Finnish abbreviations

[igor_verh]

Hello! What can mean handwriting sign on cover from finnish bowler:
"Taisto (name?)
S/KT"
Was found on place, where 1 soviet Partisan brigade had rest at 17 august 1942 near Elmozero before crossing of that lake.

[Mangrove]

"Taisto (name?)

Not the most common name, but still there were 3569 males born between 1920 and 1939 whom were given that first name in Finland.

S/KT"

The slash is not probably related to the letters as there is also a similar one on the other side of the stamp. The only suitable word(s) to explain the letters that I can think of is "Suojeluskunta".

[JTV]

The slash is not probably related to the letters as there is also a similar one on the other side of the stamp. The only suitable word(s) to explain the letters that I can think of is "Suojeluskunta".

The official abbreviation used for Suojeluskunta (Civil Guard) was Sk. In addition Civil Guard had its own markings used also in mess kits - Sk.Y/XX, in which XX are are two last digits of year and Sk.Y refers to Suojeluskuntain Yliesikunta (General Headquarters of Civil Guard). But this mess kit has Armed Forces markings (Int/38), Int = Intenduuri (comissary of Armed Forces). This mess kit manufacturer placed the Armed Forces and Civil Guard markings exactly the same place in middle of the manufacturers marking. Hence "S" being Civil Guard seems unlikely. It seems that the soldiers usually marked their mess kits to make sure they could identify it - hence initials, first names, surnames and sometime even complete names can be found engraved in them. It also seems quite common for mess kits to have these markings from several users.

It seems likely that both "S" and "KT" are initials from the names of soldiers which used this mess kit.

Incidentally my modest collection includes nice year 1938 mess kit from the same manufacturer (Oy Alumiinitehdas = Ltd Aluminium Factory) with Civil Guard markings, so I was able to use it for comparison. The particular Civil Guard mess kit has one first name and what are likely two sets of initials (with the set of initials in the lid probably being from the same person as the first name in lower container).

Jarkko

[FinnM40/55]

Please forgive me for reviving an old thread. I have a post-war Finnish M40/55, and inside the liner is written "TYKK", then below it "VK".

Am I correct that TYKK would be antitank gun company, and VK signal company? Would these be different users/units/time periods; or would one of these units be subordinate to the other (as the marks appear to be made by the same hand)? Thank you!

image.jpeg

[JTV]

Please forgive me for reviving an old thread. I have a post-war Finnish M40/55, and inside the liner is written "TYKK", then below it "VK".

Am I correct that TYKK would be antitank gun company, and VK signal company? Would these be different users/units/time periods; or would one of these units be subordinate to the other (as the marks appear to be made by the same hand)? Thank you!

image.jpeg

So you find these markings in liner of Finnish m/55 steel helmet? My educated guess is that while "TYKK" is abbreviation of (antitank) gun company, "VK" is more likely initials of a soldier to whom the helmet was issued at some point. It seems quite obvious that the two markings were likely made simultaneously by the same individual with the same pen - in which case marking two different company-level units to the helmet would make no sense. But if the markings indicate company level unit and soldier's initials, in such case they would have provided easy way to quickly identify for whom the helmet belonged.

[FinnM40/55]

That does seem obvious, now that you mention it. Thank you! (And yes, it' marked on the underside of the lining in a helmet).

image.jpeg

[wwl44]

The total personnel in the Finnish communications battalion 1939-40. Tell me, who knows what kind of abbreviation?

"Vahvuus 19 ups, 29 aliups, 52 rj. 355 m, yht. 456"

[John Hilly]

52 ryhmänjohtajaa, squad leaders.

[wwl44]

kiitos

[Fliegende Untertasse]

Please forgive me for reviving an old thread. I have a post-war Finnish M40/55, and inside the liner is written "TYKK", then below it "VK".

Am I correct that TYKK would be antitank gun company, and VK signal company? Would these be different users/units/time periods; or would one of these units be subordinate to the other (as the marks appear to be made by the same hand)? Thank you!

TYKK , Tykistökoulu - Artillery School, Niinisalo garrison
VK , Viestikomppania - signal company

[Seppo Koivisto]

I was actually a conscript at Tykistökoulu (TykK) in the 80's, when Matti Koskimaa was commanding it. I think Tykistökoulu trained conscripts only between 1979-87. When were Tykkikomppania's renamed, so that Tykistökoulu could use the same abbreviation?