Finnish soldiers w/Edelweiss

[MASteel]

Hi,

I've spoken with Finnsih vet's who fought in north Finland with Germans. Troops had their own way's of making trades between each others and Edelweiss was good currency!

It seems that some Finnisf soldiers even wore that on their caps like Germans!

Here is Inf.Reg 14 soldier with his mortar & Edelweiss on his Finnish m/36 field cap.

-Miikka

[MASteel]

Another pic...

[MASteel]

...and 3rd one, this soldier is wearing it on his m/22 field cap.

Wearing this badge was not approved by Finnish commanders but they wore it anyway!

Cheers,
Miikka

[Hans N]

Hi Miika,


most interesting pics you´ve posted. I have heard of this but never actually seen it until now. Thanks for sharing these nice pics

This makes me think why the officers aproved the use of them, the finns had normally a very hard disiplin regarding uniforms etc. Could this be a kind of Unit emblem? If so, it would explain the use of them.

What do you think Miikka?

[Simon O.]

Great stuff!

Another one of those 'but, they didn't do that' sort of photos. I've also seen photos of LW ground personnel up on the Murmansk front wearing the edelweiss.

[MASteel]

That regiment which was "up there" was made of "local boys" around my home town area. I've been lucky enough to speak with the vet's from that reg. and actually I'm a secretary of their unofficial heritage preserving "organisation".

I also asked about that Edelweiss from the vet's and it seems that some commanders were not that strict than others while at front. And the fact that fighting up there close to Polar Sea was a nightmare, only rocks, no way you could dig a hole for cover, field hospital was 14km's from front line and half of the trip wounded had to be carried (by 4 men) since even the horses could not be used due to steep cliffs & narrow pathes etc... Maybe commanders looked away on these circumstances...? But I've not seen a pic where officer wearing Edelweiss...

Here is one more pic from that time & place.
2nd ltn on back leaninig on LW lid is the same vet who's decoration is on my wall display and I've his uniforms also. He got ltn rank in 1942. I think I posted pics from those also to Collectors display forum?

One nice story a vet told me:
Vet was a NCO and was visiting HQ for new orders at the same time when Germans delivered a box full of EK2's there. They told that Finnish commanders should give those to soldiers who they think deserved it. When German who deliverd the box left away, every officer who were present took one for himself, including all "writing-desk" officers! He told also that award doc's were not delivered, only medals. And he did not get one... I've seen his medal bar and there is no EK2...

-Miikka

[MASteel]

Hans,

Edelweiss was not used as unit emblem, that was confirmed to me by several vets. But maybe some mortar group used it, who knows? JR14 had this as unit emblem but they started wearing it only after they came down from Petsamo.

This is a scan from a pin we made after original badge.

-Miikka

[MASteel]

...and here is original arm patch.


-Miikka

[Hans N]

Hi Miikka,

your story about the EK2´s is very interesting. Most, if not almost all, photos i have seen of finns and EK´s are of officers. The lack of awarddoc´s could explain it like a "gift" from one "Brother in Arms" to another. This makes me think about how many german awards to finnish soldiers in fact are/was officially awarded?

Sent you a PM Miikka.

[MASteel]

Hans,

Got you PM & replied.

You are quite correct with that thought... It was "exchange of decorations" ie. Finns did the same with Medals & Crosses of Freedom but not in that scale as did the Germans. In book named "Vapaudenrisitin ritartikunta" is written about this. Mannerheim did not want to do this exhange but Germans almost insisted...

But the EK's with award document, those are different thing!

-Miikka

Hi Miikka,

your story about the EK2´s is very interesting. Most, if not almost all, photos i have seen of finns and EK´s are of officers. The lack of awarddoc´s could explain it like a "gift" from one "Brother in Arms" to another. This makes me think about how many german awards to finnish soldiers in fact are/was officially awarded?

Sent you a PM Miikka.