Danish workers / engineers at VL

[sisudk]

I am currently writing on an article about Danish civil workers and engineers working at VL in Tampere. I have some years ago vistited Keski-Suomen Ilmailumuseo and went through the VL-archives there. I did manage to find some documents regarding this intersting chapter of Danish/Finnish history. I am especially interested in a Danish engineer named Kristian Refslund who supposedly flew combat missions with the machines stationed at Tampere for the defence of the factory. Refslund was supposedly slightly injured in arial combat or a landing accident.

Have anybody got some info. on the foreign workers at VL, Danish workers in particular and the aircraft used for the defence of the factory - or test flights?

All help much appriciated

I have had a peek in Jukka Raunio's Valtion Lentokonetehtaan Historia - Osa 2, but could'nt find anything. (my Finnish language skills are not so good).

Best regards

Johnny Pedersen

[Seppo Koivisto]

VL (State Aircraft Factory) and Koelentue (Test Flight) had their own test pilots. Link below lists names of many test pilots, but none foreign:
http://www.fsnordic.net/discussion/inde ... #msg487049

The book Koelentäminen Ilmavoimissa 1918-1957 (Test flying in Air Force) by Jyrki Laukkanen has some information on aerial fighting in the Winter War, page 64. Pilots of Test Flight shot down 9 and damaged 3 bombers. Victories were archieved with Fiat G.50 and Fokker D.21 fighters. Unfortunately could not find any information on Refslund.

[sisudk]

Hello Seppo

Thank you for your reply. I kind of doubted the story about arial combat. He could still have done some test flying, but if he crashed there should have been some info about it. Perhaps he was wounded in a arial raid on Vl or Tampere?

Best regards

Johnny

[Mangrove]

He could still have done some test flying, but if he crashed there should have been some info about it. Perhaps he was wounded in a arial raid on Vl or Tampere?

I went through Koelentue's war diary from the Winter War. It contains detailed information about the interception flights and bombings but I failed to see any reference to any Dane. If he indeed crashed while flying an Finnish Air Force plane, an investigation was made and a report filed to the archive.

[sisudk]

Hello Martti

Thank you once again for your assistance. I think you are right ... it must concern an accident at the factory or somewhere else. Was VL or Tampere ever a target for Russian arial strikes?

Best regards

Johnny
Denmark

[Sverri]

Maybe someone here can help you:
www.slettet-af-rullen.dk

-Sverri

[Mangrove]

Have anybody got some info. on the foreign workers at VL, Danish workers in particular and the aircraft used for the defence of the factory - or test flights?

According to the Finnish National Archive database, folder T 20142/15 contains "personnel cards and salary receipts" for Danish volunteers working at VL during year 1940.

[sisudk]

Hello

Thank you Sverri for directing to a new dansih site og which I was not aware.

Martti, I was not aware of the T20142/15 folder at the National Archices ... but it sounds like it could contain more or less the same material as I uncovered at Tikkakoski. Unfortunately I do not have the possibility to pay a visit to the archive before my deadline. Is the mentioned folder available scanned online?

Best regards

Johnny

[Mangrove]

Martti, I was not aware of the T20142/15 folder at the National Archices ... but it sounds like it could contain more or less the same material as I uncovered at Tikkakoski. Unfortunately I do not have the possibility to pay a visit to the archive before my deadline.

What's you deadline? I visit the Archive regularly and I can try to take digital copies of the documents inside the folder if you're interested. Sent me a PM and I'll see what I can do.

[sisudk]

PM sent

Johnny