Can a German Wehrmacht General be a Major of Finnish army?

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Deep-impact
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Can a German Wehrmacht General be a Major of Finnish army?

#1

Post by Deep-impact » 08 Sep 2021, 21:21

Hello to every dear Axis History Forum members!

Can you help me please with one interesting question about one local legend?

In a little settlement Kalevala in Republic of Karelia, some local peoples told me about one legend:

"Sometime after WW2 about the year 1972 at forest near this settlement, soviet army troops probably with members of“KGB” excavated one WW2 era grave with the body of a German Wehrmacht General.And sent this body to Germany. "

I make some research about local history Uhtua-front (in German Uchta-Abschnitt), and I've read some books in German, English, Finnish and Russian but never read anything about some German Wehrmacht generals who was fall and rest at the sector of the German Wehrmacht 20. Gebirgs-Armee.
German Generals Hoelter, Rendulic, Erfurth, and other witnesses of history Lappland Armee did not wrote any information about fallen German Generals at this front. NARA documents also do not have data about this, as I know. (excluding of course Eduard Dietl)

But local old people (different persons) said – yes we saw it.
It was the body of the German Wehrmacht  General.
But nobody could tell me the name of this person… 

Dear Axis History Forum members – can somebody tell me, is it could be a true story?

For this story I have my own version (hypothesis).
Maybe it was – but not the German Wehrmacht and not a General?
As I know at same time – on period of end part of continuation war, and at the same place – shore of lake Valkeajärvi near Uhtua falls ones Major of Army of Finnland.
His name was Tuovi Tobias Mäkeläinen. He died in german wehrmacht Feldlazarett. At this time he was promoted to Lieutenant colonel rank.

I have a picture from the ceremony of farewell from Tuovi Tobias Mäkeläinen at the same place at Lake Valkeajärvi near Uhtua.
Tobias Makelainen.JPG
Tobias Makelainen.JPG (116.28 KiB) Viewed 4328 times
At the ceremony was attended by German General August Krakau - commander 7. Gebirgs-Division of Wehrmacht with division officers. 

I know that at this moment Mäkeläinen rests at a cemetery in Finland.

But when his body was shipped to Finland?

In April 1944, when he fell, or later? 

This story has been so long.
Maybe local peoples have forgotten or confused, or  forgotten and confused together...

Maybe this legendary German Wehrmacht General is a Major/Lieutenant colonel of Finnish army? 

I am be very grateful for your opinion about this.

Seppo Koivisto
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Re: Can a German Wehrmacht General be a Major of Finnish army?

#2

Post by Seppo Koivisto » 08 Sep 2021, 23:50

According to the book about Paavo Koli, artillery officer Tuovi Mäkeläinen was injured in a horse riding accident and died after two weeks in a German field hospital. He is buried in the war grave in Oulu, probably soon after his death. The battery he was commanding was attached to the Mountain Division commanded by Krakau.
https://www.sotasampo.fi/en/persons/person_p17502?tab=1
http://kronos.narc.fi/menehtyneet/index ... raportti=1
https://trepo.tuni.fi/handle/10024/95465


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Deep-impact
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Re: Can a German Wehrmacht General be a Major of Finnish army?

#3

Post by Deep-impact » 09 Sep 2021, 09:32

Seppo Koivisto wrote:
08 Sep 2021, 23:50
According to the book about Paavo Koli, artillery officer Tuovi Mäkeläinen was injured in a horse riding accident and died after two weeks in a German field hospital. He is buried in the war grave in Oulu, probably soon after his death. The battery he was commanding was attached to the Mountain Division commanded by Krakau.
https://www.sotasampo.fi/en/persons/person_p17502?tab=1
http://kronos.narc.fi/menehtyneet/index ... raportti=1
https://trepo.tuni.fi/handle/10024/95465
Thanks for your answer Seppo.

Seppo Koivisto
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Re: Can a German Wehrmacht General be a Major of Finnish army?

#4

Post by Seppo Koivisto » 09 Sep 2021, 22:26

Headstone of Tuovi Mäkeläinen at the graveyard in Oulu.
http://haudat.genealogia.fi/php/haudat1 ... 2&id=31270

Documents in National Archive.
http://digi.narc.fi/digi/slistaus.ka?ay=424628

Photo in Sotapolku.
https://www.sotapolku.fi/henkilot/makel ... 3-26_oulu/

During the Winter War Captain Mäkeläinen was commanding the Mantsinsaari coastal battery.
http://wikimapia.org/26872493/fi/H%C3%A ... en-patteri

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Re: Can a German Wehrmacht General be a Major of Finnish army?

#5

Post by Deep-impact » 10 Sep 2021, 09:58

Seppo, thanks once again!
Can you know: Majuri Sakari Tenhunen and kapteeni Jouko Niemi stell stay at Uhtua-rintama today?

Seppo Koivisto
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Re: Can a German Wehrmacht General be a Major of Finnish army?

#6

Post by Seppo Koivisto » 10 Sep 2021, 23:22

It is difficult to say for sure. It seems that the National Archives has not updated their database regarding the remains found after 1992. Also the book of fallen Cadet officers does not mention of any remains recovered.
https://issuu.com/kadetkunta/docs/joukkosieessa_web

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Re: Can a German Wehrmacht General be a Major of Finnish army?

#7

Post by Deep-impact » 11 Sep 2021, 13:47

Thanks again, Seppo, for your help!
This link it's very interesting - I need to research this list, maybe I can find other variants.

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