Holmquist was born on 22 February 1879 in Helsingborg, Sweden, the son of lieutenant general Fredrik Holmquist and his wife baroness Cecilia Raab. He became a second lieutenant in the Göta Life Guards in 1899 and lieutenant in 1903. Holmquist attended the Royal Swedish Army Staff College from 1902 and 1904 and the Firing School in 1904. Holmquist was a cadet of the General Staff from 1905 to 1907, staff adjutant and lieutenant of the General Staff in 1908 and conducted a field trip in Russia the same year. He was a teacher at the Royal Swedish Army Staff College from 1911 to 1917 and captain of the General Staff in 1912. Holmquist was ordered to the Austro-Hungarian Army in 1912 and was captain of the Göta Life Guards in 1917. In 1918, Holmquist was chief of staff of the Åland detachment and in 1918 and 1919 Holmquist was secretary of the negotiations regarding the demolition of Åland's fortifications. He was staff adjutant and captain of the General Staff in 1919, chief adjutant and major there in 1919 and attended the War College in Paris from 1920 to 1920. Holmquist was an expert at the negotiations of the Åland crisis at the council of the League of Nations at the Commission of Jurists in Paris and at the conference in Geneva in 1921. He was a teacher at the tactical course for captains and cavalry captains in 1921, 1924 and 1925. Holmquist was a teacher at the winter course for officers in 1923 and was head of the same from 1928 to 1930. Holmquist was a major of the Göta Life Guards in 1924, became lieutenant colonel in 1925 and was appointed colonel and commander of Norrbotten Regiment in 1928 and brigade commander of the Northern Army Division in 1934. He was promoted to major general in the Swedish Army in 1935 and was appointed commander of the II. Army Division in 1937 before being promoted to lieutenant general in 1944. Holmquist was then Chief of the Army from 1940 to 1944.
Other work
Holmquist was the Swedish Army's representative at the military skiing competition in Oslo in 1930, chairman of the Association for the Promotion of Cross-country skiing in Sweden, vice chairman of the Swedish Ski Association, chairman of the Norrbotten Landstorm Association, president of the International Ski Federation from 1924 to 1934 and honorary chairman from 1934. As a sports official, Holmquist was a co-founder of the International Ski Federation and he became its first president during the period 1924 to 1934. Since 1900 he was a board member of the Association for Ski Promotion where he became a long and successful chairman during the years 1923-1950. As such, he was automatically also the vice-president of the Swedish Ski Association. Holmquist worked to introduce alpine skiing in Sweden and was the initiator for the Association for Ski Promotion's facilities in Storlien and Riksgränsen.
Personal life
Holmquist was in his first marriage 1904–1920 married to Thora Nygren, daughter of the pharmacist Gottfrid Nygren and Augusta Lyon. They were the parents of Bengt Holmquist. He was in his second marriage 1924–1936 married to Mary Hammarberg, daughter of merchant James Hammarberg and Mina Evers. He married for the third time in 1936 with Astrid Minda Bäckström, daughter of professor Helge Bäckström and singer Ragnhild Juell.
