För tapperhet i fält
Encyclopedia
För tapperhet i fält and För tapperhet till sjöss ("For Valour at Sea") are two Swedish
military medal
s awarded to officers and soldiers of the Swedish Armed Forces
who have—as the medal names suggest—shown valour in the field or at sea in wartime. These two medals, along with the various grades of the Order of the Sword
, are the only awards in Sweden that have the designation "Swedish war decorations" (Svenska krigsdekorationer). The medal was instituted by Gustav III
on 28 May 1789, during his war against Russia and was meant to complement the Order of the Sword—which was instituted on 23 February 1748 and was awarded for the same purpose—valour in the field or at sea—but only to officer
s.
The original award was in silver and was intended for non-commissioned officer
s and private
s only, but a version in gold was introduced in 1806, available only for higher ranking officers. By royal letters on 24 March 1807 and 10 June 1809, it was decided that two different decorations be instituted, För tapperhet i fält (abbreviation Mtf) for valour in the field, and För tapperhet till sjöss (Mts) for valour at sea. Each of the two awards has a variant i gold (prefix G, for example GMtf) for officers and a variant in silver (prefix S, for example SMts) for NCOs and privates.
The design is simple, a round medal, modern size 8 of the Swedish medal scale of 1773, called Mensura magnitudinis Nummorum, which is equal to a diameter of 31 mm. The obverse side shows the name of the medal, "FÖR TAPPERHET I FÄLT" or "FÖR TAPPERHET TILL SJÖSS" (or for older medals "[...] TILL SIÖS"), encircled by a wreath. The reverse side has since 1809 been decorated by the symbol of the Order of the Sword. Before that, the reverse carried a picture of Gustav III and the text "GUSTAV III SVERIGES KONUNG" ("Gustav III King of Sweden"). A band in blue and yellow has been issued with the awards since 1819.
De jure
, the medal is still active and can be awarded to any Swedish soldier as the only still available war decoration, since the Order of the Sword—along with the three other Swedish orders
—was made unavailable for Swedish citizens as of 1 January 1975 according to Swedish law. However nobody has been awarded either of the two medals since 1915, when the last medal was issued to an officer serving with the Swedish Gendarmerie of Persia. Sweden has not been in a state of war
since 1814, but the medal was awarded a few times between 1814 and 1915 nevertheless. Besides the previous mention, the medal was awarded another four times under the rule of Gustav V whose reign started in 1907, and it was also awarded in 1899 to at least one of the Swedish volunteers in the Second Boer War
.
There has been some controversy regarding the fact that the medal has not been awarded since 1915. It has been argued that some of the Swedish soldiers that have served abroad on international missions should have been awarded the medal. One example is Furir
Torsten Stålnacke
who served with the United Nations
in the Congo Crisis
where he during a firefight got his lower jaw blown away by a bullet, but still managed to drag and carry two of his chocked comrades as well as his Carl Gustav recoilless rifle
into safety. He was not awarded the medal as the Swedish Armed Forces at the time only wanted to award the medal if Sweden was in a state of war, which they were not. This however is contrary to what had been done in the cases mentioned above, as Sweden was neutral during both the Second Boer War and under Gustav V's reign, when five medals were awarded.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
military medal
Military decoration
A military decoration is a decoration given to military personnel or units for heroism in battle or distinguished service. They are designed to be worn on military uniform....
s awarded to officers and soldiers of the Swedish Armed Forces
Swedish Armed Forces
The Swedish Armed Forces is a Swedish Government Agency responsible for the operation of the armed forces of the Realm. The primary task of the agency is to train, organize and to deploy military forces, domestically and abroad, while maintaining the long-term ability to defend the Realm in the...
who have—as the medal names suggest—shown valour in the field or at sea in wartime. These two medals, along with the various grades of the Order of the Sword
Order of the Sword
The Order of the Sword is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I of Sweden on February 23, 1748, together with the Order of the Seraphim and the Order of the Polar Star.Awarded to officers, and originally intended as an award for bravery and particularly long or useful service, it...
, are the only awards in Sweden that have the designation "Swedish war decorations" (Svenska krigsdekorationer). The medal was instituted by Gustav III
Gustav III of Sweden
Gustav III was King of Sweden from 1771 until his death. He was the eldest son of King Adolph Frederick and Queen Louise Ulrica of Sweden, she a sister of Frederick the Great of Prussia....
on 28 May 1789, during his war against Russia and was meant to complement the Order of the Sword—which was instituted on 23 February 1748 and was awarded for the same purpose—valour in the field or at sea—but only to officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
s.
The original award was in silver and was intended for non-commissioned officer
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
s and private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
s only, but a version in gold was introduced in 1806, available only for higher ranking officers. By royal letters on 24 March 1807 and 10 June 1809, it was decided that two different decorations be instituted, För tapperhet i fält (abbreviation Mtf) for valour in the field, and För tapperhet till sjöss (Mts) for valour at sea. Each of the two awards has a variant i gold (prefix G, for example GMtf) for officers and a variant in silver (prefix S, for example SMts) for NCOs and privates.
The design is simple, a round medal, modern size 8 of the Swedish medal scale of 1773, called Mensura magnitudinis Nummorum, which is equal to a diameter of 31 mm. The obverse side shows the name of the medal, "FÖR TAPPERHET I FÄLT" or "FÖR TAPPERHET TILL SJÖSS" (or for older medals "[...] TILL SIÖS"), encircled by a wreath. The reverse side has since 1809 been decorated by the symbol of the Order of the Sword. Before that, the reverse carried a picture of Gustav III and the text "GUSTAV III SVERIGES KONUNG" ("Gustav III King of Sweden"). A band in blue and yellow has been issued with the awards since 1819.
De jure
De jure
De jure is an expression that means "concerning law", as contrasted with de facto, which means "concerning fact".De jure = 'Legally', De facto = 'In fact'....
, the medal is still active and can be awarded to any Swedish soldier as the only still available war decoration, since the Order of the Sword—along with the three other Swedish orders
Order (decoration)
An order or order of merit is a visible honour, awarded by a government, dynastic house or international organization to an individual, usually in recognition of distinguished service to a nation or to humanity. The distinction between orders and decorations is somewhat vague, except that most...
—was made unavailable for Swedish citizens as of 1 January 1975 according to Swedish law. However nobody has been awarded either of the two medals since 1915, when the last medal was issued to an officer serving with the Swedish Gendarmerie of Persia. Sweden has not been in a state of war
State of War
State of war may refer to:*a situation where two or more states are at war with each other, with or without a real armed conflict*State of War , a book by James Risen which makes numerous controversial allegations about Central Intelligence Agency activities*State of War , a real-time strategy...
since 1814, but the medal was awarded a few times between 1814 and 1915 nevertheless. Besides the previous mention, the medal was awarded another four times under the rule of Gustav V whose reign started in 1907, and it was also awarded in 1899 to at least one of the Swedish volunteers in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
.
There has been some controversy regarding the fact that the medal has not been awarded since 1915. It has been argued that some of the Swedish soldiers that have served abroad on international missions should have been awarded the medal. One example is Furir
Furir
-Origin 1600:The responsibility of a furir was to arrange for housing as well as the distribution of food in a Company.-1875:Holders of the rank Furir were elevated to Sergeant and the rank was removed.-1914:...
Torsten Stålnacke
Torsten Stålnacke
Furir Torsten Stålnacke is a former Swedish UN-soldier during the Congo Crisis who is most known for saving two Irish soldiers lives by dragging and carrying them to safety after his jaw had been blown away by a bullet. He was awarded the Royal Medal of Vasa for his bravery...
who served with the United Nations
United Nations Operation in the Congo
Opération des Nations unies au Congo, abbreviated ONUC, was a United Nations peacekeeping force in Congo that was established after United Nations Security Council Resolution 143 of July 14, 1960...
in the Congo Crisis
Congo Crisis
The Congo Crisis was a period of turmoil in the First Republic of the Congo that began with national independence from Belgium and ended with the seizing of power by Joseph Mobutu...
where he during a firefight got his lower jaw blown away by a bullet, but still managed to drag and carry two of his chocked comrades as well as his Carl Gustav recoilless rifle
Carl Gustav recoilless rifle
The Carl Gustav is the common name for the 84 mm man-portable reusable multi-role recoilless rifle produced by Saab Bofors Dynamics in Sweden...
into safety. He was not awarded the medal as the Swedish Armed Forces at the time only wanted to award the medal if Sweden was in a state of war, which they were not. This however is contrary to what had been done in the cases mentioned above, as Sweden was neutral during both the Second Boer War and under Gustav V's reign, when five medals were awarded.
External links
- Carrying order of medals with pictures of two För tapperhet i fält medals and one För tapperhet till siös medal