Finnisches Freiwilligen-Bataillon der Waffen-SS; homecoming

Men of the Finnish Waffen-SS have returned home

Major General Raappana and son SS-Rottenführer Raappana

The Finnisches Freiwilligen-Bataillon der Waffen-SS returned to Finland in June 1943 to be incorporated into the Finnish Army. The commander of the Finnish battalion of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment Nordland of the multinational SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Wiking SS-Ostubaf. Hans Collani was transferred to command the SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 2 of the Dutch SS-Freiwilligen-Legion-Niederlande. According to unconfirmed statements, Collani shot himself when his command post was overrun by the Soviets in the Battle of Tannenberg Line on July 29 1944. Collani was awarded the Knight's Cross posthumously and promoted to SS-Standartenführer for bravery in leadership in the Narva battles. He was buried next to Nordland division's commander SS-Gruppenführer Fritz von Scholz in Tallinn Cathedral. As a result of the tough defence of the European Waffen-SS volunteer forces the Soviet war effort in the Baltic Sea region was hampered for seven and a half months. Top image: members of the Finnish Volunteer Battalion of the Waffen-SS on the German freighter Warthe during their homecoming on June 1 1943. Photographer Esko Suomela. Credit: Julius Backman Jääskeläinen. SA-kuva. Bottom image: Major General Erkki Johannes Raappana, wearing the most distinguished military award in Finland, the Mannerheim Cross, celebrates his 50th anniversary with his homecoming son SS-Rottenführer Ermo Juhani Raappana near Lake Novinkajärvi on June 2 1943. Erkki Raappana had served in the 27th Jäger Battalion of the Imperial German Army between 1916 to 1918. His son Ermo Raappana fought in the Winter War and enlisted with the Finnish Waffen-SS after graduation from the Reserve Officers School in 1941. He served in the Finnish SS battalion until it was disbanded. Raappana then went back to serve in the Finnish Army. Credit: Jussi Luostarinen. Finnish Wartime Photo Archive.