by Mikko H. on 16 Oct 2006 16:45
Rechecking my sources, while Mannerheim's EL and Erik Heinrichs's RK were both dated on 5 August 1944, they actually didn't receive the decorations until 17 August when Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel visited Finland. Thus there was only some two weeks' window for Mannerheim to wear his EL and Heinrichs his RK.
Of course, there would have been nothing as such to prevent Mannerheim and Heinrichs to carry their decorations post-war, just like numerous Finnish veterans did continue to carry their EKs and other Nazi-era German awards (despite the odd angry comment from the USSR and Finnish communists).
But the Finnish custom is to carry only one neck decoration at a time (unless posing for a portrait photograph or some other similar occasion). If a person had more than one neck decoration, the custom is to carry only the most prestiguous Finnish decoration, unless courtesy calls otherwise. This meant that Mannerheim, even after receiving his RK in September 1941, most of the time wore on his neck his Cross of Liberty, 1st class (until October 1941) or Mannerheim Cross, 1st class (after October 1941). He only wore the RK when the situation called for it, i.e. when meeting a high-ranking German personage, most famously when Hitler visited on 4 June 1942.
Thus the most likely occasion for Mannerheim to wear his EL and Heinrichs his RK was the date they received them, 17 August 1944. After that date I don't know of any other official visits from high-ranking Germans. I agree it's reasonable to assume Keitel's visit was a highly photographed occasion, but I don't know of any phots of Mannerheim wearing his EL and Heinrichs his RK. Not that I have been looking that hard.
BTW, does anyone know where Heinrichs's decorations are today? IIRC his uniform is in the Infantry Museum in Mikkeli, would his decorations be there too?
Some day maybe?
, but second from the left is Mannerheim and I believe the Finnish General next to Erfurth is Rudolf Walden.
