Слава финскому оленю!
Finnish soldier Jouni Klemet Halonen from Utsjoki, Lapland (Born in 1910), enjoys a bit of sunlight with his reindeer (Rangifer Tarandus) in Lapland, May 1944 during the Continuation War.
He served in Petsamon Erillisosasto/Er.Os.P. (Detached Battalion Petsamo) the so called "Luton miehet"/"Men of Lutto",
and is carrying a pistol machine gun Suomi KP/31 holding a 50 round "coffin" magazine.
Also reindeer were the perfect beast of burden in a frozen environment. Finnish troops had relied on Sámi reindeer to transport equipment on sledges during the Winter War. A year later, the Red army started using Reindeer as well. The Germans, hired Sámi people too for carrying supplies, paying them very well, which boosted the Lapland economy.
However, when the Finnish troops invaded the German occupied areas of Finland in 1944 known as the “Lappland War” to force them out, the Germans became very angered.
To avenge this declaration of war by the Finnish Sami troops, the Germans used the tactic of scorched earth and destroyed most of was built up in the past.
Colour: Colourised PIECE of JAKE
Photo source: SA-Kuva
Photographer Oswald Hedenström
https://www.facebook.com/worldwarincolor/photos/a.393169424146189/2532306476899129/?type=3&theater
