Volunteer Portraits from the Winter War

[Mangrove]

After the Winter War began on 30 November 1939, hundreds of volunteers all around the World travelled to Finland to fight against the Soviets. One of them became Sir Christopher Lee. Presumable for a visa, many of the volunteers were photographed after arriving. The war ended before most of them had completed their basic training. The last volunteers left Finland when the Continuation War broke loose in June 1941. These photographs are now kept at the Finnish National Archive. I shall publish some of them here without any specific personal information connected to them.

A Swiss carpenter.

A Belgian [taxi?] driver from Brussels.

An Italian [taxi?] driver. A veteran from the Great War.

A Canadian industry worker with combat experience from the Great War.

 

[Mangrove]

 

[Mangrove]

 

[Metatron]

Bump, just found this after a google search, surprised no one commented.
Do you have any more of these great photos or a link to the archive website?

 

[Mangrove]

Do you have any more of these great photos or a link to the archive website?

Since my initial post, I have tried to locate more of these photographs. It seems there might be more in other Finnish archives attached to the corresponding visa application form(s).

 

[Two Types]

These are fascinating. Real people, in real clothes - not just film stars or catalogue shots like so much that we post on the FL.

I'd love to see more.

 

[simonc]

Thanks more please, love it.