Torgil Thorén

Thorén was born on 30 March 1892 in Döderhult, Sweden, the son of medical doctor Adolf Thorén and his wife Anna (née Björck).^[1]

Thorén was commissioned as an officer in the Swedish Navy with the rank of underlöjtnant in 1912. He was promoted to sub-lieutenant in 1916, lieutenant in 1922, lieutenant commander in 1937, and to commander in 1939. In 1942 he was appointed captain.^[1]

He studied at the Royal Swedish Naval Staff College from 1919 to 1920, and then attended the torpedo course there. In 1922-1935, Thorén was a torpedo boat and destroyer captain. After that, he received a position as division commander in the Destroyer Division (Jagardivisionen), but before World War II erupted as head of department at the Naval Staff and, subsequently, at the Defence Staff (1938-1942). In 1942, he ended up at the National Defence Radio Establishment (FRA) as its first chief, he became the chief executive officer and head in 1952, until retirement in 1957.^[1]

His relationship with the Finnish intelligence was the key to Operation Stella Polaris.^[2][3]

He wrote about his time at the FRA in 1945.^[4]

In 1920, he married Ingrid Mathiesen (born 1899), the daughter of Halfdan Mathiesen and Olga Breien. They had two children; Rolf (born 1922) and Gösta (born 1924).^[1]

He died 11 March 1982.^{[citation needed]}

• 1912 – Underlöjtnant
• 1916 – Sub-lieutenant
• 1922 – Lieutenant
• 1937 – Lieutenant commander
• 1939 – Commander
• 1942 – Captain

• Member of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences (1931)^[7]