Himmler's visit to Finland August 1942

[Ian Sayer]

In August 1942 Himmler made a visit to Finland. Here are some of the photos from that occasion which may be of interest.
The photo with Himmler on the right hand side was taken on the 2nd August at the battle position of SS Division Nord, 7km north-east of Kiestinki.
The picture of Himmler coming down the stairs was taken on the 3rd August at Kananainen. General of Infantry Boehme is walking next to Himmler.
The third photo shows Boehme's Chief of Staff Max Pemsel, Himmler and Boehme and was also taken at Kananainen on the same day.

[Ian Sayer]

Here are a couple more
General Boehme says goodbye to Himmler on the 3rd August as he leaves Kananainen and the other photo was also taken on the same day at Pontsalenjoki Airfield. Himmler is speaking to Matthias Kleinheisterkamp

[Juha Hujanen]

Thanks for sharing Ian!

How about some id's?

Himmler 2.8.42.1jpg.jpg:

From left to right-Hstuf.H.Rahn.Stubaf.Hans-Heiz Küchle,Stubaf."Kanonen"Goebel ?

And Goebel seems to be on last pic too.

Cheers/Juha

[Phil Nix]

Great pics thanks Ian
Phil Nix

[Mikedc]

Hello Juha,

With H. Rahn, do you mean Helmuth Rahn maybe???
And is it correct that H. Rahn crashed with his aircraft in August 1943???

And indeed, on the last pic it looks like Goebel a lot.

And Küchle, I assume that's the same one who also served with 'Totenkopf'???


Greetings,
Mike

[Ian Sayer]

Thanks guys. Here's some more
The first one was taken at 'Asevelikgla', a war widows home at Tammersfors on the 3rd June 1943. Pictured are ?, Steiner and I think Pemsel behind him.
Second was taken at Tammersfors on the 3rd June and showsthe return home of the Finnish SS Battalion from the Caucasus.
Third was takenon the 22nd June at the junction of the Mag road and the 'SS' highway. LTR Goebel, Boehme and Engber?
Ian

[Max Williams]

It's Kleinheisterkamp behind Steiner.
Some of these have been reproduced as postcards.
Max.

[Ian Sayer]

And another three
The first two are of Boehme attending the burial of a Standartenfuehrer Kahn and a pilot called Schestak in the Kiestinki Sector on the 27th June 1943.
The third is another shot of Steiner and Pemsel at 'Asevelikgla'
Ian

[Ian Sayer]

Yes thanks Max. I just realised that it was Kleinheisterkamp and was just fumbling to correct it but you beat me to it! Which ones have been reproduced. Do you happen to know?
Ian

[Max Williams]

The first one with HH in the middle and the close-up of Himmler.
It's Kleinheisterkamp in the last one (on the left) also.
Max.

[Mikedc]

A SS-Standartenführer Kahn.
Never heard of him, can't find him in my files and also nothing on the internet.

And with photo 22-6-43.jpg is also something not right probably, not sure.
Ian says from LTR Goebel, Boehme and Engber??? But I only see one SS-Stubaf,
the one on the right, and that looks Goebel to me. And if I'm not correct, then this
SS-Stubaf should be somebody called Engber. Can't find this name as well.


Greetings,
Mike

[Ian Sayer]

No I'm sure you're right. I looked the names up but couldn't find them listed. Most of these photos are annotated on the back by Boehme and apart from the fact that his handwriting was bad he also wrote in Sutterlin script.

Regards
Ian

[Ian Sayer]

OK. I think I've solved part of this. Boehme has an entry in his diary on Thursday 24th June 1943 which states : Afternoon: Sturmbannfuehrer Rahn crashed in flames in a Fiesler Storch S.E of Inchkala.
He and the pilot Schestak (if I have read the name correctly) were buried on Sunday 27th June near the May?(or Mag) road branching from the SS highway.
It looks like Rahn is the Hstuf.H. Rahn Jura mentioned and that Mike thought might have been killed in a plane crash in August 1943.
Ian

[Harri]

Really nice shots! Never seen these ones before.

"Asevelikgla" is most likely "Asevelikylä" which means "Brother's-in-arms village". During the war Finnish soldiers built thousands of log house frameworks and complete houses for the families of fallen or seriously wounded soldiers. I don't know if Germans would have produced these houses too? Maybe. In these photos the Finnish idea is most likely presented to Germans? That kinds of simple houses became popular, nearly a standard in Finland after the war and the house model (which could be easily varied with different details) is still known as "veteran's house". Also barrack type two-family or bigger houses were built. These houses in the photo seem to be two-family houses because they have two chimneys.

Does someone see Oberst Max Pemsel (in Finland between about spring 1942 - ?.4.1943) somewhere there? There are not too many photos on him in Finland (except in 1944).

Ian, are these your own photos?

[Ian Sayer]

Hi Harri,
Yes. I have had them for about 26 years and I thought it might be nice to share some of them. They are the personal photo archive of General Boehme. I will have a look and see if I can find any of pemsel in Finland prior to 1944
Best
Ian