The Axix Forces 3
Page 7
The NCO Hallberg-Cuula during the Winter War.
He received the command of the so called “International Platoon” in the Volunteer Bataillon. This Platoon integrated volunteers of at least 12 nationalities, including even a Spaniard (Sergeant Del Prado) as well as Germans, Hungarians, Norwegians, Danes, etc.(4).
At the Hangö front, Autumn 1941 with his International Platoon.
Being at Hangö, a group of party members, led by the Sergeant Otto Hallberg (not to be confused with Hallberg-Cuula, not being relatives) decided in August to organize a party section at the front to keep contact with the home front. The first meeting was held at the front the 28th August and Hallberg-Cuula held a speech for the party members that attended. They named it “Sveaborg”, the Swedish fort at the entrance of Helsinki that had protected the capital from the Russian invaders over the centuries(5). In November 1941, the Russians left Hangö and the Bataillon was disbanded in December. Soon a new volunteer unit was organized named the Swedish Volunteer Company that was attached to the Swedish speaking regiment JR13 that served in the Finnish Army at the Svirfront, close to Lake Ladoga. Around 400 volunteers would serve in this unit between 1942-1944(6), a high percentage being members of the several Swedish National Socialist or Fascist parties.
Gösta Hallberg-Cuula, Winter 1942.
Now as Reserve Lieutenant, wearing proudly now his newly given Frihetskorset (Liberty Cross – Frk III) of 3rd Class, Hallberg-Cuula was among the first to join the Company and was to lead a Platoon when deployed at the Jandeba river.
The 14th April 1942, Hallberg-Cuula was killed by a landmine. He decided to join his men in the dangerous task of cleaning a mined area to enable them to have a route to send patrols into enemy territory. He was trying to deactivate one when it was activated and he died almost immediately. His Battalion CO, Major Sven Hedengren, also a party member, wrote into the Battalion daily report “Today was KIA the brave, veteran of the Winter War, Hallberg-Cuula. His ardent fighting spirit, unconditional belief in Victory and his unique sense for service until the very end gives this obituary testimony to all that had the great luck to know him.” One of the bunkers of the Company was named after him and a birch cross erected in his memory on the place where he died. His body received a Christian ceremony at Sandudds Chapel at Helsinki the 30th April and moved to Stockholm to receive military honours.
The body of Gösta Hallberg-Cuula with his comrades.
The controversy
He was buried at the Norra Kirkogården in Stockholm the 9th May 1942, where his grave is still considered as an historical item protected by the Swedish Culture department(7). On the stone the motto Fjärran i Öster fallen för Sverige (Far in East fallen for Sweden) can be read. The burial ceremony received great attention by the mass media, being represented by many high ranking military officers despite the fact that it was organized by the National Socialist party. The youth organization dedicated the cover of their monthly magazine Ungt Folk (Young People) to “Sveriges tapparaste frontsoldat har gått til Valhall” (Sweden´s most courageous frontline soldier has departed for Valhalla) with the classic portrait of him wearing the party symbol on his right breast on the uniform as well as the clasp with all his decorations(8). The 14th April was proclaimed by the party leader, Lindholm, as Den Stupades Dag (The Fallen´s Day) to be commemorated each year, a tradition that was kept even when the party was dissolved 1950 by veterans and nowadays by Swedish nationalist groups.
Party pin of the Sveaborg branch.
The Frontfighter´s section of the party renamed their unit at the Finnish Front to Kampavdelning Hallberg-Cuula on his honnour, as the members in the Waffen-SS did it to Hans Lindén (one of the first party members KIA, who enlisted at 17 years of age, deceased December 1941 serving in the Wikingdivision).
Hallberg-Cuula´s graveyard in Stockholm.
The leftist parties and mass media tried to dishonour him by arguing that he was Finnish and not really a Swedish national. Even today many publications still spread these rumors. His mother reacted immediately and made it known widely that he was in fact the son of a Swedish citizen and that she was from a Swedish family, that Gösta Hallberg-Cuula never considered himself as a Finn despite the fact that he admired and loved this country so much that he gave his life for its freedom(9). His military file at the Finnish War Archive clearly reflects that he was a Swedish volunteer and that his mother tongue was Swedish with a knowledge of the Finnish language that was almost none (“some”) but that he spoke English and German fluently. When he was killed in action, the Finnish HQ published, as usual, his necrology in the Finnish press remarking also that he was a foreign volunteer.
Propaganda poster edited by the SSS party. “Many gave their lives for Sweden´s freedom and the Nordic culture. What are you sacrifying?”.
Note
(1) War Archive, Helsinki, Military file Gösta Hallberg-Cuula.
(2) DSN, issues numbers 32/1933; 50/1934; 100/1935; 99/1936.
(3) SE, bildtidning, Stockholm, nr.26/30.III.1940.
(4) A complete reportage at the Finnish-Swedish newspaper Västra Nyland, 17.VII.1941, “Hos Hallberg-Cuulas djärva främlingspluton I Hangöeld” (With Hallberg-Cuula´s brave Foreing platoon below fire at Hangö). In this Finnish newspaper he is presented as a Swedish Officer, not as Finnish.
(5) DSF (Den Svenske Folksocialisten), 25.IV.1942, p.8, “Hallberg-Cuula talar” (Hallberg-Cuula talks).
(6) Despite in Swedish, the most accurate history of this unit is Svenskarna vid Jandeba. Svenska Frivilligkompaniet 1942-1944, by von SCHMIDT-LAUSSITZ, Luleå, Förlag Svenskafrivilliga, 2007.
(7) http://norrabegravningsplatsen.se/sten-nr-523-gosta-hallberg-cuula.
(8) UF, nr. 4/1942.
(9) DSF, 19.XII.1942, “Hallberg-Cuula var helt igenom svensk” (Hallberg-Cuula was completely Swedish), signed by Otto Hallberg and Fanny Hallberg-Cuula.
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Title: AF-003 - THE AXIS FORCES 3
di Massimilano Afiero. Serie a cura di Massimilano Afiero. Cover & Art Design: Luca S. Cristini e Anna Cristini.
e-book ISBN: 9788893272667
Sinossi: With this third issue of the magazine we take another step forward with our publication, which we hope will continue to spread all over the world, both in digital format and in paper format, in the name of historical truth. Finally, we have begun to receive comments and advice on our magazine sent by our readers, all fortunately positive, but also suggestions on the editorial line to follow in the coming issues. Many readers have asked us to provide more coverage in the magazine to the formations of all the countries of the Axis, to keep faith with the title of the magazine, dealing in addition to the military units of Italy, Germany and Japan, also to units from Romania, Hungary, Finland And Slovakia, as well as of course foreign volunteer formations. Another suggestion is that in addition to addressing only ground units, aviation and Navy topics, which thus far have been excluded from discussion, should also be covered. Of course, we will take into account all of these suggestions, to meet the needs of our readers and we promise you that beginning with the next issue something new will be seen. In this third issue, I hope you will find interesting articles and topics, but as always, we invite you to send us further tips and suggestions to better meet your military history enthusiasts needs. A warm greeting to everyone and welcome to the next issue.
AUTORE - AUTHOR
Massimiliano Afiero nasce ad Afragola (Napoli) nel 1964. Insegnante di informatica, programmatore, ma soprattutto appassionato studioso del secondo conflitto mondiale, ha pubblicato numerosi articoli sulle principali riviste di Storia a diffusione nazionale, come Storia del XX Secolo, Storia e Battaglie, Storia del Novecento, Raids, Volontari, Milites, Thule Italia, Storia in Rete e Storia Verità e collabora attivamente con numerosi siti web a carattere storico-militare. Uno dei pochi ricercatori storici italiani ad aver intervistato personalmente numerosi reduci e veterani delle formazioni dell'Asse, in particolare della Waffen-SS, pubblicando le loro storie inedite. Ha al suo attivo numerose conferenze tenute in tutto il territorio nazionale sul fenomeno della presenza di volontari stranieri nelle forze armate tedesche durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale. Dal novembre 2004 al dicembre 2008 è stato Consulente storico e Direttore Tecnico della rivista "Volontari". Dal maggio 2008 Caporedattore della rivista bimestrale SGM (SECONDA GUERRA MONDIALE) pubblicata dall'Editoriale Lupo. Dal gennaio 2009 è iniziata la pubblicazione della nuova rivista Ritterkreuz, dedicata alla storia militare delle formazioni dell'Asse durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale e dal 2013 la pubblicazione della collana FRONTI di GUERRA.
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