Dansson's collection gallery

[Dansson]

Do you have a name?

- V

No, I don't. The seller didn't remember it but as I know you, are you giving a hint that you might know?
I believe the recipient wasn't Swedish but one of the Finns that served with the Brigade; engraving on the "VSMM" is in Finnish and the "TSMM" isn't the foreigner version.

[Dansson]

At last after a long search, I got my hands of a fine early example of the cross of (Battle of) Rautu 1918.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Rautu_(1918)

[Petrus]

Very nice!!!!

A rare medal bar to a volunteer in the "Swedish Brigade" during the Finnish Civil War 1918.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_Brigade

The English source states 84 casualties of the total 400, which is their casualty rate of just the battle of Tampere. The total casualties were in reality half of the strength during the short war.

[Dansson]

Very nice!!!!

Thank you, it's one of my center pieces in my Finnish War of Liberation 1918 collection.

[Borzadow]

I'm observing your collection for some time and I have to said that it's IMPRESSING !!!
Real congrats for all your pieces you have there

At last after a long search, I got my hands of a fine early example of the cross of (Battle of) Rautu 1918.

I understand it's quite rare (I see it first time to be honest)? Do you know how many were awarded?

[Dansson]

I'm observing your collection for some time and I have to said that it's IMPRESSING !!!
Real congrats for all your pieces you have there


I understand it's quite rare (I see it first time to be honest)? Do you know how many were awarded?

Thank you, much appreciated
I scrolled through the thread and I still need to add quite a bunch of pictures.

Regarding the Cross of Rautu, it's quite rare. I would estimate the number awarded is far less than 2000. However I still have a long way to get my 1918 Finnish collection complete with all the battle and unit badges/awards.

[Dansson]

Medal for capture of Tampere in 1918.
Cross for the battle of Vilppula 1918.

[Dansson]

Then just playing with the camera, the Order of the Red star is one of the most photogenic awards that I have encountered. Easy to photo nicely.

[Dansson]

Today I received a beautiful hand made box, directly from the family. It's made by a Soviet POW to a Finnish soldier Toivo in 1944. I've never seen such detail and craftmanship in POW art before this one.

These items were made by POW's usually in exchange for cigarettes, food or some other items for the guards. The name Toivo under the sickle and the hammer is traditional Finnish name which also means "hope" in our language.
Sadly, I don't believe the Soviet POW had much hope of a future when returning to the USSR after the hostilities ended in 1944.
You can see Toivo's full name just above the hinge on the inside.

The Order of the Red Banner is just an artistic detail and is not related with the box.

[Heran]

Thanks AntiqueWW2 and Jeff for the compliments!

A bar that I've showed before on the forum, but I must show it again
A medal bar for a German (Saxon) who took part in the Finnish Civil war in the Ostsee Division. Received the Order of Liberty 3.Class 1918 which was awarded only 973 times in total.

He saw something that many in the west would never witness, what a nightmare the Bolshevism rising from the east was and how it luckily was stopped from spreading in Finland.


The bar has a trapezoid backplate with negative angles on the edges which is something I have so far seen mostly on bars of Saxon origin. This leads me to believe there was a certain Saxon bar mounter who preferred backplates of that style.

Love at the first sight!!!!!

Amazing. Congratulations

[Dansson]

Love at the first sight!!!!!

Amazing. Congratulations

Thank you! It's a gem

[SA-Standarte]

Dansson, what great idea's for taking photo's of collection items. Very impressive !

[gregM]

Top picture in post #68. The Ek and Red star ----
Very well done

[Dansson]

Thanks for the comments. they are much appreciated.

Got today a small leather purse which has a Red Star cockade attached on the side and on the other side an 3.Reich eagle. Serves well as photo background, changing theme just be turning it.

I suspect it's made by a German soldier, as I've read quite many times that someone had attached a Red Star cockade to ones wallet as a souvenir.

[Dansson]

Thought I'd add a "Wiederholungsspange" to my collection. This one made by Deumer and marked L/11.