Mertil Melin

Melin was born on 17 July 1945 in Stånga, Sweden, the son of Sven Erik Olof Melin (1909–1987) and Dagny Gertrud Emilia Ulmstedt (1913–2004). His interest in horses started in the mid-1950s at the farm in Stånga where his neighbor had three Ardennais and a Gotland pony. He left Gotland and the farm in Stånga in 1963 to do his military conscription at the cavalry regiment Norrland Dragoons (K 4) in Umeå. Melin's interest in horses came in handy there too as the regiment had 400 horses in its stable. ==Career==

Melin graduated from the Military Academy Karlberg in 1968 and was commissioned as an officer with the rank of second lieutenant the same year. Melin served in Norrland Dragoons (K 4) in Umeå from 1968 to 1979. After that he did the Higher Staff Course at the Military Academy Karlberg from 1977 to 1979. Melin was appointed lieutenant colonel in 1984 and was the battalion commander at Norrland Dragoon Regiment (K 4) from 1987 to 1989. On 4 June 1992, Melin was promoted to senior colonel, and assumed the position as head of operation at the Northern Military District (Milo N) in Boden, serving until 1995. He was after that military commander of the Northern Military District from 1998 to 2000 and the Sweden's member of the European Union Military Committee and the NATO military committee for partner countries The military committee was started during Sweden's EU presidency in 2001, and Melin served for a short time as the Chairman of the European Union Military Committee. Melin served as Crown Equerry of the Royal Court of Sweden from 1 April 2003 to 2015. ==Personal life==

In 1968, Melin married Gurli Margaretha Åberg (born 1944 in Umeå), the daughter of Stig and Gurli Åberg. He is the father of Stig Magnus (born 1969 in Umeå) and Anna Margareta (born 1976 in Umeå). ==Death==

Melin died on 20 October 2023 in Hedvig Eleonora Parish in Stockholm, Sweden. On 24 November 2023, the funeral service was held in the Royal Chapel in Stockholm. ==Dates of rank==

• 1968 – Second lieutenant • 19?? – Lieutenant • 1972 – Captain • 1979 – Major • 1984 – Lieutenant colonel • 1 July 1989 – Colonel • 4 June 1992 – Senior colonel • 15 October 1995 – Major general • 1 April 1996 – Lieutenant general ==Awards and decorations==

Swedish • 12th size gold medal worn around the neck on a chain of gold (silver-gilt) • H. M. The King's Medal, 12th size gold (silver-gilt) medal worn around the neck on the Order of the Seraphim ribbon (2009) • H. M. The King's Medal, 8th size gold (silver-gilt) medal worn on the chest suspended by the Order of the Seraphim ribbon (1987) • King Carl XVI Gustaf's Jubilee Commemorative Medal II (23 August 2013) • Home Guard Medal of Merit in Gold • Northern Military District Commemorative Medal • 7th Class of the • etc Foreign • Commander 1st Class of the Order of the White Rose of Finland • Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany • 2nd Class of the Order of the Cross of the Eagle (12 January 2011) • etc ==Honours==

• Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences (1995) • Grand Master of the • Board member of the Association for the Mounted Royal Guards (Föreningen för den Beridna Högvakten) • Honorary member of the Cavalry and Ranger Officers Association (Kavalleri- och Jägarbefälsföreningen) ==References==