Georg Sooden

Georg Sooden
Nickname(s)	"Vana Koll" ("Old Bogy")
Born	December 2, 1904 Helsinki, Finland
Died	July 28, 1944 (aged 39) Blue Hills, Estonia
Buried at	Jõhvi, Estonia
Allegiance	Estonia  Nazi Germany
Years of service	Estonian Army 1925–1940 Wehrmacht 1941–1944 Waffen SS 1944
Rank	SS-Sturmbannführer
Unit	1943 659th Ost Battalion 1944 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian)
Battles/wars	World War II Eastern Front Battle of Auvere Battle for Narva Bridgehead Battle of Blue Hills
Awards	1st & 2nd class Iron cross Eastern Front Medal

Georg Aleksander Sooden (December 2, 1904 – July 28, 1944) was an Estonian officer, who served in the Estonian Army, the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS.

Georg Sooden was born in Helsinki, Finland. His family moved to Estonia into Jõhvi. In 1925 he enlisted in the Estonian Army and graduated officer school in 1927.

After Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1941, Sooden was drafted into the Red Army; he deserted to the Wehrmacht when it invaded the Soviet Union. That same year, Sooden volunteered for the Wehrmacht's Estonian units and he was promoted to Oberleutnant. In September, the Estonian East battalions were moved to Russia, fighting against the Red Army in Volkhov. In May 1943, Sooden was appointed to command of the 659 Estonian East Battalion and was awarded with the Iron cross. On January, 1944 Sooden was promoted to Sturmbannführer.

In 1944, the battalion came to Jõhvi and soon it was sent to the Narva front and attached to the 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian). He fought in the Battle of Narva and the Battle of Tannenberg Line in the Sinimäed Hills.

Georg Sooden was killed in action on July 28, 1944. Sooden was buried in Jõhvi in the square of the War of Independence.

Awards

Decorations

• Eastern Front Medal
• Iron Cross 2nd & 1st class