WOMEN AND THE WAR IN FINLAND

WOMEN AND THE WAR (in Finland)   by Anja Vincent

“Most likely women would never get into wars without men. Wars are surely men’s invention. Males have always been initiators of wars, fed them with their own ambitions, thoughts, and actions. Surely, most men would not start wars. Nevertheless, when wars rage and the freedom, national identity, and independence are at stake, women can hardly stay on the background. They have wanted to participate in the defense of their country, seldom carrying arms, but the more other by other means that have been just as important.”  (“Nainen sodassa”)
When a small country with population of just over 4 million, had to start fighting against a big country like Russia, question rose where would all the fighting men come from. The country needed them in their present jobs, but the need for soldiers was even greater.

All the Finnish men were familiar with using arms, since universal conscription had been instituted in Finland long before the Winter War. It was clear every able-bodied male would be called to serve on the front. 

Back to our question, where could we get replacements for all the men needed to fight the war? Simple answer, more than half of the population was female. Women could step in. And they sure did!

Where mostly men had been employed in manufacturing, women were quickly trained to operate machines. Where men had done the chores on the farms, women learned to plow and seed the fields, and gather the harvest. Women were employed in building and construction; they became butchers and shoemakers, made clothing for the troops and munitions for the arms. Of course, this was all done in addition to taking care of the homes and children while men were absent, protecting the homeland.

Everyone tried to do his share in helping out, regardless of their political outlook. So called “fifth column” (communists who supported Russian effort to conquer the country) did refuse to serve. 

Some of the roles women had during the war years 1939-1945 on the home front:Mother, wife, factory worker, substitute teacher, nurse, office worker, farmer, volunteer. List is endless! Often many of the roles overlapped, and the women were tested to the limits, but without complaining.

What about the role of women in the actual war effort in the field? Many of you are familiar with the term lotta or lotat, but I will return to them later. There were other groups and organizations that sent women to help out troops in different capacities.   Women’s’ auxiliary of the armed forces was one of the first groups to get ready to send women to assist soldiers. They set up canteens in the areas were men were billeted. Canteens were set up in tents, barns, or whatever places were suitable. There were also mobile canteens on busses, trucks and panel vans. Soldiers could come and have a cup of coffee and piece of pulla, pop, candy, perhaps paper and envelopes for letter writing on their time off from the fighting. 

Border patrol auxiliary women worked in close proximity to fighting areas. Red Cross played an important role both in the field and home front. Finnish armed forces worked closely with Red Cross. Beginning of the Continuation War Red Cross placed about 4,700 nurses to serve in military hospitals, field hospitals and first aid stations.

All in all, during the war years over 13,000 nurses were providing nursing care for the military. Martat did their share, especially in helping evacuees resettle in new areas where they were directed to go.  Even girls scouts helped the war effort, older girl scouts who had gotten first aid training assisted in the hospitals.

The most important organization that played a supporting role for the armed forces, however, was Lotta Svärd organization. Who were lottas? Where did the organization stem from? What did they do before, during and after the war? 

Let’s start from the beginning. Lotta Svärd organization was officially established in 1921 as a women’s auxiliary of Civil Guard (Suojeluskunta) organization. Suojeluskunta, Civil Guard, felt women can and should play a role in civil defense. The name given to this women’s auxiliary was adopted from Vänrikki Stoolin Tarinat (The tales of Ensign Stahl). Johann Ludwig Runeberg wrote the poems to commemorate 1801 Swedish-Russian war. Lotta Svärd was a young wife of a soldier who was killed in the war. Lotta continued to follow the troops and was held in high regard by them for her help, encouragement and her coffee.

The women, who started the organization, felt the name Lotta Svärd reflected the ideals of the service they wanted to provide. Those who joined the Lottas gave a solemn oath, usually in a church, where they promised to abide with the Lotta Svärd “Golden Words”. 
Some of these words include following:
1. Let the Son of God be the greatest strength of your life.
2. Learn to love your country and its inhabitants.
3. Keep your lotta ideals in high regard. Be a true lotta, upright, pure and temperate.
4. Expect the most of yourself always.
5. Remember the work of past generations. Honor your elders; they have done more than we have.
And the last one: Lotta, remember you represent a large, patriotic organization. Beware of doing anything to damage it or hurt its reputation.

 Initially lottas functioned mainly as support for the Civil Guard units in providing meals during their peacetime war readiness skills practices, but once the organization was formally established, lottas were divided into several units, such as nursing units, provisions units, equipment units and collection units. One could join the organization as an active or supporting member. Active members were in turn divided into units that were ready to be activated into the war front in case of need and those who stayed behind in other roles. 

In 1924, there were 41,825 lottas; the last official membership record from 1943 gives that figure as 173,000. In the beginning of 1930, “pikkulotat” (little lotat, later called lottatytot, lotta girls) was added, and their numbers quickly grew.  The organization became a semi-official organization of Finnish armed forces, supporting the troops and helping in defense of the homeland.  They had their own uniform, which consisted of gray long-sleeved, belted and buttoned cotton dress with detachable, high white collar and white cuffs.  A wool dress was used during official ceremonies. Gray long trench coat with detachable wool lining for winter use was part of the uniform. Those serving in provisions (kitchen) units wore white apron and bonnet. Black shoes and socks complimented the attire. No jewelry other than Lotta organization’s own medals and pins were allowed, except wedding bands. Strict code of conduct accompanied those wearing the Lotta uniform. No smoking, no drinking, no swearing while on the business of Lotta work.

When the Winter War started, services of lottas went to high gear. Over 71,000 lottas were assigned, under the auspices of the armed forces, to different roles. During the Continuation War, the number climbed to approx. 90,000.  Not all of them were in full-time service, nor in the war front itself.  It is estimated that an additional 50,000-60,000 lottas served full or part-time away from the fighting areas.

All in all, it is estimated that the work lottas did freed 4-5 division’s worth of men to fighting forces. And to think that the women performed their duties for the most part as volunteers, not getting paid. The ones who were with the troops later however, got small per diem “wages”. What did the lottas do? Medical units.  Lottas who were by profession nurses or doctors worked directly under the Red Cross. They were sent to field hospitals or military hospitals situated in different parts of the country. Other lottas who had gotten basic instruction in first aid, wound care and such, were assigned to work under the medical corps, often at field dressing stations. They were the ones who experienced the results of fighting at their worst.


Kitchen units were the largest group of lottas.  About 7,000 lottas were assigned to cook and serve meals to the fighting forces. In addition, lottas also run over 300 canteens for the soldiers. “Kitchen lottas” also helped with food service at military hospitals. Lottas in radio- and communications units were often assigned to military headquarters, as were office lottas. But radiolottas were working with the troops.

Switchboard operators played an important role in communicating information between the troops and between the headquarters and the fighting units. They kept in touch with “sissit” who infiltrated to behind Russian lines. What a nerve racking job that must have been!  Another very stressful job lottas performed was that of preparing the bodies of the ones killed in fighting, to be sent home!  An interesting job was that of a cartographer/topographer. These lottas had to be able in a short time to draw detailed maps of always-changing positions of both own and enemy troops. 
Air surveillance and air defense warnings also fell on the shoulders of lottas as shown in the photo.

Horses played a big part in transportation on the front. Powered vehicles were few, roads often non-existent or not suitable for motorize transportation. And so, lottas helped to take care of horses, cleaned the stalls, fed and brushed the horses.

A special unit of lottas was Valonheittäjälotat.  This translates to searchlight operators, which names them as important nighttime bomber security personnel. In any case, they were the only lottas who were trained in the use of firearms and were allowed to carry them due to the nature of their work. 
There were many, many more important roles lottas played during the two wars.  From kitchen help and cooks to pharmacists and meteorologists, there are over 40 different job designations in the listing compiled by the joint office of armed services during the ceasefire between Winter War and Continuation War that pertain to lottas.

Serving in active forces always carries with it the threat of greatest sacrifice, that of loosing one’s life. Even though lottas served in supporting roles, did not carry arms, there were some fatalities. The first recorded ones happened in an aerial bombing strike on December 10, 1939. All in all, records show that between 1939-1944 8 lottas were killed (a figure some consider too low), 113 lottas succumbed to their wounds, 4 listed as missing in action. The most tragic loss of women serving the armed forces happened when three of the directors of Finland’s USO canteen organization were ambushed and killed on their inspection tour in the northern part of the front on June 29, 1942. 

What about the women who stayed behind, who kept the home fires burning, lottas who were working in civil jobs but were obligated to serve part-time through their local lotta chapters? Titles of chapters in the book “Nainen Sodassa (a woman in the war)” gives a small picture of what they did “Meat for the troops”,  “Work with dynamite”, “Iron to the front”, “Something warm to wear”, Women and hand grenades”, “War materiel in the hands of women”, “The nightingale of the front”(Anna Mutanen, Leo Talikka’s aunt), and “Funds and materials”.

As war came to an end, women had to adjust again. Men returned, many with lasting scars, physical and emotional. Scarcity of basic goods was everywhere; food and clothing were in short supply.

The peace agreement with Russia was reached but with heavy concessions. One part was Russians demand that Finns disband the Suojeluskunta, Civil Guard organization. Since Lotta organization had started as an auxiliary of Suojeluskunta, it also had to be disbanded. The funds Lotta Svärd still had were transferred to a new women’s organization charged to care for and help those suffering from the effects of the war, especially those who had permanently lost their homes that had been located in areas that had to be ceded to Russia.   

November 23, 1944 was a day of sorrow for all the lottas who had served their country so selflessly in whatever role they had been asked to perform. That was the day when the Finnish Parliament made the dissolution of Lotta Svärd organization official.
There is so much more that can be said about the brave Finnish women, young, middle age, old. “The Finnish mother did not win the war, but without her help Finland would not have remained an independent and free country. This fact was not clearly seen in the midst of fighting. There was so much more to think about. It was self-evident that mothers would fill their responsibilities just like everyone else.” (Nainen Sodassa). 

But one army officer thought about it and wrote a letter to Mannerheim, suggesting that mothers should be recognized in some manner.  The idea intrigued Mannerheim; he discussed it with his staff. The mothers of Finland were honored with a proclamation and a Medal of Freedom (4^th class).   The proclamation and the medal were presented to the Finnish Parliament on May 9, 1942 by a delegation named by Mannerheim. After that, the Parliament decided that a copy of the proclamation would be given to all the churches of Finland and that it should be framed and displayed in each church in a suitable location! So, everyone who was a mother during the war received a symbolic Medal of Freedom to wear! 

Sources:
Nainen Sodassa. Kotona ja Rintamalla 1939-1945.
Valitut Palat 1995.              Rakasta Maatasi ja Kansaasi.
Kainuun Lotta Svärd 1921-1944.
Kainuun Lottaperinneyhdistys 2002            
Lotta Luotisateessa. Meeri Huuhka-Schadewitz. Werner Soderstrom 1992           
Vänrikki Stoolin Tarinat. J.L.Runeberg. Otava 1933           
Kansa taisteli – Miehet Kertovat. Kohtalon Vuodet. E.Erasaari.
Sanomaprint Kirjat 1988           
Vaikeuksista Voittoon; Keski-Pohjanmaan naisten muistelmia sotiemme ajoilta, 1996            www.Wikipedia.fi          
www.suomenlottaperinneliitto.fi           
www.veteraanienperinto.fi 
Text © Anja Vincent 2009, Picture #1 © Lasse Hiltunen, and pictures #2,3 from Wikipedia.com