# Cay Holmberg

Senior Captain Cay Hake Holmberg (born 27 March 1933) was a Swedish Navy officer. Holmberg graduated from the Royal Swedish Naval Academy in 1957 and began his naval career as a sub-lieutenant. Over the years, he underwent various training programs and held positions of increasing responsibility, including commanding destroyers and serving as a strategy teacher. He represented Sweden at the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea for an extended period. In 1987, he became head of the Navy Weapons Inspection and was promoted to senior captain. Later, he served as head of the Swedish contingent at the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission in Korea, where he held the acting rank of rear admiral until December 1991. Overall, his career spanned several decades and included significant international service.

## Early life

Holmberg was born on 27 March 1933 in Johanneberg Parish [sv] in Gothenburg, Sweden, the son of managing director Cay Holmberg and his wife Lilly (née Bengtsson). He passed studentexamen in 1954.

## Career

Holmberg graduated from the Royal Swedish Naval Academy in 1957 and was commissioned as a naval officer and appointed acting sub-lieutenant in the Swedish Navy the same year. He then served with the future ambassador Lave Johnsson [sv] on the minesweeper HSwMS Landsort. Holmberg completed anti-submarine warfare training in the United Kingdom in 1962, and was promoted to lieutenant in 1965. Holmberg underwent the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College's staff course between 1966 and 1968 and the Swedish National Defence College's management course. He was promoted to lieutenant commander in 1970.
Holmberg commanded the destroyers HSwMS Södermanland and HSwMS Östergötland between 1971 and 1972 and was promoted to commander in 1972. He served as a strategy teacher at the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College from 1974 to 1977. Then he had the opportunity to represent Sweden at the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea for a total of 50 weeks between 1974 and 1982.
In 1978 Holmberg became head of Section 2 in the Eastern Military District, and in 1981 chief of staff at the East Coast Naval Base. In 1982 he became chief of staff of the Berga Naval Training Schools. Holmberg was appointed head of the Berga Naval Training Schools from 1 October 1983. Four years later, on 1 October 1987, Captain Holmberg became head of the Navy Weapons Inspection (Flottans vapenslagsinspektion) in the Naval Staff. He was simultaneously promoted to senior captain.
In February 1990, Holmberg was appointed head of the Swedish contingent at the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission in Korea. Swedish officers in international missions can be given a higher rank, whereby Holmberg had the acting rank of rear admiral during his service in Korea until 1 December 1991. The service was extended and in total he served in Korea from May 1990 to February 1992.

## Other work

Holmberg was a member of the Swedish Society for International Affairs (Utrikespolitiska samfundet).
Holmberg has been a law of the sea expert at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and has represented the Swedish government in law of the sea negotiations.
In July 1981, he was elected chairman of the Marinlitteraturföreningen ("Marine Literature Association").
In 1987, on the initiative of, among others, Holmberg the naval association Flottans män [sv] local association was formed in Haninge. The formation was a "spin-off" from the main association in Stockholm.
Holmberg was chairman of the Association of Men of 1933 (Föreningen 1933 års män), an association for men born in 1936.

## Personal life

Holmberg got engaged to Ulla Molin in Stockholm on 3 January 1958. They had six children, of which one child died at under one year of age. Their daughter Filippa Holmberg was married to Sweden's Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt from 1992 to 2013.
In 1989, he married Louise Hadorph (born 1943), the daughter of Carl Hadorph and Lilli (née Jacobsson).

## Dates of rank

* 1957 – Acting sub-lieutenant
* ???? – Sub-lieutenant
* 1965 – Lieutenant
* 1970 – Lieutenant commander
* 1972 – Commander
* 1979 – Kommendörkapten med särskild tjänsteställning [sv]
* 1984 – Captain
* 1 October 1987 – Senior captain
* 1990 – Rear admiral (acting rank)

## Awards and decorations

* Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences Medal of Merit in silver (2001)
* Order of National Security Merit, Cheonsu Medal (1992)
* Korean Service Medal (1992)

## Honours

* Member of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences (1969) (corresponding member)
* Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences (1982)