Decorations of Finland - Vapaussodan Muistomitalit - Liberation War Medal

Finland, like every other country, has a plethora of decorations that can be awarded to individuals. One of the oldest of these is the Liberation War Medal.

Kenraaliluutnantti (Lieutenant General) Hannes Ignatius wearing his full regalia in 1937. The second medal on the row is a Liberation War Medal with two bars. Source:- finna.fi

Institution

The Finnish Senate decided to recognise the actions of the many soldiers and civilians who supported the Governmental ‘White’ forces during the Finnish Civil War. On the 10th September 1918 the Vapaussodan Muistomitalit (commonly translated to Commemorative Medal of the Liberation War but can equally be called the Liberation War Medal or Civil War Medal).

Award Criteria

The medal was awarded to all officers and men of the White army, including members of the Suojeluskunta (Protection Corps) and other individuals who supported the White army. The criteria for the award also included persons who supported the White Army with weapons, provisions, clothing, transportation or other forms of help. 

When the Government set up the Committee on Decorations in 1919, the statues for the medal were clarified as ‘Will be given to those who participated in the war on the government’s side, as well as Finns and foreigners, regardless of whether they have been awarded with other decorations or not’. The Committee also established 11 clasps that could be added to the medal to denote the holder had participated within a certain battle or part of the war. Another addition was a heraldic Rose device upon the ribbon. This was given to those who had been proposed for one of the classes of the Order of the Cross of Liberty but was either rejected or proposal wasn’t processed in time.

A Liberation War Medal with Rose device. Source:- Sa Kuva

Each medal was awarded with a certificate which included the number of clasps awarded and the rose device if applicable. Depending upon the individual, the certificate would be either in Finnish or Swedish. When awarded to those Swedish or German combatants, a Certificate from the Ministry of War would be given in the respective language as well as a cover letter. 

The medal was still awarded officially until 1937 but some were unofficially awarded until 1961 according to the National Archives of Finland.

Description

Like most of Finland's first official decorations, it was designed by Akseli Gallen-Kallela. The medal is circular blackened iron measuring 35 x 35 mm. The observe has a Finnish swastika upon a variation of Cross pattée with a rose in the center. The top two portions display a gauntleted arm holding a sword (left) and a mailed arm with scimitar (right), these are generally seen as symbol of Finland’s position between the Swedish and Russian realms. The lower two portions have 19 (left) and 18 (right) to denote the year of the Civil War. The reverse shows the crowned lion with an armoured hand brandishing a sword, trampling on a scimitar with the hindpaws, this coming from the coat of arms of Finland. The ribbon is 31mm wide and was divided into 5 stripes, 3 blue and 2 black.

The observe (left) and the reverse (right) of the Liberation War Medal. Source:- finna.fi

The clasps were officially 4 mm high and 31 mm wide and made from the same blackened iron, however clasps were ordered by the individual awardee and so there was a wide variation to them. The clasps could be either in Finnish or Swedish and the official list is:-

(Finnish / Swedish / English)

Pohjanmaan Vapautus / Österbottens Befriamde / Liberation of Ostrobothnia
Vilppula / Filpula / Vilppula
Tampere / Tammerfors / Tampere
Satakunta / Satakunda  /Satakunta
Savo / Savolax / Savo
Karjalan Rintama / Karelska Fronten / Karelian Front
Viipuri / Vyborg  / Viipuri
Lempäälä-Lahti / Lempäälä-Lahtis / Lempäälä-Lahti
Kouvola-Kotka-Hamina / Kouvola-Kotka-Fredrikshamn / Kouvola-Kotka-Hamina
Pellinki / Pellinge / Pellinki
Etelä-Suomi / Syd-Finland / South Finland

There was also numerous unofficial clasps that individuals and groups ordered to honour there own participations. One unique example of these unofficial clasps would be the ‘Umeå-Wasa’ which was given to Lieutenant Colonel Nils Kindberg to honour his efforts in the formation of the Finnish Air Force. On the 6th March 1918, Kindberg flew a Thulin Typ D from Umeå in Sweden to Vaasa (Wasa) in Finland with Count Eric von Rosen (the donator). This aircraft was given the designation F1 and became the first official aircraft of the Finnish Air Force. Other unofficial clasps noted are Häme, Kuopio, Messukylä and Rautu. 

Between 71,000 to 89,000 medals were manufactured, with them being split between CC Sporrong & CO of Stockholm, Lindman & Tillander, and Finska Guldsmeds A.B, both based in Finland. Each company placed there hallmark on the reverse under the trampled scimitar. Sporrong used S. & Co, Lindman used three different marks throughout production the most common being L & T. Unfortunately, I haven’t found the hallmark used by Finska Guldsmeds A.B.

Medal and Certificate. Source:- finna.fi

Collecting and Status Today

As with many medals, the status of it fluctuates depending upon numerous factors. The Liberation War Medal was produced in large numbers and as such they are fairly common on the market and at fairly reasonable prices (I have found some as cheap as €10). However, many of these medals are in poor condition with faded, torn or even missing ribbons. It is a rare find to come across one of these medals with their accompany certificate. Depending upon the name of the holder also puts more emphasis upon the status of the medal. 

Today the medal stands in a unique place as marking out an ancestor who actively supported the White side and helped to create the Finnish Republic as it stands today. This puts a lot of value on the medal to the family and gives them a strong link historically to the nation. 

Sources

Jani Tiainen: Suomen Kunniamerkit (Apali, 2010)

http://wiki.narc.fi/portti/index.php/Kunniamerkkivaliokunta

raisala.fi/perinne-kunniamerkit.html