Finland My Finnish Collection 1918-1945

[christerd]

Hi, just want to show my awards from Finland. i don´t have the $$$$$$$ stuff , but still got a collection worth showing I think.

I start from the beginning in 1918

My first item is a Commerative medal for participating in the war 1918 , made by Sporrong & Co Stockholm Sweden in about 100 000 pieces

given to all that took part in the war , including Germans +12000 and Swedish + 1000.

This medal have the bar 2 Karjala Rintama " which means Carelian Front , they could also be awarded with a rose on the ribbon for bravery.

[christerd]

And here is the backside of the medal showing the Finnish Lion .

[christerd]

Now the next award from 1918 is the Liberty Medals , the where in two classes , the first class made of silver and second class of Bronce

Both medals was made by Sporrong & Co Sweden and the silver one is marked with Swedish markings for silver and year letter Q7 = 1918

Interesting is that also the Bronce medal from 1918 is marked Q7 for year and B for Bronce , this is normally never done on Swedish medals not made in Silver but in these 1918 medals they are marked like this.

The front shows a Lion with sword and the Finnish word " URHEUDESTA" meaning Bravery this is also written in Swedish at the bottom.

on the backside it is written " Suomen Kansalta" or " from People of Finland " and year 1918 . The ribbon for 2nd Class is Red with two yellow stripes and the 1st class is blue with two narrow white stripes.

These medals was given to both Finnish and Foreign military for bravery and by rank so medals was normally awarded to Privates and NCOs

About 5000 1st class medals was awarded , and about 8000 2nd class , there was also medals awarded to doctors and nurses these medals have a red cross on the front below the lion and are very rare . The third and last version was the medal for homefront duties , the medals are the same but the ribbon is green with ablack stripe in the middle and two red ones on the edges.

[christerd]

And the backside of the medals with the words "From the People of Finland" 1918

[christerd]

Now the nest level of award if you where for ex a Leutnant in German Ostsee division 1918 , was probably the Liberty Cross 4th Class

These crosses was awarded in four classes 1st , 2nd , 3rd and 4th , There was some higher special classes like Great Cross with Swords and Diamonds 1 !! Awarded to Wilhelm II .... and some more extreme ones awarded in < 10 pieces each.

The first class was a neck order 49 x 49 mm with yellow ribbon 41 mm wide with two red stripes . The 1st class has enamelled cross and is of outstanding quality made in germany by the firm Otto Oertel who made all of the 1918 liberty crosses 1-4th class.

2nd class was a breast order 38 x 38 mm otherwise similar to 1st class, 3rd and 4th classes was without enamel on the cross, swords/cross on 3rd class in gold , while 4th class in silver.

Also there is cross for civilian and medics , and since the fighters cross are quite rare all others are even harder to get

I have only the lower 4th class in my collection , here you have two typical ones , the first in normal Finnish style with the rosette ribbon and the other one

most possible given to a German since you often find these without the rosette ribbon , and instead with a piece of red/white ribbon.

[christerd]

And the backside of the crosses with 1918 in raised position, notice the swords that are double sided, later in 1941 crosses they are flat on the backside .

Edited July 25, 2011 by christerd

[christerd]

The smallest Libert Cross in my collection is this 1918 miniature

compare to the normal size to the left, The quality of these small crosses are fantastic !

[Deruelle]

Hi Christer,

I'm very impressed by your finnish collection Congrats. I hope you can show us more beauties in the future. Thanks for showing your collection to us.

Christophe

[christerd]

One of the hardest battles in the 1918 war , was for the city Tampere 3-6 april 1918, and in August 1918 come a medal for the memory of the battle

ribbon is green with white and yellow stripes .

[christerd]

Backside of the medal .

Edited July 25, 2011 by christerd

[christerd]

And of course I have some ribbon bars from 1918 war period !

Here is one with : Medal for Winter War 1939 , Medal for Tampere 1918 , Aunus Commemorative Cross , and 1918 medal

Edited July 25, 2011 by christerd

[christerd]

Here is another one :

1st Class bravery medal 1918 - 1918 medal - Tampere 1918 - Aunus Commemorative Cross

[christerd]

Another ribbon bar , notice the strange fastener ! ordinarie screws .... must made som real holes in the uniform and often seen on old Finnish ribbon bars

Here we have Bravery medal 2nd class 1918 - 1918 medal - winter war 1939 medal - Tampere 1918

[christerd]

Here is a interesting ribbon bar ,

First Liberty Cross 4th class at the front (probably 1918 ) then Liberty Cross for civilian/non fighting 1939 ? , 1918 medal with rose for bravery and 1939 medal wo swords probably for behind front work.

Someone who fought bravely in 1918 and got the medal + Liberty Cross , then joined the force again during winter war and got a second liberty cross this time for non fighting. These Nc ribbon bars devices are quite hard to find.

[christerd]

Thanks Christophe

More will come !

[christerd]

Here is anothe ribbon bar with connection to 1918 war,

Since the Finnish ribbons dont say anything about what year they are, so we have to guess a little when looking at ribbon bars .....

First a 4th class 1939 for civilian/ non fighting , a 1st class bravery medal 1918 ? , medal for 1918 and medal wo swords for 1939 winter war .

[christerd]

And in 1939 it was nother War the so called Winter War 1939-1940 , and the medals nd Lbert Crosses from 1918 was reinstituted

Now the medals was made in Finland , they look the same but on the bac is the year 1939 instead of 1918 , and as a result of metal shortage most silver medals wasnt made of silver at all, real silver ones is much harder to find in 1939 and 1941 versions

[christerd]

A Document for a Bravery medal 2nd class 1939 , these documnets are quite big compare to the medal .....

Thet are issued both in normal Finnish and in Swedish for Swedish volunteers and Swedish speaking parts of Finland.

The medal was awarded to Elias Lappi , no rank or date on the document but its presigned 1940 .

[christerd]

After the winter war 1939-1940 was a commerative medal instituted 2nd August 1940 , this is the most common of all Finnish medals but there are some real rare ones of this ordinary medal too.

Awarded to Finnish or Foreigner made of Iron 31 mm Dia , on the front a soldier with rifle and winter uniform and the year 1939-1940, backside has the words

" Kunnia Isänmaa" something like Glory Homeland in English .

Medals was made in Germany by the firm B . H Mayer , If awarded to a Foreigner the medal have a different backside and was a little bit bigger (the medals for Foreigners was made in Finland.

The medals could be awarded with swords and bar , only with bar or whitout swords and bar in all.

The bars was for different fronts/battles there is 11 different bars , and only one was to be on ribbon. , There is also bars for Army, Homefront, Air Force and Coastal Defence totally 15 Bars .

There was also very few medals in silver 42 awarded and Gold awarded to Head of States and similar.7 awarded

The last medal is for Foreigner made of Bronze for people helping Finland outside the battlefield ,

The normal medal was awarded in + 600 000 times , the one for Foreigner maybe 10 000 and the one in Bronze 1961 ps awarded !

The medal came in a simple paper bag, and with a piece of ribbon

[christerd]

And the backside , its is the light that make it looks almost silver but it is made of blackened iron

Edited July 25, 2011 by christerd

[christerd]

Medal for 1939-40 War .

Here is the four different bars for from left : Kotijoukot = Home Front

Ilmapuolustus = Air Force

Kenttäarmeija = Army

Rannikkopuolusfus = Coastal Defence

Then there is elven bars with battles

[christerd]

And an interesting document that shows the close connection between Finnland and Sweden in the old days

A doc for the 1939-40 medal to a Finnish Leutnant Erik Lerbacka born in December 27th 1906 in Kristinsstad with the bar

" Kotijoukut " The document is totally in Swedish , because the part of Finnland where Erik was born was Swedish speaking in 1940.

Christer

[christerd]

Ok , now over to the battle bars 11 in all if you remember ,

First from the left : Suomussalmi

Taipale

Tolvajärvi

Lakotan Karjala

In Finnland those names are like Verdun, Somme or Ypres for a WW 1 historian .....

[christerd]

Ok four more of the battlebars from Left : Kainuu

Summa

Pohjois -Karjala

Lappi

The last one in Northern Finnland was to be a battlefield 4 years later and now against their former allies , the Germans -----

[christerd]

And now the three last battlebars ,

First one is Mantsinsaari , this is one of the hardets bars to find . next one is Karjalan-Kannas wich is probably the most common one

and last Koivisto also a tricky one .