Marshal Mannerheim (1867-1951)
... Saviour, National Hero, Officer and Gentleman!
Much could be written about this iconic man that lead Finland's armies through no less than 4 conflicts ... and probably the superlatives will run dry halfway through the text. I will not even attempt to add more to the amounts that have already been written about him, more than to say that I honestly think that he is a man that will NEVER be forgotten in Finnish history.

On his return from a disintegrating Russia (in revolution), he was immediately tasked with leading the White Forces against the many Russian troops still in Finland and also the Red Guards in the civil conflich that ensued, in 1918.

In 1939, at the age of 72, he was once again forced to shoulder the responsibility of Supreme Commander of the small but ever so resilient Finnish Army against the might of the Red Army - a superhuman task!

He did it so well that Finland remained a free nation after the war, in contrast to almost all others facing the Soviet Union, as most of them were imprisoned behind the iron curtain after the war. There can never be a bigger debt of gratitude owed by a nation to one of it's leaders as that of the Nation of Finland to it's Marshal - the one and only Baron (Friherre) Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim.

Famous Mannerheim quotes
- (On Hitler's visit to Finland in 1942) When Hitler saw the Marshal, he ran toward him. "An officer doesn't run," Mannerheim is said to have remarked to the officers accompanying him. "Only corporals do that."

- (Questioning the front report from Taipale, after 1,000 Russians were killed in action, Mannerheim received the confirmation that over 1,000 enemy rifles had been collected and inventoried) "I did not think that my men were so good, or that the Russians could be so bad."

- (During a dinner with a German Liaison officer, who asked whether he dared to smoke, before the Marshal had finished his meal, the Marshal simply replied) "I don't know, no one has ever tried it.'"

Miscellaneous "Mannerheimia"
Mannerheims speech to the troops after the Winter War
The Mannerheim Museum (Helsinki)

In the footsteps of my grandfathers
My family came to Sweden in 1970, my parents having been recruited by Swedish companies in a time when industrial work force was in great shortage in a booming Sweden.

The first years were tough in many aspects, especially learning a completely different language and adapting to life in a foreign and sometimes prejudiced country.

There was always the longing back to one's home neighbourhoods in the mind. As the years passed the longing waned but the roots have always prevailed and have come to the fore as middle-age sets in.

I am chasing the history of my country as well as that of my grandfathers, Niilo Järvinen and Mauno Nieminen, who both served in the Finnish Army. They along with hundreds of thousands were facing the invasion of the Red Masses, attempting to eradicate Finland from the map of independent and free nations.

My grandfathers survived the wars but came home as broken men, broken by experiences we can hardly imagine.

Thanks to the heroic and supernatural efforts of the Finnish soldiers, children and women on the home front - the nation was saved from ending up on the wrong side of the iron curtain. This is quite a feat considering the fact that a population of merely 4 million resisted a nation of more than 180 million and far superior resources.

Keeping their memory alive
In a time when people become more and more complacent and comfortable I get more and more fascinated by the events of the past. History, to me, is a vital and also living aspect shaping individual nations to what they are. Forgetting about this is a great shame.

Had it not been for the heroic resistance of our ancestors, Finland would have suffered the same grim fate as so many east European nations and would not be as advanced and democratic nation as it is today.

On a personal note, I probably even wouldn't be writing these lines at all.

With the horrendous massacre of Polish officers at Katyn in mind, I am quite certain that both grandfathers would have perished at the hands of the NKVD-butchers had the communist invaders succeeded. Especially "incriminating" for my grandfather (on father's side) was that he was a member of the Civil Guard.

This is just not idle speculation about the intents of Stalin, as he was known to have quoted before the hostilities had even started: "... after all, there are less people in all of Finland than in Leningrad, therefore they can all be moved!". No prizes for guessing WHERE they were supposed to have been moved!

The 5th - Lynx - Division
Until now I have only re-enacted Swedish history from the 17th to the 19th century - a truly eventful and belligerent period in both Swedish, but also, Finnish history.

As I started to think on the lines of 20th century history and re-enacting - there was ever going to be only ONE choice - The Finnish Army.

The unit we will be portraying and re-enacting is the 5.Div - or more commonly known as the Ilves (Lynx) Division, as it was raised in Häme County. The Lynx is the symbol of Häme county. 

5.Div fought mainly to the north of Lake Ladoga and was heavily involved in some frantic action during the succesful offensives in 1941 all the way to the despite defensive actions during the great Soviet assaults in 1944. The actions leading to the loss of just over 10,000 men of it's entire strength. more on the history, click here

The idea was launched sometime during June 2010 and the first tentative steps were taken in July and August, gathering material, uniforms etc.

In late August I went to Finland and visited several surplus stores, suppliers and also museums in southern Finland and in my home county of Häme (Tavastia). This resulted in me acquiring a complete Finnish m/36 summer uniform. The woollen winter tunic was purchased in november and all that remains is the great coat ... and maybe the winter camouflage overalls. 

A rugged army ... in Your event soon!
This may not be the most elegant of uniforms, especially in comparison with the impressive German uniform, but it will surely be the proudest uniform in my collection - as it is shrouded in glory!

The uniform is based on the German uniform that was brought from Germany as a model for the Finnish version that was established in 1936. The woollen (winter uniform) was almost identical in cut and design to the German whereas the cotton summer tunic completely different, being a very basic tunic. During the winter there was also the great coat, also based on the German versions with slight differences ... and above all the winter camouflage covers that were so effective during the winter war, a lession the Soviets picked up quickly.

We have used historical archives and books - especially the excellent Asepuku M/36 (by Petteri Leino) as reference when gathering our material and uniforms.

The next step is sharing the purpose of the 5.Ilves Div-group and hopefully by spring/summer 2011 we will be ready with a number of members sharing in WWII-events, wherever in Europe these may be. All this must be done with the utmost respect to the veterans.

Another purpose is to share the history of this small, distant but heroic nation, whose history appear to many merely as a historical sideshow! Remember that tiny Finland with a population less than 4 million, withstood the countless masses of the Soviet Union in two separate conflicts (Winter War and Continuation War), by doing so preserving the liberty of our small nation. This is an achievement, unsurpassed in the annals of military history! This is a heritage I am immensely proud of and also one that my grandfathers took part in!

We look forward to particpate in YOUR event and hope also to share events in these Northern reaches of Europe. We will be happy to create links with ALL WWII-groups dedicated to keeping the history alive.

If Your society is doing Eastern Front activities, or any other WWII or multiperiod event for that matter, please, make sure to keep us informed, as we also will aim to share our future events with You!

The more, the merrier ... and re-enactments are all about sharing and serving a common interest!



Kersantti "Karhu", 5.(Lynx) Div ... somewhere in Eastern Karelia


More on 5.Div events and history, click here