Finland in Great War 1914-1918

Discussions on all aspects of the First World War not covered in the other sections. Hosted by Terry Duncan.
User avatar
Peter H
Member
Posts: 28628
Joined: 30 Dec 2002, 14:18
Location: Australia

#16

Post by Peter H » 29 Jun 2004, 11:06

Finnish Jaegers:

Image
http://www.nykarlebyvyer.nu/BILDER/kullsj/rekryter.jpg

Image
http://www.nykarlebyvyer.nu/BILDER/kullsj/kulle.jpg

Battalion commander(German) Major Bayer:

Image
http://www.histdoc.net/pic/bayer.jpg

More on Bayer can be found here:

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/ ... ight=bayer
Max Bayer was the Baden Powell of Germany. He started the Pfadfinder (Boyscout) movement and translated and adapted Baden Powells scouting book for the German youth.

Like his father (General Major Stephen Bayer) he opted for a military career and joined the army in 1891. His career got off to a rapid start including prime appointments to the War academy in 1898, the general staff in 1903 and German South West Africa in 1904. Here he participated in crushing the Herero and Hottentot rebellions.

He had to return to Germany in 1905 due to illness and tok over the German South West Africa office of the Generalstaff. In this time he gave lectures about GSWA in over 50 German Cities and towns as well as writing a number of books about the colony. In 1908 he was posted to the Unterelsässischen Inf. Regt. 138 in Lorraine as a Company commander and went on sick leave soon after because of heart problems resulting from his time in GSWA.

Along with Stabsarzt Alexander Lion, who he met at a colonial office meeting, Bayer started to translate Baben Powells Scouting Fibel and took a years leave in 1911-12 to start up the German Pfadfinder movement.

When the war broke out Bayer went to the Western Front as commander of the II/IR27 and as such participated in the Attack on Luettich for which he was awarded the Iron Cross. Luettich was the first german objective of the war, the hub on which the Schlieffen plan would turn. The town was taken when Ludendorff himself led 2 battailions into Battle. On the 8th August Bayer was named Commander of Luettich, and then on the 30th of August -05 of January Commandant of Brussels. As Commandant of Brussels he succeeded in getting his "Pfadfinders" jobs as mesengers in the capital as a way of helping them to contribute to the war effort. Although on active service, Bayer essentially acted as head of the Boy scout movement into 1916.

In Febuary 1915 he was ordered back to Berlin to help develope a boyscout programm for the Turks, but was then right away rerouted to Hollstein where in the Lockstedter camp he was to train Finnish military volunteers until May 1916 when he took over command of the Koenigliche Preussische Jaeger Bataillons 27. He fought with them in Kurland until January 1917 on the Misse, on the Aa and in Libau.

In January he was supposed to take over the Inf. Regts. 453 but this for some reason did not happen and he was sent to the General Staff until the 15th of June 1917. At the end of June Bayer took over the RIR 259 which he commanded in the battles at the Chemin de Dames and Verdun. On the 22nd of October the regt was withdrawn from the line to St Juergen in Lorraine, and on the 25th of October 1917 Maximilian Bayer, Major in the German army and 1st Reichsfeldmeister of the german Pfadfinder movement was killed by a snipers bullet in the head in the area of Nomeny. His body was found and buried 6 months later.
Last edited by Peter H on 29 Jun 2004, 14:49, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Peter H
Member
Posts: 28628
Joined: 30 Dec 2002, 14:18
Location: Australia

#17

Post by Peter H » 29 Jun 2004, 11:11

A good summary of the Jaegers:

http://home.tiscali.be/be033830/jukka/j ... allery.htm

At the outbreak of the First World War, Finland was a part of the Imperial Russian Empire. In the winter of 1914/15, several Finnish students made contact with Imperial Germany, asking for a military training in order to fight against the Imperial Russian Army. In January 1915, the Germans allowed that 200 persons could be given military trained for 4 to 6 weeks during a "scout course".
In February 1915, 186 Finns started this Pathfinder-course in Holstein near Lockstedt. The leader of the course was major Maximillian Bayer. In August 1915, it was proposed by Germany that the length of the course was extended and the number of men to be trained to be increased to 2 000. The Ausbildungstruppe Lockstedt was raised.

From October 1915 to the spring of 1916, additional Finnish soldiers were trained in Lockstedt. The Königlicher Preussischer Jägerbattailon Nr 27 , was raised and the Finnish soldiers were engaged in the war effort as from May 9th, 1916. The battalion strength increased to 1 499 men. About 20% were students, 20% workers and the remaining 60% was composed out of farmers, businessmen and other trades.

On May, 31st, 1916 the battalion was sent to the Eastern front. During the summer of 1916 it was engaged near the Misse-river and in the autumn near Riga. In December 1916, the battalion was sent to Libau to rest and to be retrained. In January 1917, the battalion fought near the Aa-river. In March 1917, they went back to Libau to get new courses and they were trained to go back to Finland.

The German Empire started to ship war material for Finnish rebellions ( the white army ) in the autumn of 1917. At the same time, soldiers of the Königlicher Preussischer Jägerbattailon Nr 27 went back to Finland. The independance of Finland was declared on December 6th, 1917 followed by the outbreak of the Independence War..

On February, 25th 1918, most of the soldiers of the Königlicher Preussischer Jägerbattailon Nr 27 came back to Finland via Wasa.

During the Independence War, the men originating from the Königlicher Preussischer Jägerbattailon Nr 27 formed the backbone of the Finnish White Army. They were leaders of troops and instructors.

In the 1920's and 30's and later in the Second World War, these soldiers occupied important positions and senior ranks in the regular army. Soldiers, trained in Lockstedt, could use the title Jäger in front of their rank (for example: Jägermajor).



Also a good link(with photos)of a Finnish Jaeger office of the 27th:

http://lugerlp08.free.fr/sito07.htm


User avatar
janner
Member
Posts: 358
Joined: 01 Sep 2006, 23:40
Location: London

Re: Finland in Great War 1914-1918

#18

Post by janner » 10 May 2008, 18:27

Just to update this old thread I note that Hoppu Tuomas in Tampere did a dissertation on Finnish volunteers to the Imperial Russian Army in 2006:

http://acta.uta.fi/english/teos.phtml?10827

Fascinating stuff :)

User avatar
Auseklis
Member
Posts: 710
Joined: 20 May 2005, 11:26
Location: Heart of the Ruhr-Valley

Re: Finland in Great War 1914-1918

#19

Post by Auseklis » 10 May 2008, 20:09

I have some fieldpost items in my collection.
If you are interested, take a look here:

http://www.philaforum.com/briefmarken/f ... ma2253.htm

Sorry, it's a German language forum, but these things are pretty rare, so I just add this piece of information here.

User avatar
janner
Member
Posts: 358
Joined: 01 Sep 2006, 23:40
Location: London

Re: Finland in Great War 1914-1918

#20

Post by janner » 11 May 2008, 12:31

Great stuff - even if it did stretch my (very limited) German :D

ThomasG
Member
Posts: 812
Joined: 25 May 2007, 00:41
Location: Europe

Re: Finland in Great War 1914-1918

#21

Post by ThomasG » 28 May 2008, 19:01

janner wrote:Just to update this old thread I note that Hoppu Tuomas in Tampere did a dissertation on Finnish volunteers to the Imperial Russian Army in 2006
His name is actually Tuomas Hoppu. :wink:

User avatar
Chris Dale
Host - German Colonies
Posts: 1955
Joined: 21 Apr 2004, 15:48
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: Finland in Great War 1914-1918

#22

Post by Chris Dale » 09 Sep 2008, 01:20

Thanks for the information on the Finnish Jaeger Batt Nr.27.

I've since seen badge worn by them in the Imperial War Museum in London- it looks similar to the one shown in the second of Peter's photos...

Cheers
Chris
Attachments
finnish jaeger badge.jpg
finnish jaeger badge.jpg (30.19 KiB) Viewed 905 times

Mika68*
Member
Posts: 237
Joined: 20 Jan 2011, 17:41

Re: Finland in Great War 1914-1918

#23

Post by Mika68* » 28 Mar 2011, 23:07

As one clause, Finland was impossible to rule by Russians.

Post Reply

Return to “First World War”