SS Holders of Finnish Order of the Cross of Liberty

[USAF1986]

I thought this list might be of interest: the SS recipients of the Finnish decorations cited. There might be a few misspelled names – I took these straight from the original Finnish award lists. I also added a few comments of my own

Best regards,
Shawn

Finnish Order of the Cross of Liberty, 2nd Class with Swords
SS-Sturmbannführer Friedrich Gutberlet: 01.12.1941
SS-Sturmbannführer Fritz Hildebrandt: 01.12.1941
SS-Obersturmbannführer Martin Kohlroser: 01.12.1941
SS-Sturmbannführer Joachim Ruoff: 01.12.1941
SS-Standartenführer Hans Scheider: 01.12.1941
SS-Obersturmbannführer Ernst Deutsch: 19.12.1941
SS-Obersturmbannführer Ebenhardt Fangauf: 03.01.1942
SS-Oberführer Hans Baur (RSD): 04.06.1942 (Hitler’s personal pilot, Flugkapitän des Führers, and leader of the Fliegerstaffel des Führers (a.k.a. Staffel Baur). His rank is listed simply as Oberst in the Finnish documents. Hitler flew to Finland on this date to visit Marshal of Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim on the occasion of his 75th birthday.)
SS-Obersturmbannführer Adolf Doldi (RSD): 11.06.1942 (Pilot in Hans Baur’s Fliegerstaffel des Führers (a.k.a. Staffel Baur). His rank is listed simply as Oberstleutnant in the Finnish documents.)
SS-Oberführer und Oberst der Polizei Johann Rattenhuber (RSD): 11.06.1942 (Chief of the Reichssicherheitsdienst or RSD. His rank is listed simply as Oberst in the Finnish documents.)
SS-Oberführer Fritz von Scholz: 16.06.1942
SS-Obersturmbannführer Joachim Richter: 06.03.1943
SS-Obersturmbannführer Albert Lay: 13.05.1943
SS-Standartenführer Reinhold Ziersch: 13.05.1943
SS-Obersturmbannführer Hans Collani: 07.06.1943 (Previously awarded the 3rd Class with Swords on 16.06.1942.)
SS-Obersturmbannführer Dr. Hugo Heinz Schmick: 07.06.1943
SS-Obersturmbannführer Franz Augsberger: 30.06.1943

Finnish Order of the Cross of Liberty, 3rd Class with Swords
SS-Schütze Werner Pietsch (geb. 02.01.1923): 15.11.1941
SS-Sturmmann Gerhardt Schönwiese (geb. 19.11.1922): 15.11.1941
SS-Hauptsturmführer Franz Augsberger: 01.12.1941
SS-Hauptsturmführer Horst Bestvater: 01.12.1941
SS-Hauptsturmführer Armin Bliedtner: 01.12.1941
SS-Sturmbannführer Willy Braun: 01.12.1941
SS-Sturmbannführer Karl-Hugo Burkhardt: 01.12.1941
SS-Sturmbannführer Herbert Garthe: 01.12.1941
SS-Hauptsturmführer Willi Görcke: 01.12.1941
SS-Hauptsturmführer Gneomar Graf von Hoym: 01.12.1941
SS-Hauptsturmführer Franz Hurter: 01.12.1941
SS-Hauptsturmführer Alfred Kauffmann: 01.12.1941
SS-Hauptsturmführer Heinz Küchle: 01.12.1941
SS-Sturmbannführer Kurt Marks: 01.12.1941
SS-Hauptsturmführer Paul Nafz: 01.12.1941
SS-Sturmbannführer Dr. Ernst Neumann: 01.12.1941
SS-Hauptsturmführer Hans-Hendrik Neumann: 01.12.1941
SS-Sturmbannführer Eberhard Quirsfeld: 01.12.1941
SS-Sturmbannführer Karl Rüger: 01.12.1941
SS-Sturmbannführer Franz Schreiber: 01.12.1941
SS-Hauptsturmführer Ernst Schäfer: 01.12.1941
SS-Sturmbannführer Gustav von Felde: 10.12.1941
SS-Sturmbannführer Erich Kempka: 16.12.1941
SS-Hauptsturmführer Alfred Arnold: 19.12.1941
SS-Sturmbannführer Eduard Deisenhofer: 19.12.1941
SS-Sturmbannführer Friedrich Dern: 19.12.1941
SS-Sturmbannführer Paul Herms: 19.12.1941
SS-Hauptsturmführer Friedrich Keidel: 19.12.1941
SS-Hauptsturmführer Ernst Kiklasch: 19.12.1941
SS-Sturmbannführer Franz Mayer: 19.12.1941
SS-Hauptsturmführer Bernhard Pietsch: 19.12.1941
SS-Hauptsturmführer Karl Sattler: 19.12.1941
SS-Hauptsturmführer Max Schultz: 19.12.1941
SS-Hauptsturmführer Otto Spanka: 19.12.1941
SS-Standartenführer Kurt Berndt: 24.03.1942
SS-Hauptsturmführer Heinrich Kayser: 24.03.1942
Major Georg Beetz: 04.06.1942 (This is possibly a misspelling. Perhaps this is meant to be SS-Sturmbannführer Georg Betz (RSD) – Hans Baur’s longtime adjutant and copilot in the Fliegerstaffel des Führers (a.k.a. Staffel Baur). Baur received the 2nd Class with Swords on this same date.)
SS-Sturmbannführer Hans Collani: 16.06.1942
SS-Sturmbannführer Harry Polewacz: 16.06.1942
SS-Sturmbannführer Erwin Reichel: 16.06.1942
SS-Hauptsturmführer Werner Grothmann: 30.07.1942 (Awarded same date Himmler received the Grand Cross with Swords of the order; accompanied Himmler on his trip to Finland in July 1942.)
SS-Sturmbannführer Konstantin Heldmann: 29.09.1942
SS-Obersturmbannführer Kaj Henrik Duncker: 21.10.1942
SS-Obersturmbannführer Kai Hortling: 21.10.1942
SS-Sturmbannführer Paul Albert Kausch: 21.10.1942
SS-Obersturmbannführer Tauno Pohjanlehto: 21.10.1942
SS-Untersturmführer Mauri Sartio: 21.10.1942
SS-Hauptsturmführer Ernst Raedeke: 12.02.1943
SS-Sturmbannführer Wolfgang Joerchel: 06.03.1943
SS-Sturmbannführer Helmut Barthelmes: 13.05.1943
SS-Sturmbannführer Werner Petersheim: 13.05.1943
SS-Obersturmführer Jouko Itälä: 07.06.1943
SS-Obersturmführer Antii Karinen: 07.06.1943
SS-Untersturmführer Gösta Karvinen: 07.06.1943
SS-Sturmbannführer Manfred Schönfelder: 07.06.1943
SS-Sturmbannführer Wilhelm Hardieck: 30.06.1943
SS-Sturmbannführer Karlheinrich Ståll: 30.06.1943
SS-Obersturmbannführer Heinz Steinmetz: 04.04.1944

[Mikko H.]

Impressive list! Is just want to correct two typos:

SS-Obersturmbannführer Tauno Pohjanlehto: 21.10.1942

Only one Finn reached the rank of SS-Obersturmbannführer and that was Kalervo Kurkiala. IIRC Pohjanlehto's final SS rank was Hauptsturmführer, so I suspect he was Obersturmführer at the time he received this award.

SS-Obersturmführer Antii Karinen: 07.06.1943

The first name should be Antti (there's no such Finnish first name as Antii; Antti, however, is very common).

[Mikedc]

Very impressive list indeed, I can't agree more with Mikko.

But according to my info there was no Karl-Hugo Burkhardt.
I only have SS-Sturmbannführer Kark Burkhardt and SS-Hauptsturmführer Karl Burkhardt.
I also didn't find any Hugo Burkhardt so he must be identical to one of the two Karl's, but which one???


Greetings,
Mike

[Mikko H.]

One further nitpick:

SS-Sturmbannführer Gustav von Felde: 10.12.1941

This should be vom Felde.