Swedish Volunteer Corps

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.

Commanders

Organization

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

Casualties

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

ID no.NameBornRankUnitDate killedNote
753Zachau, Anders Robert1906-08-31LöjtnantAir Force1940-01-12[note 1]
897Sjöqvist, John Magnus1918-09-23FänrikAir Force1940-01-23
2121Sjödin, Sven Adolf1916-04-19PrivateII grp, stabskomp.1940-02-23
3399Persson, Helmer Ove Albin1915-03-04ÖversergeantII grp, stabskomp.1940-02-23
553Dyrssen, Magnus Peder Vilhelm1894-05-18ÖverstelöjtnantCmdr, I grp1940-03-01
2437Wibble, Per Arne1920-03-23PrivateII grp, 3. skkomp.1940-03-01
3347Hjukström, Evald Ossian1909-06-22ÖversergeantII grp, 4. jkomp.1940-03-02
230Hömqvist, Gunnar Ingemar1915-03-11ÖversergeantII grp, 4. jkomp.1940-03-02
9076Svensson-Myhr, Olof1912-10-08ÖversergeantII grp, 4. jkomp.1940-03-02
2601Wallman, Helge Bernhard1913-07-12SergeantII grp, 4. jkomp.1940-03-02
2595Johansson, Karl Jonas Adolf1912-07-14PrivateII grp, 4. jkomp.1940-03-02
1342Karlsson, Gustaf Per1915-06-11PrivateII grp, 4. jkomp.1940-03-02[note 2]
4149Palm, Knut Algot1918-05-13PrivateII grp, 4. jkomp.1940-03-02
2742Öjstad, Torbjörn1916-02-04FänrikII grp, 4. jkomp.1940-03-02
389Janson, Bror Sixten Valdemar1908-03-29SergeantII grp, 4. jkomp.1940-03-02
1349Johansson, Linus J. W.1917-02-28PrivateII grp, 4. jkomp.1940-03-02
1555Andersson, Arvid1912-01-26Norwegian PrivateI grp, 3. skkomp.1940-03-02
681Wemstedt, Melcher Wasa Bo G.1909-09-22LöjtnantI grp, stabskomp.1940-03-07
2210Winlöf, Karl Erik1893-10-30PrivateI grp, 4. jkomp.1940-03-07
8444Thegerström, Jan Henrik1918-01-16PrivateII grp, 3. skkomp.1940-03-08
752Hildinger, Sten Åke1914-06-06LöjtnantAir Force1940-03-10
9404Christensen, Abraham, Joh.1891-12-19Norwegian PrivateII grp, 1. skkomp.1940-03-10
2352Roth, Carl Willy1908-11-23Private2. bilkomp.1940-03-12
2431Jonsson, Anders1917-09-04Översergeant2. bilkomp.1940-03-12
2185Cederborg, Knut Ragnar1910-10-01PrivateI grp, 1. skkomp.1940-03-13
3893Eriksson, Filip E. Volger1905-07-27PrivateI grp, 3. skkomp.1940-03-13
8301Andersson, Bernt Einar1917-05-22PrivateII grp, 4. jkomp.1940-03-13
3298Brandin, Bror Atle1910-12-02PrivateII grp, 4. jkomp.1940-03-13
255Svensson, Karl Olle August1915-09-14SergeantII grp, 4. jkomp.1940-03-13
3242Gustafsson, Gustaf1910-06-10Private2. pvplut.1940-03-13
8389Johansson, Erik Harald1914-01-15Private2. pvplut.1940-03-13
2592Lindegren, Anders Hugo1916-05-13Private2. pvplut.1940-03-13
8686Månsson, Gösta Georg1897-09-13SergeantII grp, 2. skkomp.1940-03-31

See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Swedish Volunteer Corps.

Footnotes
  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 ever 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
  1. 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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