Stig Erik Otto von Bayer (born 6 July 1937) is a former Swedish Army officer, war veteran, peacemaker and writer.
[1] Stig von Bayer came to Congo and the province Maniema in 1949 at age 12 with his parents who were aid workers who helped to build bridges and roads.
[1] In January 1963, after serving successfully in Léopoldville, Albertville and Luluabourg, von Bayer was assigned to the Kwilu Province, where the Congolese under the Beijing‐trained Pierre Mulele had begun a revolt.
von Bayer commanded the UN operations that rescued missionaries (chiefly Americans) and ferried arms and supplies to isolated Congolese Army units.
von Bayer and Swedish pilot Thorwald Glantz with their DHC Otter plane interfered and made repeated dive attacks on the militia which slowed their advance so that helicopters with the rescued missionaries could take off.
[5] Glantz and von Bayer were awarded the Vasa Medal of the 8th size on 23 April 1964[6] and a special commendation from President Lyndon B. Johnson.
During the latter period of his life, von Bayer completed countless missions for the Red Cross, the UN and the EU including in Vietnam, Ethiopia, Sudan, Croatia and Peru.