Figure 1: Marshal (later President) Mannerheim of Finland. Marshal of Finland, and later the sixth President of Finland (1944-46). Mannerheim was born in 1867 to a noble Finnish family from Sweden when Finland was still part of the Russian Empire. In 1882, at the age of 15, he was sent to the Finnish Cadet Corps in Mamina to learn self-discipline and possibly a profession. Mannerheim disliked the school, was rebellious, went on leave without permission, and eventually was expelled from the Finnish Cadet Corps. With his career in the Finnish defense forces terminated, he aimed to join the Russian armed forces, with his eye on entering the Imperial Page School in St. Petersburg. However his report from the Finnish Cadet Corps on his poor conduct nixed his goal. After spending some time being mentored by relatives and studying Russian, he passed his university entrance exams in June 1887. With the help of his godmother, Baroness Alfhild Scalon de Coligny, who had connections to the Russian court, he was accepted to the Nicholas Cavalry School. He graduated in 1889 second in his class and was promoted to the rank of Cornet. He was then posted to the 15th Alexandriskii Dragoons at Kalisz on the border of Poland. He served with distinction in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-5) and in World War I on the Austro-Hungarian and Romanian fronts. While he was on leave visiting St. Petersburg and Finland in early 1917, the Bolshevik Revolution broke out. Mannerheim didn’t support communism and fell out of favor with the new government and was relieved of his duties. On December 18, 1817 he returned to Finland, the land of his birth, a member of the nobility. After the Bolshevik Revolution, Lieutenant General Mannerheim led the Finnish ’White’ army in the Civil War to defeat the ’Reds’-the Finnish Communists. In 1933 he was recalled from retirement, and in 1939, at the age of 72, the Finnish Senate appointed Mannerheim as Commander-in- Chief of Finland’s almost nonexistent army. How ironic that a Russian trained general of Swedish decent was the Soviet’s main adversary. During the Winter War, Russian materiel and manpower were endless compared to the overextended Finns and the Finns were forced to concede to Russian demands to avoid occupation of their country. The peace terms were harsh. Finland lost over 10% of its territory, some 40,000 square miles, 12% of its population had to move out of their homes, and Finland lost its third largest city Viipuii, an important trading center. In addition Finnish losses in the war were about 25,000 dead, 10,000 permanently disabled, and another 35,000 wounded. Soviet losses were about one million men and much of their military credibility. The Soviets continued to meddle in Finnish affairs and, when Germany’s long planned Operation Barbarossa to attack Russia began in June 1941, Finland found an ally to rid themselves of the Russians. This became known as the Continuation War 1941-44, because it was seen as a continuation of events that began with the Winter War. Finland’s goal was to recover ceded territories but they refused to attack the Soviet homeland. Finland didn’t want to risk alienating Britain, France and the United States, which were allies of the Russians during World War II. Great Britain did declare war on Finland but it was of negligible consequence. In early June German aircraft began to arrive supporting Finnish operations against the Russians. Since June, 1941 Germany and Finland had been at war with the Soviet Union. As early as the summer of 1943, the German high command suspected Finland would make a separate peace with Russia as the Germans suffered defeats on the Russian Front. The Germans withdrew forces northward in order to protect nickel mines near Petsamo. Fighting broke out between German and Finnish forces before the Soviet-Finnish peace treaty was signed. The Finns sought to comply with the Soviet demand that all German troops be expelled from Finland. The Finns were thus placed in a situation similar 3 8 JOMSA
Transcript
Figure 1: Marshal (later President) Mannerheim of
Finland.
Marshal of Finland, and later the sixth President of Finland (1944-46). Mannerheim was born in 1867 to a noble Finnish family from Sweden when Finland was still part of the Russian Empire. In 1882, at the age of 15, he was sent to the Finnish Cadet Corps in Mamina to learn self-discipline and possibly a profession. Mannerheim disliked the school, was rebellious, went on leave without permission, and eventually was expelled from the Finnish Cadet Corps.
With his career in the Finnish defense forces terminated, he aimed to join the Russian armed forces, with his eye on entering the Imperial Page School in St. Petersburg. However his report from the Finnish Cadet Corps on his poor conduct nixed his goal. After spending some time being mentored by relatives and studying Russian, he passed his university entrance exams in June 1887. With the help of his godmother, Baroness Alfhild Scalon de Coligny, who had connections to the Russian court, he was accepted to the Nicholas Cavalry School. He graduated in 1889 second in his class and was promoted to the rank of Cornet. He was then posted to the 15th Alexandriskii Dragoons at Kalisz on the border of Poland. He served with distinction in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-5) and in World War I on the Austro-Hungarian and Romanian fronts.
While he was on leave visiting St. Petersburg and Finland
in early 1917, the Bolshevik Revolution broke out. Mannerheim didn’t support communism and fell out of favor with the new government and was relieved of his duties. On December 18, 1817 he returned to Finland, the land of his birth, a member of the nobility. After the Bolshevik Revolution, Lieutenant General Mannerheim led the Finnish ’White’ army in the Civil War to defeat the ’Reds’-the Finnish Communists. In 1933 he was recalled from retirement, and in 1939, at the age of 72, the Finnish Senate appointed Mannerheim as Commander-in- Chief of Finland’s almost nonexistent army. How ironic that a Russian trained general of Swedish decent was the Soviet’s main adversary.
During the Winter War, Russian materiel and manpower were endless compared to the overextended Finns and the Finns were forced to concede to Russian demands to avoid occupation of their country. The peace terms were harsh. Finland lost over 10% of its territory, some 40,000 square miles, 12% of its population had to move out of their homes, and Finland lost its third largest city Viipuii, an important trading center. In addition Finnish losses in the war were about 25,000 dead, 10,000 permanently disabled, and another 35,000 wounded. Soviet losses were about one million men and much of their military credibility.
The Soviets continued to meddle in Finnish affairs and, when Germany’s long planned Operation Barbarossa to attack Russia began in June 1941, Finland found an ally to rid themselves of the Russians. This became known as the Continuation War 1941-44, because it was seen as a continuation of events that began with the Winter War. Finland’s goal was to recover ceded territories but they refused to attack the Soviet homeland. Finland didn’t want to risk alienating Britain, France and the United States, which were allies of the Russians during World War II. Great Britain did declare war on Finland but it was of negligible consequence. In early June German aircraft began to arrive supporting Finnish operations against the Russians.
Since June, 1941 Germany and Finland had been at war with the Soviet Union. As early as the summer of 1943, the German high command suspected Finland would make a separate peace with Russia as the Germans suffered defeats on the Russian Front. The Germans withdrew forces northward in order to protect nickel mines near Petsamo. Fighting broke out between German and Finnish forces before the Soviet-Finnish peace treaty was signed. The Finns sought to comply with the Soviet demand that all German troops be expelled from Finland. The Finns were thus placed in a situation similar
3 8 JOMSA
to that of the Italians and the Romanians, who, after surrendering to the Allies, had to fight to free their land of German forces. The Finns’ task was complicated by the Russian specification that the Finnish armed forces be reduced drastically even during the campaign against the Germans. This became known as The Lapland war 1944- 45, the Finns’ third war during WWII. In their retreat the Germans used scorched earth tactics, burning buildings, entire villages, even burning the provincial capital of Rovaniemi to the ground. The last German troops were exepelled in April 1945.
Figure 2: Obverse of the Nord Medal
I believe it was during the Continuation War that the attractive enameled medal (Figure 2) with the Finnish and German Third Reich flags, commonly known as the Nord Front Medal or the Finnish Northern Front Medal, was issued. The names on the edges of the underlying swastika on the obverse are names of cities where major fighting took place: PETSAMO, SALLA, KIESTINKI, and UHTUA. In my research I found only one mention of this medal stating that it was probably unofficially presented by the Germans. Nor have I found any reference on Finland’s Medals of World War II web sites with specific information other than pictures. On the reverse of the fastening device (Figure 3) are the words VEL3EKSET,
SUNDQVIST, and HOPEATAKOMOOY, which translate as Sundquist Brothers Silver-Working, Inc.
Precise documentation indicating who awarded the medal, why it was awarded and to whom it was awarded has been elusive. If any reader can provide answers or a resource I can be contacted at [email protected].
References: Chew, Allen F. The White Death." the Epic of the Soviet-Finnish
Winter War. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1971.
Figure 3: Reverse of the Nord Medal
Engle, Eloise and Lauri Paananen. The Winter War. Mechanicsburg,
PA: Stackpole, 1973.
Jowett, Philip. Finland at War 1939-45. Oxford: Osprey, 2006.
http://countrystudies.us/finland/19/htm.
http://en.wikipedia.org/History of Findland.
http://en.wikipedia.org/~viki/Mannerheim.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War of Lapland.
IN THE NEWS
The Elizabeth Cross
The Queen has approved a new honor in her name to be awarded to families of members of the armed forces killed in action or killed as a result of a terrorist attack since the end of World War II. The award is a sterling silver cross with a wreath between the arms, the cipher of the Queen in the center, and on the arms a rose, thistle, shamrock and daffodil.
Submitted by Roger Salisch
Vol. 61, No. 1 (January-February 2010) 39
THE SHAW MEDAL
Fred J Borgmann
Amedal like this usually appears only once in a collector’s lifetime. Unique, and previously unreported, this 30.8mm wide and 44mm tall, 14k gold medal weighs 27.7 grams and is inset with 34 small diamonds and one larger ruby. Unfortunately the medal is also unsigned so whoever made and designed it remains a mystery.
At the top of the medal a partially uncoiled ribbon protects the protruding ruby torch while also forming a watch fob type loop. Added to the top of this fob loop is a "V" shaped double loop which makes it possible to wear this medal on a neck chain.
inscription JAMES D. SHAW / 40 / YEARS SERVICE / 1899 / W.E.R CO. In this case "W.E. R CO." stands for the Wisconsin Electric Power Company and 1899 is the year that Shaw started representing The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company as their attorney. The fact that this medal was actually issued in 1939, and not 1899, is a good example ofjust how misleading dates on a medals can be.
The obverse (Figure 1) design portrays "Electricity" as an allegorical male figure stepping across the top of the world while holding a banner on which an old electric street car is depicted. His left hand holds a red (the ruby) torch above his head to light the way. Behind the banner are the twin gas storage tanks of the old Milwaukee coal gas manufacturing plant.
Figure 1: Obverse of the Shaw Medal
The reverse (Figure 2) legend VETERANS ASS’N OF T M E R & L CO & ASSOCIATED COMPANIES transliterates as the Long Term and Retired Employees Association of the Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company and associated companies. In the center is the five-line
Figure 2: Reverse of the Shaw MedaL
In 1938 The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company was ordered broken up by the courts. Compliance resulted in the reformation and renaming of the old light portion of TMER&L Co. as the Wisconsin Electric Power Company. The old Electric Railway portion became The Milwaukee Electric Railway & Transit Company which was a subsidiary of the W.E.R Company.
So who was James D. Shaw?
James Deyo Shaw (Figure 3) was born Feb. 7, 1879 in Jackson, Michigan. He graduated with an LL.B (Bachelor of Law) degree from the University of Wisconsin in Madison on June 18, 1899 and went to work for the Milwaukee law firm of Spooner and Rosecrantz in the same year. This firm, which specialized in utilities and
