The pilot of BW-372 on 25 June 1942

[Mikko H.]

The Finnish Brewster BW-372, originally recovered from a lake in Russian Karelia in 1998, has made news recently as it has arrived in a US aviation museum.

But who was the pilot of this plane on that fateful mission on 25 June 1942? All the news items and sources in the internet say luutnantti Lauri Pekuri. But Keskinen & Stenman's book LeR 3 state luutnantti Lauri Ohukainen was the pilot. Who is right? Keskinen & Stenman's books are usually the best you can get on Finnish Air Force, so can a million web-pages be wrong?

[Mikko H.]

I was told on another list that Pekuri and Ohukainen was the same person. Ohukainen later changed his name to Pekuri.

[Juha Hujanen]

That's correct.Ohukainen was his original last name but he abandoned it when he got married.

Cheers/Juha

[Hanski]

Mikko, where did you hear this?

[Mikko H.]

On the Finnish Air Force In The Second World War discussion forum at http://www.network54.com/Forum/46825.

[Uninen]

http://www.sci.fi/~fta/BW-372-2.htm

Aircraft and Pilot: BW-372, Lt. L. Ohukainen (later Pekuri)

http://www.elknet.pl/acestory/pekuri/pekuri.htm

Lauri Pekuri was born on 6 Nov 1916 in Helsinki. (His original surname was Ohukainen which he abandoned as he got married. Connotations of his original name include "crépe" and "Stan Laurel".)

And this is mentioned basicly on every book that "talks" of "Pekuris" Person.. so it must be true..

And anyways.. name "Ohukainen" must have been bad PR for fighter ace and commander.. so it had to go..

[Topspeed]

Yes the word Ohukainen refers to the movie heroes Stan and Laurel...that was translated in finnish as Ohukainen ja Paksukainen ( slimmie and a fattie ).

Just to get foreigner into this name game.

Pekuri was first supersonic finn and survived Spalernaja prison and came back in 1948 weighing 40 kilos.

JT

[Mikko H.]

Pekuri was first supersonic finn and survived Spalernaja prison and came back in 1948 weighing 40 kilos.

According to http://www.elknet.pl/acestory/pekuri/pekuri.htm Pekuri came back in the first batch of returned prisoners in late 1944 weighing 48 kg.

[Topspeed]

It is possible I read the memoirs 10 years ago.

[Hanski]

The Brewster flown by Lauri Pekuri is currently on display at the Central Finland Museum of Aviation in Tikkakoski, on loan from its owner, the Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Florida. The aircraft has been restored to the condition in which it was recovered from Big Kolejärvi Lake in Karelia, where it ditched in 1942.

The incredible saga of recovering this aircraft is explained at http://www.warbirdforum.com/bw372.htm . The links at this website are also very informative.

This treasure is well worth seeing before it will eventually return to Florida!

[Mangrove]

This treasure is well worth seeing before it will eventually return to Florida!

I.e. June 2012.

[igor_verh]

Some intresting photos

[igor_verh]

Brewster in 1998

[igor_verh]

Hi!
Here http://warbirdsforum.yuku.com/topic/653 ... own-alone- I met the information, that russian plane, which was shot down by Pekuri, crushed near Big Kaljarvi lake too. And at next day group of finnish scouts found the remains of the aircraft there. Is some information about this on digi.narc.fi? Those finnish soldiers, to my mind, were from Rj.P 5
So, one moment else - Big Kalijarvi lake, where Brewster was found, in summer 1942 was about 1 kilometer behind finnish "protection line", and about 8 kilometers south-east from Baranova Gora, where was garrison of soldiers from Rj.P 5. At south part of lake i met finnish fortifications and barrages, but to my opinion it was built at 1943-1944. At shore I also found some little details from Brewster, that was left after the aircraft was raised - on photos.

[Mangrove]

I met the information, that russian plane, which was shot down by Pekuri, crushed near Big Kaljarvi lake too. And at next day group of finnish scouts found the remains of the aircraft there. Is some information about this on digi.narc.fi? Those finnish soldiers, to my mind, were from Rj.P 5

http://digi.narc.fi/digi/fullpic.ka?kuid=3451184 (Rj.P 5)

25 June 1942. [...] 3.00-4.00 p.m. Aerial combat north of Seesjärvi where six Russkie's Hurricanes [were shot] down along with two of our own. The other of our own fell on fire into a pond near point 133,0. The pilot, Lt. Ohukainen, after swimming to shore, came with barefoot through our own minefield to Hornio field garrison. Ohukainen had shot down two Russkie planes of which the other had flew on fire towards south of where Ohukainen had crashed. Later a small fire was detected at psk. 38.30 - psk. 32.30. Iiro's patrol is investigating its origin. [...]

25.6.42 [...] 15,00-16,00. Ilmataistelu Seesjärven pohjoispuolella, jossa kuusi ryssän Hurricanea alas ja kaksi omaa. Toinen näistä omistamme putosi lampeen piste 133,0 luona palavana. Lentäjä, luutn. Ohukainen pelastui tullen (rantaan uituaan) avojaloin ja oman miinakenttämme läpi Hornion KV:oon. Ohukainen oli ampunut alas kaksi ryssän konetta, toinen oli lentänyt palavana etelään Ohukaisen putoamispaikasta. Myöhemmin todettu pieni palo psk. 38.30 - psk. 32.30. Iiron partio ottamassa selvää, mikä se oli. [...]

http://digi.narc.fi/digi/view.ka?kuid=3451205 (Rj.P 5)

[...] We landed at 31.40 ; 36.00, there we started to investigate the cause of the smoke arising from the north. As we came closer we noticed that it was a fire. I dispatched Jokitalo's squad to investigate the fire in case there were the remains of a shot down aeroplane (which model etc.). We waited his squad at coordinates 38.00 ; 34.40 and he arrived at 5.50 p.m. His observations were as following: Detailed observations could not be done due of the thick smoke, fire is raging at coordinates 39.90 ; 31.10, [...]

[...] Nousimme maihin 31.40 ; 36.00 kohdalla, mistä lähdimme tutkimaan savun syytä, joka näkyi pohjoisessa. Lähemmäksi tultuamme havaitsimme sen kuloksi, jolloin lähetin ryhmä Jokitalon tutkimaan kuloa, onko siellä mahdollisesti alasammutun lentokoneen jäännökset, mitä mallia on kone ym. Koordinaattien 38.00 ; 34.40 kohdalla odotimme ryhmä Jokitaloa, joka saapui klo 15.50 ilmoittaen seuraavaa: Sakean takia ei voinut suorittaa tarkkoja etsiskelyjä, kulo raivoaa koordinaattien 39.90 ; 31.10 kohdalla, [...]

At south part of lake i met finnish fortifications and barrages, but to my opinion it was built at 1943-1944.

http://digi.narc.fi/digi/view.ka?kuid=3085489 (Map of the area showing Finnish fortifications at southern side of the lake in 1943)
The estimation where BW-372 crashed, a pond near point 133.0, is just 10 kilometers east of the real coordinates where the plane crashed (N63° 30' 25.71", E33° 28' 49.56"). The difference can be explained by the the fact that the two water bodies are in the same east-west axis and the observation was probably made from a single point, thus making pinpointing impossible.