Gilbert Hamilton

Count Gustaf David Gilbert John William Hamilton, (20 March 1869 – 11 August 1947) was a Swedish noble and highly decorated soldier, holding Swedish, Finnish and German military honours. Early career Gilbert was born on 20 March 1869, in Hedensberg manor, Västmanland. He was the second son to Count Gustaf Malcolm Hamilton and his wife, Baroness Sophia Lovisa Barnekow. His father was a Fideicommissum to Hedensberg, a post that his older brother Hugo Hamilton would later take over following their father's death. Gilbert started off his military career in 1891 when he graduated from Karlberg with the rank of second lieutenant. Gilbert tried to volunteer in the Greco-Turkish War in 1897 but was denied. He also tried to, but was denied entry in to both the Second Boer war (1899) and later the Russo-Japanese War (1904). By the time of the start of the First world war, Hamilton was already a rittmeister (Captain) in the Swedish Army and at the time held command as Chief of the 2nd Squadron in the Royal Life Guards situated in Stockholm.