Richard Gustav Borgelin

Danish military officer

54°59′53.14″N 12°8′37.51″E / 54.9980944°N 12.1437528°E / 54.9980944; 12.1437528Allegiance

Denmark

EstoniaRankCaptain
Kolonelleitnant (1919)UnitDanish-Baltic Auxiliary Corps (1919)
White Russian Northwest Army (1919)
Estonian Army (1919 - 1922)Battles/warsEstonian War of Independence
Latvian War of Independence
Russian Civil WarAwardsCross of Liberty I/2 and II/3 (1920)
Cross of the Eagle 3rd Class with Swords (1930)
Order of Lāčplēsis 3rd Class (1922)^[2]

Order of St. Vladimir 4th Class with Swords (Northwest Army)
Order of St. Anna 2nd Class with Swords (Northwest Army)

Captain Richard Gustav Borgelin (10 February 1887 – 8 December 1966) was a Danish officer and company commander of the Danish-Baltic Auxiliary Corps (DBAC) in 1919 during the Estonian and Latvian War of Independence.

Borgelin attended and successfully ended his education at the Royal Danish Military Academy in 1909. In 1919, when Borgelin was officer of the reserve and in charge of the Second Regiment Corporal School at the Værløse Camp in northern Zealand, he was given the offer of becoming company commander of a combat unit consisting of 200 men.^[3] In the spring of 1919, Borgelin and his Compagnie Borgelin arrived in Estonia with 12 Danish officers, 12 Danish junior officers and 189 Danish privates.^[3] The company participated in the Estonian and Latvian War of Independence under Estonian army command until 1 September 1919, when the contract expired and the company was disbanded.

Borgelin and seven other Danes were awarded the Latvian military Order of Lāčplēsis of third class.^[2] In gratitude for his services to the Estonian state, Borgelin was granted Maidla manor in Estonia.^[4]

During World War II, Borgelin enlisted as an Abwehr agent for Germany after the occupation of Denmark. After the war, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison for collaboration.^[5]

Awards and decorations

	Cross of Liberty (I/2 and II/3 class)
	Order of the Cross of the Eagle (3rd Class with Swords)
	Order of Lāčplēsis (3rd class)
	Order of St. Vladimir (4th class)
	Order of St. Anna (2nd class with Swords)

References

^ "Matmispaikade register • Matmispaigad" (in Estonian). Eesti Muinsuskaitse Selts. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
^ ^a ^b Priedītis, Ērichs Ēriks (1996). Latvijas Valsts apbalvojumi un Lāčplēši (in Latvian). Riga: Junda. p. 358. ISBN 9984-01-020-1.
^ ^a ^b Per Finsted. "Boganmeldelse: For Dannebrogs Ære - Danske frivillige i Estlands og Letlands frihedskamp 1919 af Niels Jensen". chakoten.dk (in Danish). Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
^ Sakk, Ivar (2004). Estonian Manors - A Travelogue. Tallinn: Sakk & Sakk OÜ. p. 79. ISBN 9949-10-117-4.
^ Morsø Folkeblad 20 August 1947