MEMORIAL. On Sunday, 16 May – the Day of the Fallen – the Nordic Resistance Movement honoured the soldiers who died fighting in Finland for the freedom of the Nordic countries and people.
The Day of the Fallen is a flag day in Finland commemorating those who fell in the Finnish Civil War and the Finnish Winter War. The day falls on the third Sunday in May and arose on the initiative of Field Marshal Gustaf Mannerheim.
Over 8,000 Swedes travelled to Finland as volunteers to aid their neighbours in the battle against the armies from the East.
Across Sweden on 16 May, the Nordic Resistance Movement honoured these men’s efforts and sacrifices by tending to their graves, laying wreaths and holding ceremonies with speeches.
The speech held in the various locations around Sweden was the same one Gustaf Mannerheim held for the Swedish Volunteer Corps on 28 March 1940. Many of the soldiers who died on the battlefield never got to hear the speech, which is why we read it to them now at their various resting places.
May the brotherhood-in-arms we have forged strengthen our cooperation and permanently bring our peoples closer together. Finland’s feelings of gratitude and respect will never fade.
– Gustaf Mannerheim, 28 March 1940.
Below are reports from all the Nests that visited the heroes’ graves on the day.
Nest 1
On the morning of Sunday 16/5, activists and members from Nest 1 gathered at Solna cemetery to honour the Nordic heroes who fell in the war against the Soviet Union – for the freedom of the North.
The comrades went from grave to grave, laid flowers and lit candles. An activist held a short speech about who was resting in each grave, and thanked the fallen soldiers for their heroism, in the Resistance Movement’s name.
When the final grave – belonging to Gösta Hallberg-Cuula – had been reached and honoured, the state’s footsoldiers showed up to harass the Resistance fighters. As the comrades had finished what they had planned to do at the cemetery, they simply walked past the police vehicle and out of the cemetery. They were followed by a somewhat desperate policeman, who tried over and over to get an answer from one of the Resistance men, but eventually gave up and got in the car again. After monitoring the comrades from their vehicle in the car park for about five minutes, the police made the unusual decision to withdraw.
The comrades then went to Finlandsparken in Stockholm, where a monument was erected in 1986 to honour the Finland volunteers who died in the wars against the Soviet Union. Here a wreath was laid and an activist read out Gustaf Mannerheim’s famous speech to the Swedish Volunteer Corps.
All in all, it was a very nice spring day to commemorate those who fell for the freedom of the Nordic nations. The same self-sacrifice that these people showed in Finland will be needed throughout the North in the future if we are to have a chance of taking back our nations from the occupation.
Long live the Swedish Volunteer Corps! Long live the Nordic Resistance Movement!
Nest 2
Activists and members from Nest 2 held various commemorations on Sunday for the Swedish volunteer soldiers who died in Finland for Nordic freedom. The graves visited were in Uddevalla, Färgelanda and Trollhättan.
A different speaker held a speech at each of the three locations. The speakers were Nest Chief Mattias Sigvardsson, and the activists Alexander Almroth and Samuel Almroth.
After the speeches ended, the resting soldiers were declared present, before flowers were left on their graves.
Nest 4
On the Day of the Fallen, Nest 4 visited the grave belonging to the Finland volunteer Arthur Henry Mauritz Lindstedt, who was born on 29 September 1909, and died on 9 November 1941 on the Eastern Front. Activist Anders Gudmarsson read the speech by Field Marshall Mannerheim that was first held for the Swedish Volunteers after the Winter War.
The Nordic Resistance Movement remembers Arthur Lindstedt’s sacrifice for Nordic freedom. Arthur Lindstedt – PRESENT!
Nest 5
Nest 5 visited Säter cemetery, where the fallen lieutenant Lars Söderhielm rests in a family grave. Söderhielm died on 6 November 1941 on the Hanko Front.
At the end of the speech, Söderhielm was declared present, after which the comrades marched out of the cemetery.
Nest 6
On the Day of the Fallen, members from Nest 6 gathered in the locality of Töre, near Kalix. After arriving, they went to the local cemetery to commemorate the soldier Ingemar Enbom. He gave his life as a Swedish volunteer in the Continuation War on the Svir Front in 1942, in the defence of the Nordic countries.
Assembled around the grave, the Resistance fighters listened to Gustaf Mannerheim’s speech, read by David Nilsson. David then delivered a powerful speech of his own that served as a natural transition from Mannerheim’s speech to one about today’s struggle for the survival of the Nordic nations.
Finally, a floral wreath and a Tyr rune candle were placed next to the grave as a sign of gratitude and reverence for Ingemar Enbom and all others who fought and died in defence of the Nordic countries and their people.
Nest 7
Nest 7 held remembrance ceremonies for fallen Finland volunteers in Eksjö, Vetlanda and Växjö.
Nest 8
Resistance men from various parts of Nest 8 met on the morning of 16/5 in Malmköping to honour the fallen hero Sven-Erik Rehn, who lies buried at Dunker church in Dunker-Lilla Malma parish.
Rehn was born on 13 February 1917 in Lilla Malma and lived his life in Malmköping. He died on 22 June 1944 in Luumäki, after heroic efforts. The memorial emblem of the Swedish Finnish Volunteer Association is affixed to his gravestone. The tribute speech to the fallen echoed across the cemetery and down the beautiful hillsides to Lake Dunkern.
Sven-Erik Rehn – PRESENT!
