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Swedish Volunteer Corps

(Redirected from Swedish Volunteer Corps (Winter War))

The Swedish Volunteer Corps (Swedish: Svenska frivilligkåren) during the Winter War numbered 9,640 officers and men. Sweden was officially non-belligerent during the war, so the Corps was used by Finland. The Swedish volunteers were in the front lines in the northern Salla area starting from February 28, 1940. Their losses included 33 dead, 10 missing, 50 wounded, and 130 disabled by frostbite.[1] There were also 25 aircraft that served in the Swedish Voluntary Air Force, F19. Swedish volunteers also defended Turku in an anti-aircraft battery.

Swedish Volunteer Corps and Osasto Roininen (Detachment Roininen) in Salla
The Commander of Swedish volunteers General Ernst Linder (right) and his Chief of Staff Carl August Ehrensvärd in Tornio

By the end of the war, the Volunteer Corps was composed of 8,260 Swedes, plus 725 Norwegians, and 600 Danes.[1] They demonstrated a strong Nordic unity that was symbolized in their "four brother hands" insignia which represented Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.

The Volunteer Corps preceded the Swedish Volunteer Battalion and the Swedish Volunteer Company in World War II.

Commanders

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Organization

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Swedish Volunteer Corps - Svenska Frivilligkåren

    • I. stridsgruppen (Lieutenant-Colonel Magnus Dyrssen †, Captain Carl C:son Bonde, Lieutenant-Colonel Carl-Oscar Agell)
      • 1. skyttekompaniet
      • 2. skyttekompaniet
      • 3. skyttekompaniet
      • 4. jägarkompaniet
      • 5. tunga kompaniet
      • 1. batteriet
      • 1. plogplutonen
      • 1. signalplutonen
    • II. stridsgruppen (Lieutenant-Colonel Viking Tamm)
      • 1. skyttekompaniet
      • 2. skyttekompaniet
      • 3. skyttekompaniet
      • 4. jägarkompaniet
      • 5. tunga kompaniet
      • 2. batteriet
      • 2. plogplutonen
      • 2. signalplutonen
    • III. stridsgruppen (Lieutenant-Colonel Martin Ekström)
      • 1. skyttekompaniet
      • 2. skyttekompaniet
      • 3. skyttekompaniet
      • 4. jägarkompaniet
      • 5. tunga kompaniet
      • 3. batteriet
      • 3. plogplutonen
      • 3. signalplutonen
    • Other units:
      • 1. pansarvärnsplutonen
      • 2. pansarvärnsplutonen
      • Luftvärnskompaniet
      • Ingenjörkompaniet
      • 16. självständiga jägarkompaniet
      • (17. självständiga jägarkompaniet)
      • Intendenturkompaniet
      • Vägkompaniet
      • 1. bilkompaniet
      • 2. bilkompaniet
      • Anspannskompaniet
      • 1. sjukvårdsplutonen
      • 2. sjukvårdsplutonen
      • Hästambulans
      • Ambulans
      • F 19

Weapons

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  • 7.5 cm Guns M/02
  • 40mm Anti Aircraft Guns M/36
  • 7.5 cm Anti Aircraft guns
  • 20mm Automatic Cannons
  • 3.7 cm Anti Tank guns M/38
  • 8 cm Mortars M/29
  • 13mm Anti Tank Rifles

Vehicles

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  • 83 motorcycles
  • 83 cars
  • 350 trucks
  • 13 tractors

Casualties

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33 men of the Swedish Volunteer Corps were killed. These were:[2]

ID no. Name Born Rank Unit Date killed Note
753 Zachau, Anders Robert 1906-08-31 Löjtnant Air Force 1940-01-12 [note 1]
897 Sjöqvist, John Magnus 1918-09-23 Fänrik Air Force 1940-01-23
2121 Sjödin, Sven Adolf 1916-04-19 Private II grp, stabskomp. 1940-02-23
3399 Persson, Helmer Ove Albin 1915-03-04 Översergeant II grp, stabskomp. 1940-02-23
553 Dyrssen, Magnus Peder Vilhelm 1894-05-18 Överstelöjtnant Cmdr, I grp 1940-03-01
2437 Wibble, Per Arne 1920-03-23 Private II grp, 3. skkomp. 1940-03-01
3347 Hjukström, Evald Ossian 1909-06-22 Översergeant II grp, 4. jkomp. 1940-03-02
230 Hömqvist, Gunnar Ingemar 1915-03-11 Översergeant II grp, 4. jkomp. 1940-03-02
9076 Svensson-Myhr, Olof 1912-10-08 Översergeant II grp, 4. jkomp. 1940-03-02
2601 Wallman, Helge Bernhard 1913-07-12 Sergeant II grp, 4. jkomp. 1940-03-02
2595 Johansson, Karl Jonas Adolf 1912-07-14 Private II grp, 4. jkomp. 1940-03-02
1342 Karlsson, Gustaf Per 1915-06-11 Private II grp, 4. jkomp. 1940-03-02 [note 2]
4149 Palm, Knut Algot 1918-05-13 Private II grp, 4. jkomp. 1940-03-02
2742 Öjstad, Torbjörn 1916-02-04 Fänrik II grp, 4. jkomp. 1940-03-02
389 Janson, Bror Sixten Valdemar 1908-03-29 Sergeant II grp, 4. jkomp. 1940-03-02
1349 Johansson, Linus J. W. 1917-02-28 Private II grp, 4. jkomp. 1940-03-02
1555 Andersson, Arvid 1912-01-26 Norwegian Private I grp, 3. skkomp. 1940-03-02
681 Wemstedt, Melcher Wasa Bo G. 1909-09-22 Löjtnant I grp, stabskomp. 1940-03-07
2210 Winlöf, Karl Erik 1893-10-30 Private I grp, 4. jkomp. 1940-03-07
8444 Thegerström, Jan Henrik 1918-01-16 Private II grp, 3. skkomp. 1940-03-08
752 Hildinger, Sten Åke 1914-06-06 Löjtnant Air Force 1940-03-10
9404 Christensen, Abraham, Joh. 1891-12-19 Norwegian Private II grp, 1. skkomp. 1940-03-10
2352 Roth, Carl Willy 1908-11-23 Private 2. bilkomp. 1940-03-12
2431 Jonsson, Anders 1917-09-04 Översergeant 2. bilkomp. 1940-03-12
2185 Cederborg, Knut Ragnar 1910-10-01 Private I grp, 1. skkomp. 1940-03-13
3893 Eriksson, Filip E. Volger 1905-07-27 Private I grp, 3. skkomp. 1940-03-13
8301 Andersson, Bernt Einar 1917-05-22 Private II grp, 4. jkomp. 1940-03-13
3298 Brandin, Bror Atle 1910-12-02 Private II grp, 4. jkomp. 1940-03-13
255 Svensson, Karl Olle August 1915-09-14 Sergeant II grp, 4. jkomp. 1940-03-13
3242 Gustafsson, Gustaf 1910-06-10 Private 2. pvplut. 1940-03-13
8389 Johansson, Erik Harald 1914-01-15 Private 2. pvplut. 1940-03-13
2592 Lindegren, Anders Hugo 1916-05-13 Private 2. pvplut. 1940-03-13
8686 Månsson, Gösta Georg 1897-09-13 Sergeant II grp, 2. skkomp. 1940-03-31

See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Swedish Volunteer Corps.

Footnotes

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  1. ^ The 33-year-old Anders Zachau, a forest officer from Uddevalla, followed his aircraft to the ground and was killed. He thus became the first person of the Swedish Air Force who died in battle. His remains were found in 1942 and was then transferred to Sweden for burial in Uddevalla. His name is remembered in the Swedish Air Force Memorial Hall.[3]
  2. ^ Per-Gustaf Karlsson from Morjärv was badly wounded on 2 March 1940, behind the Soviet front line at Märkäjärvi, but could not be brought back to his own line. After the end of the Continuation War, a body was found buried at a former Soviet medical site. The remains could not be identified and were placed in a German mass grave at Kellosälkä (Salla area). When the German casualties there were taken to Germany, it was noted that it was Per-Gustaf Carlsson's remains. The funeral service could then take place at Morjärv Church on 17 January 1960 with interment at its cemetery.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b Dahlberg, Hans (1983). I Sverige under 2:a världskriget [In Sweden during World War II] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Bonnier fakta. p. 269. ISBN 91-34-50308-0.
  2. ^ Tigerstedt, Örnulf, ed. (1940). I österled: en bokfilm om svenska frivilligkåren (in Swedish). Stockholm: Självständighetsförb. p. 96. SELIBR 1372129.
  3. ^ Bydén, Micael (12 January 2015). "Flygvapnets första strid och första förlust" [The Swedish Air Force's first combat and first casualty] (in Swedish). Swedish Armed Forces. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  4. ^ "In memoriam". www.svenskafrivilliga.com (in Swedish). Retrieved 12 April 2018.
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