SVEABORG : Swedes in finnish army and Waffen-SS

[Ostuf Charlemagne]

I am posting this info about the swedish “Sveaborg” which may interest some readers :

The organisation “Sveaborg” was formed during the war within the Svensk Socialistick Samling ( SSS ) – Socialist Swedish Union - a national-socialist swedish party leadered by Sven-Olof Lindholm .
The SSS had been instrumental in providing swedish volunteers during the “Winter War” within the finnish army against the russians (1939/40) ,then during the “War of Continuation “ against the russian again ,where a volunteer swedish battalion was formed within the finnish army .They participate at the neutralisation of the famous russian fortress of Hango . After that the swedish btl was dissolved and most of its members came back to Sweden ,but some stayed within the finnish army up to the end . Also when the german offensive against the USSR ,many members of the swedish SSS volunteered with the germans . It leads to the formation of “ Sveaborg “.

The interest in Sveaborg lays that it was at the same time a blend of the SA , a veteran association , both a clandestine and public association , a recruiting office for both the finnish army and the Waffen-SS , a party’s intelligence office with the touch of freeboter spirit as could be found ,later ,within the meetings of “Soldier of Fortune” (of the 1980’s during the cold war) . All of it making extremely difficult to analyze the real function of Sveaborg .

The Sveaborg group was formed officialy by August 3rd 1941 as a militant Order in the front of Hango by seven swedish fighters of the finnish army who were all members of the SSS . As would refers later the propaganda of the SSS ,it was formed “in a front trench “. Originally they wanted to tittle the group as “Hango” ,their combat place ,but since finnish regulations prevented to give accurate informations of the front lines ,the final tittle was Sveaborg ,the name of the place where the swedish volunteer btl was garrisoned . By 1942 ,when most of the swedish unit had cameback to Sweden ,the SSS Party thought to organize Sveaborg as a service of order for the party , kind of an SA ,or better said ,the Schutz Staffeln of the SSS .

According to the SSS newsletter of the period : “Sveaborg is a special organisation without membercard nor anything like . His main mission is to regroup the youngest men ,phisically youngs or in spirit , from whom we can ask the toughest activities ,like for instance the high discipline needed for external investigation (...) When Sveaborg ,inmediately after had cameback home the ones of the battalion of Hango ,started to recruit all the men of the party, older than 20 , who wished to participate and were ready to fullfill the need of work and order ,it was indeed to spread among them the spirit of the Front soldier .”

As emblem ,Sveaborg choosed the three S runes of the SSS party ,with the difference that the rune in the middle was white and the others two were blacks , which gave the impression of the german SS runes . On it were a pair of crossed sabers .

The organisation was split in four branchs :

1-The political Sveaborg in Sweden ,which acted like service of order and intelligence ,much like the original Allgemeine SS .
2- The Sveaborg organisation of veterans , which tried to regroup all anticommunist veterans fighters ,either if they were members of the SSS or not .
3- The armed units of Sveaborg in Finland , indeed the SSS members who were still within the finnish army at the front .Around 400 men belonged to this branch .
4. The armed units of Sveaborg in Germany ,ie the SSS members who had joined the Waffen –SS .

Each unit ( company strenght) of the Sveaborg militia (sometimes an invisible militia ) was tittled according to its geographical place or with the name of a fallen martyr , like for instance ,in Sweden ,the “Harald Larsson “unit ( from the name of a volunteer within finnish army ,who had fallen in 1941 at Hango) or also the “Karl Rune Edlung” unit ,from the name of a young 2nd lieutenant of age 22, commander of the 3rd platoon of the 2nd Co ,Swedish Volunteer Btl ,who was killed while he tried to destroy a soviet bunker at Hango ,September 11th 1941 .

In Finland it was two Sveaborg units ; the “Hallberg – Cuula” unit (name of a fallen heroe ) and ,at a northern place ,the “Karhumaki” unit (geographical name ).

In Germany/Eastern Front it was also two units ,the “Hans Linden” and “Harry Raab” – others fallen comrades within the Waffen -SS – but here the ones of the unit wasn’t together since the few swedish SS freiwilligen were spread among many different units ( the Wiking ,the Nordland ,and even some of them within the Nederland ,the LSSAH and the Totenkopf division ...not to mentione the ones within the Jagdverbaend Nordwest of Otto Skorzeny and the swedes of the SD )

The whole Sveaborg organisation was under direction of Otto Hallberg (not to be confunded with the fallen Hallberg – Cuula ) at national level in Sweden and ,in Sweden , the SSS published the newsletter “Sveaborg” which kept a register of the fallen ones ,and gave news of the Sveaborg’s comrades at the different fronts and allowed those ones to send greetings to their families .
The Sveaborg of Finland was leadered by Sergeant-major Gustaf Adolf Bystrom ,and after his death in action ,by corporal Per Sygvard Strom (who was later killed in action ,too). Within the Waffen –SS the Sveaborg Org. was leadered by Thorolf Hillblad , SS PK of the LSSAH and also man of liaison between the SSS party and the Germanische Leitstelle of the Waffen –SS . His second was SS Oberscharfuehrer Olof Sandstrom ,militant of the SSS , who had served within the SS Wiking and then was serving with the SS Hauptamt . The death of each Sveaborg militant was the motive to propagandistical activities back in Sweden and to push further for the recruiting of anticommunist volunteers ,like it was the case for Eric Hoog , a Sveaborg militant who had served during the Winter War and the combats of Hango and had stayed within the finnish army ,being KIA in the Karelian woods , or the death of Patrick Mineur ,SS Sturmann of the Wiking division who will fall in combat in Poland , by October 13th 1944 .... By January 25th 1944 died in action at Wolossowo ,near Narwa ,the Oberscharfuehrer Walther Nilsson ,commander of the swedish platoon of the 3 rd Co , Panzeraufklaerungsabteilung 11 of the SS Nordland division , born by August 29th 1919 he was killed by a direct hit of russian artillery and was identified only by the serial number of his pistol . He was the 31st Sveaborg militant to be KIA .

Let’s see some writing of this period about the Sveaborg :

In “Den Svenske Folksocialisten “ – newspaper of the SSS – of 27th November 1943 :

“ The Reichsfuehrer of the SS ,Heinrich Himmler – terror and nightmare of the democrats - in conversation with four swedish volunteer of the Waffen –SS , three of them are Sveaborg militants and the other one is a swede from Estonia ...”

In “Sveaborg” internal newsletter (summer 1943) :

“ From a messenger we get a report of the “Hans Linden” unit with greetings to the Internal Front ( ie .Sweden – my note ) . The fighters of the Southern (ie .The Wiking div .- my note ) and Southeastern fronts follows the fight at home thanks to “Den Svenske “ ( ie.the weekly magazine of the SSS- my note ) which had become the link between them and the others branches of the Movement (ie .the SSS ,my note )”

Sveaborg internal newsletter - End of 1943 :

“ The huge influx of volunteers during the last months to the combat’s section (the “Hans Linden” Sveaborg unit – my note) makes that most of them are at training center and not at the front . The vast majority of our southern volunteers ( the ones of the Wiking –my note) will reach later their new trainig center at Grafenwoehr where the armoured germanic corps is to be formed . In it will be integrate all the volunteers from germanic countries and when they will be ready they will go to the front under command of SS Gruppenfuehrer Steiner ...”
Indeed it was a plan ,by this time to incorporate the Wiking division along with the Nordland ,into Steiner’s germanic corps .... The negative situation of the Eastern front will preclude the Wiking to make it .

In “Den Svenske” for Christmas 1943 ( which I scann further ) :

“ Sveaborg in the Waffen –SS : the swedish unit of the Waffen –SS whishes an happy Christmas and New Eve to the families and friends . Our thoughts are with you and we promess that the future and honor of Sweden will always be our Polar Star up till the end . In name of the unit , Hans Gosta Pehrsson , SS Untersturmfuehrer .”
Following are the personal whishes of Waffen – SS Sveaborg militants .

The death of Sturmmann Patrick Mineur ,enlisted within the Wiking division in 1942 and truck driver of the Westland regiment was particularly dramatic since he was the last one of a family of three brothers to die . The first brother had died as a swedish volunteer during the Winter War in Finland ,the second one died accidentally soon after while serving within the swedish army ( he had enlisted the army to defend Sweden in case of a soviet invasion ) and Patrick , the last one ,was 26.

(Here I scann the mourning announce in the newspaper of the SSS Party . See the emblem of the Sveaborg ,the 3 runes of the SSS – the one of the middle is white – and the crossed sabers )

The mother of Patrick Mineur sent a letter to the SSS saying : “ I don’t desserve those sons who gave their lifes for Justice and fought against the Evil .I thank God for these sons who had sacrified their lifes against bolshevism ,for the Freedom of the North and the Honor of Sweden .”

During the summer 1944 , “Den Svenske” published the letter of a Sveaborg militant fighting at Narwa within the Nordland division : “ Few places outside of our country means as much for swedish history as Narwa (...) where the swedes under Charles XII won the most important victory of all time against the eastern barbary . We are proud that a small group of swedes is the conscience of Sweden and that our movement is the one who provides the majority of swedish volunteers ...”

Others Sveaborg militants were going to fall ,like SS Ustuf Torkel Tillman ,born in 1917 ,member of SSS who graduate as officer at Bad-Toelz in 1943 and served as PK of the SS Hitler Jugend division (after having covered the Baltic front with the SS division Nordland ) and was KIA during the battle of Normandy ,June 26th 1944 at Cheux ,near Caen ,while he tried to cover the body of a wounded one ... He had married a german woman and was father of a little girl . Originally not member of the SSS ,he joined the Party in Berlin ,along with the “Hans Linden” Sveaborg unit short before his death . The last Svaeborg militant to was KIA was Ragnar Johansson aka “the girafe” (he was a very tall man and it was used for not to mistake him with another Waffen-SS Sveaborg called also Ragnar johansson ,aka “the young one”, who will be captured by the russians in March 1945) who enlisted the Wiking division in 1941 and now served within the swedish platoon of the recon Abteilung of the Nordland .A famous picture – which I scann – of an armoured car of the Nordland destroyed in the Berlin’s battle shows his corpse at the right .We can recognize him by his Uscha shoulder clapps ...

The day April 14th was the souvenir –day of the fallen ones ,and so they were honored .The SSS Party survived the war up in the 60s and also the Sveaborg Org. which was by then a veteran association . Lindholm stayed active helping the veterans to re-adjust to civilian society .

[Ostuf Charlemagne]

As we saw ,the fighting units of the Sveaborg bear ,in most cases , the names of SSS martyrs . Let’s see who were those men .

Georg Harry Raab .(His name was given to a Waffen –SS Sveaborg unit ) Born January 3rd 1905 . Swedish officer volunteer with the finns during the Winter War and again within the swedish vol.btl.for the campaign at Hango . Joined the Waffen-SS as an Obersturmfuehrer . KIA in Finland with the 6th SS Division Nord by November 4th 1942 .

Hans Linden . (His name was given to the main section of the Sveaborg within the Waffen-SS) . Born September 10th 1922 at Stockholm . Member of the Youth of SSS Party ,volunteered for the Winter War in Finland at age 17 where he served within finnish artillery .At his return in Sweden he tries to join the italian army to fight in North Africa ,but his request was turned down by the italian military attache in Sweden . He joined the waffen-SS even before the Barbarossa Operation ,crossing the norwegian frontier and was sent for training at Graz and Heuberg and because of his experience in artillery was incorporated in the Flak battalion of the Wiking division .
In his personal diary he wrotes : “ Again I succeeded to make my dream a reality .One year ago I was in the finnish army and yet in the one of the Great Germany (...)
So,why am I here ? Truth is because of idealism and thirst of adventure ,for the most of my decision . But this time it is not only because of that ,but also the disgust of the antiheroical ,yes antiheroical , futureless democratic society and the absolute lack of possibility –if not putting down the pants in front of the democracy – to get a job with the state . If I have to fall ,so I will have spreaded with my blood the vital arian community and I had died for my ideal .I may die quietly ,with the knowing that the Great Cause will triumph .”
SS Sturmmann ,he was stationned at the front of the Mius river during the winter 1941 he was wounded and then get sick by dysentry . He died by December 27th 1941 at Jusovka field hospital and was awarded posthumely the EK II . He was the second swedish SS to die ,and the first SSS member to die as a Waffen-SS volunteer .

See scanning of Hans Linden wearing the camo smock of the Waffen-SS in the first months of the offensive .

Gosta Hallberg – Cuula .( His name was given to the first Sveaborg unit in Finland ) Born in 1912 ,his fathers were finns who had emigrated to Sweden . He had milited within many fascist swedish movements before to stay within the SSS of Lindholm and to become chief of the SSS in Stockholm and director of the Party’s propaganda . He was the FIRST swedish volunteer to enlist with the finns for the Winter War ,so early by November 30th 1939 .Enlisted as a private he served at the Suuma Front and proved so courageous that he won eight finnish medals ,incluiding the Cross of the Liberty of Finland ,he was wounded and as a result had lost his left eye in combat but he cameback soon to the front deniyng any convalescence .He was raised in rank to 2nd lieutenant by marshall Mannerheim personnally for his bravoure in fight . He volunteered again with the swedish battalion one year later ,in 1941 for the War of Recuperation ,fighting at the Hango battle and stayed within the finnish army where he was very appreciated . He died in action by April 14th 1942 , as first lieutenant of the finnish army .For this motive the day of the fallen ones of the Sveaborg and SSS would be remembered each April 14th ,even during the 50s ....His body was transported back to Sweden ,which made the swedish social-democrat government uneasy since they had to send an official delegation to honor this national-socialist at his burial at Solna cemetery ,Stockholm . (the King of Sweden who –unlike the government – sympathized with the anticommunist fight in the East had send a flower crown and the finnish military attache assisted at the burial in uniform .The swedish government - which was pro british - had no choice but to assit too ....) The mass was offered by Hans Akerhielm ,former military chaplain of the swedish Btl of Hango .The chaplain declared : “ We don’t want to use this day to insult the ones who don’t think like us but to strenghten the love to the values for which he had given his life ,with so much generous valour : Home ,Fatherland and Christian Faith .”
One year later ,April 14th 1943 was celebrate the day of the fallen ones with the assistance of hundreds of peoples ...In a show of pettyness the swedish social-democrat government denied to pay for the tombstone of Hallberg-Cuula .The tombstone was paid by all the members of Sveaborg with the following inscription :

“Fallen for Sweden far in the East .In memoriam of all the fallen comrades this monument has been erected by the militants of Sveaborg at the place where rest forever the First One of them all .”

Picture of Gosta Hallberg – Cuula serving as officer in Finland .Note the three “S” runes of the SSS Party on his right pocket .

[Martin Månsson]

Georg Harry Raab .(His name was given to a Waffen –SS Sveaborg unit ) Born January 3rd 1905 . Swedish officer volunteer with the finns during the Winter War and again within the swedish vol.btl.for the campaign at Hango . Joined the Waffen-SS as an Obersturmfuehrer . KIA in Finland with the 6th SS Division Nord by November 4th 1942 .

He did not and he was not. Raab participated in one course in SS-Junkerschule and was commissioned SS-Untersturmführer. He was killed in action in Finland but not with Nord, but in one of the Swedish units who participated in the war in Finland.

Best
Martin

[Martin Månsson]

The SSS had been instrumental in providing swedish volunteers during the “Winter War” within the finnish army against the russians (1939/40)

From where have you had this information??

Martin

[Topspeed]

Interesting info.

I have never heard of "Nazi" Swedes ( SSS members ) in Finland before. That picture named Hallberg-Cuula is showing the photo of whom ( Gösta Hallberg ? ).

How on earth can a person in Honduras have so much info of swedes activities in 1938-1945 ?

thanks,

Juke T

[Martin Månsson]

Interesting info.

I have never heard of "Nazi" Swedes ( SSS members ) in Finland before. That picture named Hallberg-Cuula is showing the photo of whom ( Gösta Hallberg ? ).

Juke T

The photo shows Gösta Hallberg-Cuula, killed in action in Finland. He was indeed very active in the Swedish Naziparty NSAP/SSS until his death. There were many Swedish nazis serving in the Winter war and also the Continuing War. Many organized enlisted for service. The "official" rules admited no nazis or communists to enlist but in fact, many nazis did enlist but less communists.

To quote one Swedish volunteer "We were hell lot of Nazis in Finland". Many were members in the Sveaborg without being members in NSAP/SSS or even sympathising with the nazis. At the front, not much propaganda were spread, to quote one of the founders of Sveaborg I spoke to: "We had other things to do than spreading propaganda".

Some I've spoked to have told that they became members in Sveaborg just to get packages, letters etc. Specially at holiday times such things were important.

Don't know from where the information comes but it contain several errors.

Best
Martin

[Nicolas von Schmidt-L]

Interesting thread. Unfortunately I dont have time to make as many comments as I wish, but here are some:

Gösta Hallberg-Cuula was not killed in action, but mortaly wounded while handling a mine (friendly, if mines can be said to be friendly) a little too rough. Hallberg-Cuula did NOT serve in the Swedish Voluntary Batalion at Hanko, but in the Finnish 55th infantry regiment, JR 55.

Martin, please define "many nazis" during the Winter war; 1 000? 5 000? All 8 000?

Many were members in the Sveaborg without being members in NSAP/SSS or even sympathising with the nazis. At the front, not much propaganda were spread, to quote one of the founders of Sveaborg I spoke to: "We had other things to do than spreading propaganda".

Some I've spoked to have told that they became members in Sveaborg just to get packages, letters etc. Specially at holiday times such things were important.

<-- Yes, I can confirm that from several veterans.

Raab served in the Swedish Voluntary Company by the Svir-frony, Jandeba-sector. Below is a photo of his grave.



No Swedish volunteer with the surname Mineur fell in Finland. Factual error? Myth? The only Mienur Ive heard of in Finland is http://www.tendens.se/nicolas/db/person.asp?id=1250



Ok, back to work...

[Juha Hujanen]

Of Hallberg-Cuula:

From http://tietokannat.mil.fi/menehtyneet/index.php3

Name-Hallberg-Cuula,Gustaf Eugene
-Not Married
-Male
-Swedish
-Morher language:Swedish
-No Children
-Occupation:Journalist
-Rank:1st.Lt.
-Unit:Independ Company/IR13
-Born:4.11.1912
-KIA:14.4.42 Jandeba
-Place of burial:Huittinen
-Info of death:KIA,blessed and buried
-Addiational info:Swedish volunteer

Cheers/Juha

[Martin Månsson]

Martin, please define "many nazis" during the Winter war; 1 000? 5 000? All 8 000?

I've not investigated or done any research on for the actual numbers of SSS members who served in the Winter War, really not my topic. The quote comes from a Swedish veteran that later served in Waffen-SS. Don't know if there exist any lists in archives that belonged to the NSAP/SSS. There were however several, there's no doubt about that.

No Swedish volunteer with the surname Mineur fell in Finland. Factual error? Myth?

His brother who fell had another surname.

Best
Martin

[Daniel L]

As I understand it it was up to the units, not the central agency, to reject persons with communist and national socalistic sympathies. Atleast it seems to have been so in reality. The problem was that some of the officers in command had national socialistic sympathies, in example Martin Ekström and Magnus Dyrssen (if I remember correctly), both members of the NSB. Thus it was easy for persons with national socialistic sympathies to serve in Finland. Even persons such as Gösta Hallberg, who was guilty of political terror, were able to serve there.

mvh/ Daniel

[Topspeed]

Well swedish speaking people had a unit of their own as far as I know. Anyone able to shoot and obey orders were quite welcome I am sure. I have no idea how the commanders really had a way of knowing who was a swedish nazi or not. Everyone eager to put his life in danger for Finlands cause was possibly considered man enough to do the job.

my 2 cents,

JT

[Georg_S]

Hello,

The Swedes didn´t have a own unit in the Waffen-SS, but
it was a platoon in the SS-Pz.A.A.11 "Nordland" which was
called the "Schwedenzug" the Kp. was the 3.
But then it was a lot of Swedish volonteers among a lot of
different SS-Divisions, such as:

1.LSSAH (A couple)
12.Hitlerjugend (only one known)
6.Nord
3.Totenkopf (only one known)
SS-Sta. "Kurt Eggers" (many swedes in this unit)
5.Wiking
10.Frundsberg (only one known)
11.Nordland (had the most swedes)
SS-Freiw.Btl. "Freikorps Dänemark" (Only one known)
2.Das Reich (most of the during training - AuE.Btl "Der Führer")
Langemarck (One known)
20.Estonia (One known) In this div. several Freiwilligen was so called
Estonia-Swedes, because on a island outside Estonia, there was a colony
of old Swedish immegrants.

And other bransches which had Swedes in their ranks was the:
SD
SS-FHA

I am sure I have missed some div, but that the most known ones.

Best wishes,

Georg

[Ostuf Charlemagne]

Von Schmidt : You read me incorrectly .I never said that Patrick Mineur fallen in Finland .He fallen at the eastern front within the waffen-SS. But one of his brothers had fallen in Finland before ,yes ....

[Ostuf Charlemagne]

Mansson : I got the info by a friend of mine ,who knows you ,by the way ... pm me .

[Ostuf Charlemagne]

Topspeed : I may live in Honduras (just like some firends lived in Argentina after the war ....) but i am not an honduran . Even if i was ,you may find researchers and good ones in any country of the world .

Loewenhamn : Where do you take from that Hallberg was "guilty of political terror" ????? Facts ?????? In Sweden ???????
I understand that political correctness has overflowed old Europa , but if the mere fact to serve within a national-socialist party is called "to do political terror " , I think I've been doing a lot more and worse than that .And proudly so !
Starting with the fact that I belonged to the Phalangist Youth in Spain ,during the Franco time , and that a lot of our chiefs ,or fathers of some of my comrades ,were formers vlounteers of the division Azul who fought at the Eastern front ,just like thoses Swedes .
If it was "political terror" ,let me tell you that political terror is beautiful and that these men were among the best I ever meet .Their spirit of sacrifice ,patriotism and comradeship should be an example for the youth of today ..... But I better stop because I guess I am off topic ,just as was your misinformed words .Of course ,perception is absolutely personal . So let's stay on historical facts and not to mix personal point of views , if you don't want me to share my OWN personal standpoints .Thanks .