Musikzug des finnischen Freiwilligen-Bataillons der Waffen-SS

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Igorn
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Musikzug des finnischen Freiwilligen-Bataillons der Waffen-SS

#1

Post by Igorn » 27 Dec 2005, 22:00

[Two topics dealing with the same band have been merged and renamed. Ivan Ž.]

Some interesting info from Karl-Heinz Ertel article about the Music-Platoon of the Finnish Waffen-SS Battalion:
As recruitment began for volunteers, people in Finland were already thinking of organizing a music platoon. Lieutenant Tauno Pajunen was selected as the bandmaster… Pajunen learned of the recruiting for the Wehrmacht. Whe n he announced his interest, he received an invitation to the office of the Ingenierburo Rata in Helsinki. Recruiting for the battalion was conducted under that cover address. There he met Major Riekki, who conducted the entire operation. The major informed him that a Finnish volunteer battalion was to be formed in Germany and the formation of a music platoon was also planned. Pajunen arrived at Stralsund on 7 June 1941 with the last transport from Finland. He traveled from there to Vienna where, on 15 June 1941, the battalion was formed. After basic training had started in Vienna, the battalion was transferred to Stralsund on 9 July 1941. About the middle July, the battalion commander, SS-Hauptsturmfuehrer Hans Collani, called Pajunen to his office and informed him that a music platoon would be formed for the battalion and that Pajunen was to lead it. An order of the day was immediately issued to the companies stating that all men who played wind instruments were to report. After they had reported, Pajunen called the men to him individually to determine whether they met the prerequisites for membership in the music platoon. Most of them had already taken part in music platoons in the Defense Corps in Finland or in local wind-instruments orchestras. It was especially gratifying that there were several NCO’s among candidates. Pajunen chose the Finnish Sergeant First Class Erkko Antonen and offered him the SS-Stabsscharfuhrer (Spiess) of the music platoon. When Pajunen reported the results of his action to the commander, he was told that he had to travel to Berlin to secure instruments, music and other necessities. When Pajunen raised the question of payment for the instruments, he was told that he need not be concerned about that. The SS-Fuhrunptamt would attend to payment. His concern was exclusively to make sure that he got everything that was needed. The commander sent the German SS-Untersturmfuhrer to assist Pajunen on the trip to Berlin…

Pajunen had the instruments brought to the intended rehearsal room and issued to the music platoon. He had the following instruments: 2 Nos of piccolos, one oboe, 6 Nos of clarinets, one bassoon, 4 Nos of horns, 2 Nos of hornets, 3 Nos of trumpets, one tenor horn, 2 Nos of trombones, one euhonium, 2 Nos of bass tubas, 1 set of drums. 27 instruments in all. Practice began immediately. The first days of practice were extremely difficult, since the men first had to become familiar with their instruments and with one another. The band leader also had to get to know his men and the men had to get to know their director…The music platoon gave its first concert to the battalion in the evening of 14 August 1941. When, on 25 August 1941, the battalion was sent to the GrossBorn Training Area, the music platoon played at the head of the column as it marched to the railroad station. Pajunen said that the music platoon also played the marching song, “Wir fahren gegen Engelland: (“We are Marching against England”). After arriving at the training area, the music platoon carried on with its training while the men took part in combat training in the afternoon. The battalion had a day of major celebration on 15 October 1941 when it was sworn in. On 3 and 4 December 1941 the long-awaited transfer to the Eastern Front began. Railroad transports arrived in Winniza on 8 Decemebr 1941. After the motor vehicles had arrived, a road march then continued to the east. The onset of winter surprised the battalion in Kirowograd, where several days were allotted for rest. Initially the commander wanted a concert there, but in the end it was cancelled. In the middle of January 1942 the battalion joined SS-Division “Wiking” in the Mius position. The carefully packed instruments were stored at the division’s base at Amwrossieka. After the withdrawal from the Caucasus, the battalion again passed through that place and Pajunen was able to make sure that the instruments were still there. It is no longer possible to determine whether the instruments were brought along on the retreat from the Mius position. Many of the men of the music platoon were killed during the battalion’s combat actions or later in the Finnish army. The Spiess of the music platoon, Erkki Antonen, lost his left arm as a Light Infantry Lieutenant in the fighting at Portinhoikka. A company commander in the Finnish battalion, Tauno Pohynjanlehto, took part in that engagement as commander of a tank company. He later ran into Antonen and asked him why he had brought his severed arm to the dressing station. Antonen replied: “ My wristwatch was still on it.”
Best Regards from Russia,

Esa K
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#2

Post by Esa K » 28 Dec 2005, 17:58

Igorn wrote:from Karl-Heinz Ertel article
Igorn, could you just point out where and when Ertels article was published?



Regards

Esa K


Igorn
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#3

Post by Igorn » 28 Dec 2005, 19:53

Esa, this article was published in the appendix to Wielhelm Tieke's book the Tragedy of the Faithful.

Happy New Year to all Finnish & Swedish and others members of this forum!

Best Regards from Russia,

Esa K
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Joined: 13 Jan 2005, 14:49
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#4

Post by Esa K » 29 Dec 2005, 20:42

Thanks Igorn...

...one more book to check...

...and...

...from one of the Finns...

...Happy New Year to you too!


Esa K

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RFPB
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#5

Post by RFPB » 28 Apr 2008, 23:42

Music of the Finnish Battalion

Bandmaster: Reserve Lieutenant Tauno Pajunen
Formed: Mid - July, 1944
SS-Stabsscharführer (Spieß) of Music Platoon: Sergeant First Class Erkko Antonen

Pajunen had the following instruments:

2 piccolos
1 oboe
6 clarinets
1 bassoon
4 horns
2 cornets
3 trumpets
1 tenor horn
2 trombones
1 euphonium
2 bass tubas
1 set of drums
-27 instruments in all

First concert evening of August 14, 1941. December 8, 1941 shipped to SS-Division "Wiking" to the front lines to fight.

Spieß of the music platoon Erkki Antonen lost his left arm.

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