Eric Virgin (officer)
| Eric Virgin | |
|---|---|
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|
| Born |
18 May 1876 Skövde, Sweden |
| Died | 12 May 1950 (aged 73) , Sweden |
| Buried at | Norra begravningsplatsen |
| Allegiance | Sweden |
| Service/branch |
Swedish Army Swedish Air Force |
| Years of service | 1895–1934 (Sweden) 1934–1935 (Abyssinia) 1936–1947 (Sweden) |
| Rank | Major General |
| Commands held | Svea trängkår Chief of the Air Force |
| Other work | Advisor to Haile Selassie |
Eric Virgin (18 May 1876 – 12 May 1950) was a Swedish Air Force general. Originally a Swedish Army officer, Virgin became commanding officer of the Svea Train Corps (T 1) in 1926 and was appointed Inspector of the Army Service Troops the year after. In 1931 he was appointed Chief of the Air Force for the newly established Swedish Air Force. Virgin left the position as major general in 1934 to become advisor to the Emperor of Abyssinia. He left Abyssinia two days before the outbreak of the Second Italo-Ethiopian War in 1935 and back in Sweden he was placed in the Swedish Air Force reserve where he remained until 1947. Virgin died three years later.
Virgin was born in Skövde, Sweden, the son of colonel Ivar Virgin and his wife Hedvig (née af Klint). He became underlöjtnant at Småland Grenadier Corps (I 7) in 1898 and attended the Gymnastic Central Institute from 1899 to 1901 and the Royal Swedish Army Staff College from 1902 to 1904. Virgin served at the Horse Life Regiment (Livregementet till häst, K 1) in 1903 and was promoted to löjtnant in 1904 and served as a company officer at the Royal Military Academy in 1905. Virgin then served at Wendes Artillery Regiment (A 3) in 1907 and at the Swedish State Railways from 1908 to 1910. He was a teacher at the Royal Swedish Army Staff College from 1910 to 1916 and became captain of the General Staff in 1912. The year after, Virgin served at Positionsartilleriregementet (A 3) and he became captain at the Life Regiment Grenadiers (I 3) in 1916.
He accompanied the 1st, 5th and 10th Austro-Hungarian Army in 1917 and was a member of the Study Commission to the German Western Front in 1918. Back in Sweden, Virgin was appointed chief adjutant (överadjutant) and major of the General Staff in 1918 and was appointed head of the Communications Department there in 1919. Virgin was appointed chief adjutant and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1922. He became commanding officer of Svea Train Corps (Svea trängkår, T 1) in 1926 and was appointed Inspector of the Army Service Troops (Tränginspektör) in 1927. Virgin was promoted to major general and was appointed Chief of the Air Force and head of Flygstyrelsen in 1931. He left the post in 1934 to become political and military advisor to the Emperor of Abyssinia the same year.
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