Swedish Volunteer Corps (Winter War)

Osasto Roininen and Swedish Volunteer Corps at Salla.

The Commander of Swedish volunteers General Ernst Linder (right) and his Chief of Staff Carl August Ehrensvärd in Tornio.

The Swedish Volunteer Corps (Swedish: Svenska frivilligkåren) during the Winter War numbered 9,640. Sweden was officially non-belligerent during the course of the war, so only volunteers could be used by Finland. The volunteers were in the front lines in northern Salla area starting on February 28, 1940. Losses included 33 dead, 10 missing, 50 wounded and 130 disabled due to frostbite.^[1] There were 25 planes in the Swedish Voluntary Air Force, F19. The Swedish volunteers also defended Turku with an anti-aircraft battery.

By the end of the war, the Volunteer Corps consisted of 8,260 Swedes, along with 725 Norwegians and 600 Danes.^[1] The volunteers demonstrated a strong Nordic unity that was symbolized in their insignia of the "four brother hands", representing Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark.

Commanders

• 1940: General Ernst Linder

Organization

Swedish Volunteer Corps - Svenska Frivilligkåren

• • I. stridsgruppen (Lieutenant-Colonel Magnus Dyrssen†, Captain Carl 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

See also

• Sweden and the Winter War
• Swedish Volunteer Battalion

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.

External links

• Volunteers in the Winter War
• Volunteer Swedish aviators in the Winter War
• Swedish language site of the Swedish Volunteer organization