The official AHF Winter & Continuation War quiz thread

[Mikko H.]

Correct. Over to you.

[Topspeed]

Name two fairly famous finnish military aviators ( fighter pilots ) who got downed not by enemy aeroplane fire and who both wore the parade uniform ( pyhäpuku ) when shot down. Both escaped death but had very different landing on not finnish soil. Who were they and shortly what happened to them right after the coming down to terrafirma ?

Both flew Me 109 Gs at the incidents and both planes were write offs !

[Topspeed]

Ok Juha,

Pentti had 5 children.


Name 4 Mannerheim cross receivers of the finnish air force who died during the war.

Two of them dressed always in a grey uniform. Why did they do so ?



best regards,

topspeed

I have to answer this myself: they were reserve pilots.

[Nenonen]

The first one is well known. Oiva Tuominen had to ditch his aircraft in the sea. A rowing boat was sent to rescue him, but after asking how far it was to shore, the pilot decided to swim the distance to keep in shape (Tuominen was a legendary character in the FAF because of his [sometimes a bit odd] sense of humour). It is told that the commander of the base, from which the rowing boat was sent, quickly took away the cheap liquor bottle that was for warming the pilot and took out a bottle of cognac after seeing the Mannerheim Cross in Tuominen's uniform.

The other one is only a guess, but Eikka Luukkanen landed in the no-man's-land after taking ground fire.

[Esa K]

1. Lentomestari (Flight master- or what is the rank called in english?) O. Tuominen - Came back from a leave, jumped into the plane, shot down a Pe-2 (?), was hit by fragments from the plane he had fired on, crashed in the water outside Kotka, swam ashore on an island, was met by some dudes from the costal arttilery, and Tuominen said: "Cause I have the better clothes on I thought I pop in for a visit." (Sometime during 1943)

Not sure, but maybe number 2 is it is Major E. Luukkanen - doctor had ordered him to stay on ground, he didn´t, said "The squardon needs me" and flew up on a mission, was hit, crashed in no mans land in the Summa area (June 16 1944?), walked back to Finnish lines, was found and then drinking coffe with some Finnish regimental staff, car transport back to HLe.LV 34 and up in the air again.

guesses

Esa K

[Esa K]

8) Did,t see that Nenonen had a answer going on whilst I was typing...

Esa K

[Topspeed]

Eino Luukkanen despite the right facts was not wearing a parade uniform. There was in addition to Warrant Officer O.Tuominen another officer who I am referring to. He was also downed by the enemy AAA fire.

Luukkanen landed a Me 109 G into a forest and luckily that section was occupied by finns. Had he jumped he would have been deep in the soviet territory. His escape of death was a miracle..plane ( or what was left of it, engine and a cockpit ) halted to a huge rock, but speed was only 40-50 km/h at that stage.

[Juha Tompuri]

W/O Oiva Tuominen as mentioned before and Captain Lauri Pekuri ?
Pekuri was shot down 16th June 1944 and become POW 25th same month after he nearly made it to the Finnish lines.

Regards, Juha

[Topspeed]

That is correct Juha Tompuri.

Lauri Pekuri who spent rest of the war in Spalernaja prison became the first supesonic finn after the war. He weighed 48 kilos after coming back from the transfer camp ( for getting fatter on purpose ! ).

Lauri mentions that all finns in Spalernaja were given impression that there is no independent Finland any longer. For survivers surprise was a big one.

He was shot down when he was on a ferry flight from an other squadron to another. He was radioed that something suspicious has to be checked out and since he was airborne he went to check it out. He spent a week or two doing hide and seek with soviets in the forests of Karelia before being caucht when sleeping in a barn.

[Juha Tompuri]

Thanks Topspeed,

At "Ässien Iskulaivue" by Joppe Karhunen there are few pages about that incident.
Now a new, and a bit personal, family related question.
What's this little piece of wood (11 x 3,5 x 2cm) with those texts carved at it's sides?
For foreign members, Sippola is a local place name (municipality)

Regards, Juha

[Esa K]

I would say that a Tompuri (probably a relative to you), from Sippola, during the war had this piece of wood attatched to his backpack/rucksack ("reppu") so he/she could recognize amog others...

says

Esa K

...but, have seen those wooden tags on rifles too...

[Juha Tompuri]

Hi Esa,

I would say that a Tompuri (probably a relative to you), from Sippola, during the war had this piece of wood attatched to his backpack/rucksack ("reppu") so he/she could recognize amog others...

says

Esa K

...but, have seen those wooden tags on rifles too...

Hmmm...
A name tag from the year(s) of war, belonging to my family, yes...but not to rucksacks or rifles.
They (tens of them) were made, but never actually used in 1944.

Regards, Juha

[Topspeed]

Attached into their belts or buttons in the uniform ?

[Esa K]

...or around the neck. Identification tags for civilians, preparings for a evacuation of Sippola, IF....?


Regards

Esa K

[Esa K]

When thinking about the size of the tag, I have to redefine the word "civilians". New try: Read civilians in my latest post as: Cattle, cows, live stock......

again

Regards

Esa K