Raila Annikki Lensson

Raila Annikki Lensson
In 1942 I served as a lotta in a Field Hospital in the Easthern Karelia – in Äänislinna and in other places (in Medvezhegorsk, for example). Severe were the waves of Onego Lake, and due to this hardships I got the Liberty Medal from Mannarheim.

It would be interesting to look at these places now, so many years past.

God bless our sons and daughters to never see the war in these lands again!

Raila Annikki Lensson (maiden Vikajärvi) born April 14th 1921 in Vikajärvi, Finnish Lappland. "Lotta Svärd" Medical Corps, Republic of Finland. Service ID: 48652.

Service History:

14.01.1940 - 02.03.1940:  Air Surveillance, Käyrästunturi, Lapland
01.08.1941 - 10.03.1942:  27th Field Hospital, Käylä, Vuorikylä, Alakurtti
11.07.1942 - 31.05.1943:  27th Field Hospital, Medvezhegorsk, Semsjärvi
01.10.1943 - 15.11.1943:  14th Division Headquarters
16.11.1943 - 30.04.1944:  35th Field Hospital, Nevoja-Tiiksa, Rukajärvi region
16.07.1944 - 15.11.1944:  Special Battalion No:4, Hanhikoski
27.11.1944:  Demobilised in Vaasa

Awards/Medals:

1941:  Memorial Medal "Winter War (1939-1940)"
August 11, 1944:  "For Valour" from Carl Gustav Emil Mannerheim, Marshal of Finland – "Liberty Medal" 2nd Class, of the Order of the "Liberty Cross"
December 6 1988:  "For service in a theatre of war" – "Lotta Svärd" Memorial Medal, with oak leaves
I'm sending you copies of all the photos that I have found in Raila's collection of old B&W photos that are from Karelia and/or are connected with her service there. There are no copyright issues other than that I would ask that use of the photos is subject to acknowledgement of their origin as from Raila Lensson (maiden Vikajärvi).

Of course if you receive any enquiries from any persons identified in the photo's or anyone who can identify individuals in the photos then Raila would of course welcome the opportunity to contact those persons.

Sauli Erik Lensson
Canberra, Australia

Sauli Erik Lensson