Lotta, SA-photos

Lotta Svärd was a Finnish voluntary auxiliary paramilitary organisation for women. Formed originally in 1918, it had a large membership undertaking volunteer social work in the 1920s and 1930s. During the Second World War, it mobilized to replace men conscripted into the army. It served in hospitals, at air raid warning positions, and other auxiliary tasks in close cooperation with the army. 

                                   Chevrolet and gas mask

Gas masks dimmers Packard nose - Kaasunaamari himmennys Packardin keulalla

During the Finnish Civil War it was associated with the White Guard. After the war Lotta Svärd was founded as a separate organisation on 9 September 1920. The first known organisation to use the name Lotta Svärd was the Lotta Svärd of Riihimäki, founded on 11 November 1918.

The organisation expanded during the 1920s and it included 60,000 members in 1930. By 1944 it included 242,000 volunteers, the largest voluntary auxiliary organisation in the world, while the total population of Finland was less than four million.

During the 1920s and 1930s only Christian Finnish citizens were eligible to join, and two references from persons considered reliable were required. The latter requirement was often ignored after the break of Winter War in 1939. Foreigners could be accepted by special permission. However, in 1940 the first Muslim and Jewish members were accepted, and the first non-denominational member in 1941.

During the Winter War some 100,000 men whose jobs were taken over by "Lottas" were freed for military service. The Lottas worked in hospitals, at air-raid warning posts and other auxiliary tasks in conjunction with the armed forces. The Lottas, however, were officially unarmed. The only exception was a voluntary anti-aircraft battery in Helsinki in the summer of 1944, composed of Lotta Svärd members. The battery operated the AA search-lights. The unit was issued rifles for self-protection, thus being the only armed female military unit of the Finnish Defence Forces history.

The dire need for labor led to fast recruitment and there was often no time to properly train the new Lottas according to the principles of the organization. In addition, most new recruits were young and inexperienced. This caused some friction between the veterans and the new recruits.

Lotta Svärd suffered relatively light losses, considering the number of women posted to a war zone and the length of the war. During the wars, 291 Lottas died, most of which (140) from diseases caught on duty. 66 were killed near the front, 47 in air raids and 34 in accidents. The fallen Lottas were buried in war heroes' graves in their home parishes.

When the Continuation War ended, the Soviet Union demanded that all organisations it considered paramilitary, fascist or semi-fascist be banned. Lotta Svärd was one of the groups which was disbanded, on 23 November 1944. However, a new organisation called Suomen Naisten Huoltosäätiö (Support Foundation of Finnish Women) was started which took over much of the old property. This organisation still exists by the name of Lotta Svärd Säätiö (Lotta Svärd Foundation).

Since 4 January 1995 women between the ages of 18 and 29 have had the right to apply for voluntary military service in the Finnish Defence Forces and are free to apply into any form of service, which is granted provided they fulfill the minimum fitness and health requirements.


The Finnish Lotta Svärd organisation has inspired similar organisations in other countries and there is still a Lotta Svärd organisation in Sweden (Lottorna); the same model is also used in Denmark and Norway.

Soldiers and Lottas prisoners coming to home, after the Winter War. 1940 April
Sotilaat ja Lotat tulevat kotiin, talvisodan jälkeen 

Continuation War, Finnish attack time, and Lottas move toward the front line
Jatkosota 1941, suomen hyökkäysvaihe ja Lotat siirtyvät kohti etulinjaa

 War of refugees to get the food - Sotapakolaiset saavat ruokaa

 The soldiers (office-staff) will receive food -  Sotilaat (esikunta) saavat ruokaa

 Going to the front, tobacco and accessories buy from canteen
Rintamalle lähdössä, Tupakkaa ja tarvikkeita ostetaan kanttinista

 Fronts, kitchen staff to clean lingonberries
Rintamalla, keittiö henkilökunta puhdistaa puolukat

Field Hospital will be introduced, the house is washed first
Kenttäsairaala otetaan käyttöön, talo pestään ensin

 kanttiini, joka on lähellä etulinjaa - cantine, which is near frontline

Lotta matroona, everstin arvoinen (luulen) - Lotta matron, the colonel's worth 
(I think)

 Coffee substitutes the wounded - Kahvin korviketta haavoittuneelle

 perunateatteria - potato theater

 Talvi ilta 1942, kirje kotiin ja lukemista 
Winter evening in 1942, the letter home and reading

 Kesäilta 1941 sujua rauhallisesti - Summer Evening 1941 run peacefully

      Post division (letters) to wounder  - Postin jakoa (kirjeet) haavoittuneille

 staff meeting - esikunta kokous

 Blood donations - Veren luovutus 

 rescue a little girl - pelastettu pieni tyttö

 Lotta käyttää valonheitintä - Lotta use floodlights 1942

 

Meijeri on etulinjassa - A dairy is the front line

 Lottas new cantine, near the frontline - Lottien kanttiini heti rintaman takana

 The new head of the collective farm, the Karelian Isthmus, 1942 summer
Kolhoosin uusi johtaja, karjalan kannas

 Military hospital, Lottas Christmas - sotilassairaala, lottien joulu 1942

 Captain's wedding 1941 autum - Kapteenin häät 1941 syksy

 Kenttapuhelin, esikunta kirjuri - Field telephone and staff scribe 1942 

 Captured neighbor laundry, lottas at work - naapurin kaapattu pesula, lotat työssä

 Air Control - Ilmavalvonta

 Wounded letter to home - Haavoittuneen kirje kotiin..

 Needlework - Ompelutyö 

 

Ruokala toimii hyvin lähellä etulinjaa - Canteen open, to very close the front line

gypsum the leg - kipsi jalkaan

Winter War. Lotta pours coffee in a tent - Lotta kaataa kahvia teltassa, Talvisota

Tyttö ja raamattu - Girl and bible. 1942 

German soldier and Lotta - Saksalainen sotilas ja Lotta

Tauko - Break

Päivystys - Duty 1941 winter

Summer Wedding - Kesähäät

Fanni Luukkonen is member Central Executive Board
Fanni Luukkonen, keskusjohtokunnan jäsen

Lotta, Lapland suit, and four wind hat - Lotta, Lapin puku, ja neljän tuulen hattu

The food divided to city - Ruokaa jaetaan kaupungissa

Torilla ostoksilla - shopping at the market place

Ilmahälytys - Air alert

General Falkenhorst visit - Kenraali Falkenhorst vierailee

General Falkenhorst familiar Lottas works in the hospital
Kenraali falkenhorst tutustuu lottien työt sairaalassa

Canteen change the ahead - Kanttiini muuttaa, eteenpäin

Lottas womens moved involved in frontline transport 
 Lotat muuttavat lähemmäs etulinjaa, kuljetus kolonnassa 1941

Wash after transport - Pesu kuljetuksen jälkeen

Muonan jakaminen hevosen kärryiltä - Sharing caterer from horse cart 

Upseerit kenttäkeittiöllä - Officers in coffee, to field kitchen

Esikunnan kirjurit, puhtaaksi kirjoitus - Staff of the scribes, transcription

Pause, night-time - Tauko, Ilta aika

Break moment, to moving cantine - Tauko hetki, liikkuva kantiini

Vaatteiden ompelu - clothes tailoring

Horse bound and anesthesia and surgery - Hevonen sidotaan ja leikataan

Lotta posing - Lotta poseeraa

Two German photographers, and one Finnish, in air control tower.
Kaksi saksalaista ja yksi suomalainen valokuvaaja, ilmavalvonta tornissa.

Keskikesän juhla aika. Pullaa leivotaan sotilaille.
Midsummer celebration time. (St Johan days) Buns baked on soldiers

Japanese minister's wife will visit the military hospital
Japanin ministerin vaimo vierailee sotasairaalassa  1942

Russian prisoner who is seriously wounded have been cut and is being treated. 
He will survive and improve. 1942
Venäläinen vanki joka on pahasti haavoittunut on leikattu ja saa hoitoa. Jää henkiin ja paranee.

Functional 50 mm grenade.
Embed the back, in under soldiers left shoulder from behind and stay there, but did not explode.
Doctor cutting outside tent,  takes grenade off, sews,  and some pioneer makes these grenade harmless.
And the patient improves. The picture shows the hose to remove pus from the wound

50 mm kraanaatti joka ei räjähtänyt. Upposi sotilaan selkään vasemman olkapään takaa, ja liikkuin nahan alla lähelle lantiota. Ei räjähtänyt. Lääkäri leikkasi teltan ulkopuolella, ja poisti kranaatin, jonka pyrstö hieman näkyi nahan alta.
Potilas toipui täysin. Pioneeri teki kranaatin vaarattomaksi. Selästä näkyvä putki
jäi paikalleen hetkeksi, jotta mätä pääsee pois haavasta.

Study messaging (Morse code) - Viestityksen (Morseaakkoset) opiskelu