Åke Hök

Born as son of a lieutenant colonel, Åke Hök joined the Skåne Dragoon Regiment in 1910 as a second lieutenant. At the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm he placed 22nd in the individual show jumping event. From 1917-19, Hök attended the Military Academy and served in the general staff, from 1923 onwards as a captain. In 1927, he was seconded to the French army.

Back in Sweden Sweden, Hök became a cavalry commander in the Life Regiment on Horseback. He returned to the general staff in 1932, where he was promoted to the rank of major one year later. In 1935, he was transferred to the Skåne Cavalry Regiment, where he eventually rose to commander in 1937. After serving some years as second-in-command of the Life Regiment’s Hussars, he returned as commander of the re-established Scanian Cavalry Regiment in 1946.

Additionally, Hök held various positions, including chief of staff of the Cavalry Inspectorate (1932-35) and inspector for local defence in the Third Military Area (1943-44), and was at the disposal of the Ministry of Defence as an expert for some shorter periods. Hök was made a Knight of the Order of Vasa and Commander of the Order of the Sword in Sweden and Knight of the Legion of Honour in France. He was also awarded orders from Latvia, Finland and Belgium. In 1920, he married Hattie Maria Pauli, with whom he had one son.