Nils Adlercreutz

Nils Adlercreutz was the son of lieutenant and landowner Oskar Adlercreutz and Countess Aurora Gyldenstolpe. While still at school, at the age of 19, Nils volunteered for the Life Guards on horseback. In 1890 he graduated from the military school and joined his regiment as a second lieutenant. A year later, he was transferred to the Army Riding and Driving School at Strömsholm and promoted to lieutenant in 1896. After graduating from the military academy he was appointed officer in the staff of the IV. Army Division where he served until 1902. During the following years, Adlercreutz had various assignments abroad, including with an Uhlan Regiment in Germany (1902-03). From 1906-08, he returned to the riding school as an instructor. With the rank of captain he was head of the Officer and Reserve Officer Volunteer School of the cavalry in Umeå for one year. He was then transferred to the Scanian Dragoon Regiment, first as major and later as lieutenant colonel.

From 1912-18, Adlercreutz served as military attaché at the Swedish embassy in Berlin and, in this capacity, accompanied German troops in Serbia, Galicia, Romania, Italy and on the Western Front in World War I. After the war, he was promoted to colonel and commander of the Småland Hussar Regiment. In 1921, however, he returned as commander to the Scanian Dragoon Regiment, a position he held until his retirement in 1927. He received various distinctions at home and abroad including Commander of the First Class of the Order of the Sword, Knight of the First Class of the Order of Vasa and Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Military Sciences in Sweden, the Belgian Military Cross, the Prussian Iron Cross and Order of the Crown, the Russian Order of Saint Anne and the Austrian Order of Franz Joseph.

Adlercreutz competed at the 1912 Olympic Games, finishing fourth in the individual eventing and sixth in the show jumping. He won gold in the team show jumping on his horse Atout with the Swedish team. Adlercreutz was secretary and master of the Stockholm Field Riding Club. He was also successful on racecourses winning the Jockey Club’s Grand Prix in 1894 finish judge at the Ulriksdal racecourse. Adlercreutz was married to Ebba Maria Cederschiöld since 1896. They had two sons and two daughters including Gregor Adlercreutz, who was to become a bronze medallist in team dressage at the 1936 Olympics.