Great photos from Estonia?

[Paul D]

eastern battalions
Eastern Battalions combatants
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i have just found the names of all these guys...but would take me ages to edit them in

Left to right Paul Maitla , Harald Nugiseks , Harald Riipalu , Hando Russ .

[Paul D]

they are from this website Laulud stumbled upon searching for another image...my understanding is Copyright lasts for 70 years....so these are all "known" photos?..i love some of these,they are so well taken

Thanks for posting the link .

Yes many of them are well known photos in Estonia and have been published in various books in particular those done by Grenader . EE Publishing house in Tallinn.

[wizardman]

Harald Nugiseks major Riipalu

interesting story
Harald Nugiseks: there's no peace before last one of us is buried
by Ingvar Bärenklau

The last surviving Estonian with the German Knight's Cross, Harald Nugiseks, says that he is a man born under a lucky star - only a few boys of his year survived all the horrors of Second World War and Siberian concentration camps.

Nugiseks assures that he was fighting for free Estonia and to call his comrades faschists is utterly unfair.

What do you remember of the events during the 1st of March 1944 on Narva front, for which you were given the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross?

The task was to take back the Vaasa-Vepsküla bridgehead from the enemy. We originally had 30-40 men, but the fire was so intense that half of the men fell out, also our officers Lumera and Rõõmussaar were wounded. I was then the squad leader.

Rõõmussaar called me near and said: here are 22 men, I am going to leave now. Battalion chief was Ain Erwin Mere, he was already planning to call back the platoon. But when he found out that Nugiseks had taken over the command, he gave me an order: try again, if possible!

Did a thought cross your mind not to attack?

No such thing. An order is an order, soldier must do as he is told. I pulled back the men for a while, we had a rest and gathered handgrenades. And then we went to attack again and stormed into the russian trenches. It was only close quarters combat - we used either a shovel, handgrenades or a dagger.

One German captain actually gave me a dagger, to this day I don't know why. Harald Riipalu took his men from the direction of Vaasa houses, but I attacked the trench infront of the houses, where the enemy had dug in good.

If that trench hadn't been taken, would the Riipalu's men been in trouble?

Yes. The order was to definately take the trench, otherwise Riipalu would have been surrounded.

Was it a big surprise to get a Knight's Cross for that attack?

I couldn't have thought to expect it. I later found out that our division chief, Augsberger, had been told that for that battle, there will be a Knight's Cross, and it is not going to an officer. When I received the cross, I was at the Türi hospital because of a serious illness. At that time, only one Estonian had gotten the Knight's Cross - Alfons Rebane - and he was an officer.

What did people in Estonian regiments think of the Germans in general?

Well we didn't get along with them, although we were in the same army. I was even demoted one time for standing up for Estonian women.

Did they try to influence you with the nazi ideology in the Estonian Legion?

They tried at first. But we, Estonian boys, were cocky enough and it was good.
The Ger
mans were told into their faces that they should tell that bull**** to their own men. That man didn't come to do the propaganda anymore. And now we are told to be fascists

What damn facists! I volunteered to the German military in 1941 to get my payback.

In 1941 my aunt's husband and his son were stabbed to death by the destruction battalion's men and thrown into Kolu river. The farm was burned to ground and I had to escape to the forests from the soviet mobilisation. I had been brought up with patriotic education, I was a scout when I was a schoolboy.

How did the war end for you?

I survived the Czech hell in 1945 spring. The front didn’t exist anymore and we tried to get to the west with our men. But we still had our uniforms on and nowhere to hide. The Czechs put me against the wall two times, but I didn't get shot.

They had already put up the machinegun but then suddenly Russian planes flew overhead and the Czech didn't know who they were, so they ran. And we too. But after three days we were captured again and given over to the Russians.

You, as a Knight's Cross cavalier could have had a very bad fate in prison?

I must have been born under a lucky star, I have never been so fortunate in my life. The Czech who captured me had to be drunk. He tore my Knight's Cross off of me and threw it into the mud - he didn't even know what it was! Had he known, he would have instantly given me nine grams - bang!

Did Germany give you a replacement for the lost Knight's Cross?

They have it so that if someone has lost his, then another chevalier of the Knight's Cross can give his own award when he dies to the one who has lost his. Somehow the word got out in Germany that my cross was taken from me in Czech hell. And then one German who had cancer, did a last will that his Cross is to be taken to Estonia and given to me.

You are the monument of Estonian warrior bravery. Has the Estonian government valued your sacrifice enough?

I have 23 awards, the collectionaires are constantly asking me to sell them. But I won't, I have promised them to my son. I have never gotten anything from the president. I have been nominated six-seven times but every time my name has disappeared from the list.

When president Meri gave me the Broken Cornflower, he kept shaking my hand and told me that sadly he cannot give me an award - the western countries won't understand.

What do you think of the life in Estonia now?

Life is better, no argument there. But there never has been a true Estonian government and there isn't at the moment.

I've been a big supporter of the Patriotic Party, but I told Mart Laar, that although I am against the sovhoses and kolhoses, they were disbanded too suddenly. Also at the moment there is a problem going on with the wargraves. But there won't be a peace before last one of us is buried.


Harald Nugiseks (85)

* Born in 22nd October 1921 in Särevere vald, Karjaküla in the Vanaõue farm.
* 1937 finished Laupa primary school, studied in Türi Gardening Highschool and 1939-1941 in Paide Commercial Highschool.
* On the 2nd October 1941 volunteered to the German army - at first he was put into the Eastern Battalion, in 1943 April to the Estonian Legion.
* For the courage shown in Narva front received II rank Iron Cross in 1944 February, in March the I rank Iron Cross was added. On 9th of April he was given a Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for leading the battle under Siivertsi-Vaasa-Vepsküla.
* 1945-1958 was in the prisoncamp in Siberia. Later he worked in several kolhoses.
* Since 1994 a reserve Captain of Estonian Defense Forces.
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was started to be given out in 1939 September. It was given to 7361 soldiers, including four Estonians
from Estonia to remove Soviet memorial - Page 29
Harald Nugiseks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Harald Riipalu (born as Harald Reibach)
Born 13 February 1912
St. Petersburg, Russia
Died 4 April 1961 (aged 49)
Heckmondwike, Great Britain
Harald Riipalu - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Scout]

Pimp my ride Estonian style....i would have thought BMW
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I doubt it.
Engine, front fork, exhaust etc all wrong for BMW - Im leaning towards a Polish SOKOL.

[Scout]

Left to right Paul Maitla , Harald Nugiseks , Harald Riipalu , Hando Russ .

Thx, Paul. Now we just need Alfons Rebane and its a full deck.

[Salzburg]

A great collection of photos, some of which I have never seen before.

I particularly like the ones in the first batch of the 'boys' being sent off to war in their pristine uniforms by the young ladies. I wonder if these young men and women were school friends and how many of them made it through to the end?

Thanks for posting

Martin

[Paul D]

Thx, Paul. Now we just need Alfons Rebane and its a full deck.

Rebane is the RKT in Heer uniform , he was the fisrt Estonian RK winner whilst commanding an Ost Btl !! He is in a few of the other photos as well.

[Paul D]

A great collection of photos, some of which I have never seen before.

I particularly like the ones in the first batch of the 'boys' being sent off to war in their pristine uniforms by the young ladies. I wonder if these young men and women were school friends and how many of them made it through to the end?

Thanks for posting

Martin

Many of them were KIA shortly after on the Narva Front !

[Scout]

Rebane is the RKT in Heer uniform , he was the fisrt Estonian RK winner whilst commanding an Ost Btl !! He is in a few of the other photos as well.

Is it Rebane in the Heer uniform in post #21 across from the kid?
I did look at him, but thought he didnt match the pic I had of Rebane.

EDIT: just searched for more pics - it is indeed Rebane.
Dang, there are a lot of Estonian sites on the bloke (small wonder).

[harryamb2]

I plump for a NSU.