21 May 1948)^[2]
• King Gustaf V's Jubilee Commemorative Medal (25 May 1928)^[2]
• Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword (6 June 1967)^[9]
• Commander 1st Class of the Order of the Sword (11 November 1957)^[10]
• Knight of the Order of the Sword (1943)^[11]
• Knight of the Order of the Polar Star (1948)^[12]
• Knight of the Order of Vasa (1941)^[13]
• St. Erik's Medal (S:t Eriksmedaljen) (18 May 1973)^[14]

Foreign

• Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion of Finland (May 1972)^[15]
• Commander with Star of the Order of St. Olav (1 July 1964)^[16]
• Third Class of the Order of the Cross of Liberty with swords and Fourth Class with swords and oak leaves^[2]
• Knight First Class of the Order of the White Rose of Finland^[2]
• Knight of the Order of the Crown^[2]
• Knight of the Saxe-Ernestine House Order^[2]
• King Haakon VII Freedom Cross^[2]
• King Christian X's Liberty Medal^[2]
• Finnish War Memorial Medal^[2]

Honours

• Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences (1949)^[2]

Bibliography

• Murray, Malcolm (1950). Atlantpakten under uppbyggnad (in Swedish). Stockholm: Utrikespolitiska institutet.
  SELIBR 8213568
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• Murray, Malcolm;
  SELIBR 247129.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
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• Murray, Malcolm;
  SELIBR 1419927
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• Hardfors, Börje; Thörn, Folke; Nordenfelt, Bertil; Murray, Malcolm (1940). ABC i orientering (in Swedish) (11.-14. tus. ed.). Stockholm: Bonnier.
  SELIBR 1371224
  .

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