Question to FAF experts
 

Hello,

I have two questions about book "Kohtalokkaat lennot 1939-1944 ..." author Jaakko Hyvönen.

1. How is the book structured ? Is somebody, who didn't know finnish language, can understand it with help of dictionary ?
2. Contains the book only losses in action, as KIA, WIA etc. or other category as KIC, KIFA, etc. And what unit are covered ? Operational or traning also ?

Thanks.

Re: Question to FAF experts
 

I'm not a FAF expert but
1. I would say the book is a hard nut for those who cannot read Finnish. Text is descriptive.
2. IIRC the book includes all a/c which were total loss and all incidents were someone got killed, so it includes also accident, also training accidents in training schools. It's a 2nd volume of 3 book series, the others handle pre-war and post war accidents. I have the books but I'm still at work, but just stopped earning my salary, and so this is from memory.

HTH
Juha

Re: Question to FAF experts
 

Thanks Juha !

Re: Question to FAF experts
 

Hi Juha

It actually never cease to amaze me that Finnish authors STILL think that their aviation history is a local Finnish affair, especially WW 2.

Being lucky enough to have a partly Finnish speaking wife , and a general interest in Finnish aviation, I guess I am lucky enough, but being a Swede having parents who took to heart the cause "Finland is OUR cause" during the war it is annoying that it still persists. Also having the honour to have met some vets from the F 19 Wing during the days when it counted I guess I am a bit biased when I say that Finland in history and, to us, especially its aviation history is NOT a local affair!

Luckily some Finnish authors discovered this and we now have quite a few books with, if not a complete translation, at least a partial one into English.

The books you are talking about, HOW does one buy them? An e-mail to a retailer would be nice. If you reconsider your answer given, there seems to me to be an important ommission in these books, especially WW 2, where an aviator could receive damage to his plane but still manage to get back inside his own lines. IF that aeroplane was NOT a total loss (but repaired), it is not in the book? Am I right?

Finally, IF you are in contact with the author, an aviation book of honor regarding Finnish aviators is NOT a local affair, it concerns all of us. You can tell him from me. I have talked to some of the F 19 guys and their night mares. You can pay the ultimate price in more ways than one!!

All the Best
Stig

Re: Question to FAF experts
 

Hello Kalender1973 and Stig
had at last last night time to check Hyvönen’s book but lost my answer while posting it, so here the essence.
My earlier answer’s point 1 still stands
Point 2. Actually the book describes the last flights of those who died, went missing, became PoW or had to parachute out of their plane while flying in FAF. So also fatal training accidents are included. Also foreigners which fulfil above mentioned conditions are included, even those lost while ferrying a/c to Finland. But there are not those plane losses from which crew survived and got back to Finnish side. For ex. the loss of Brewster 239 BW-372, now at Pensacola, isn’t mentioned because the pilot walked to Finnish side. But engineer Sten Åke Hildinger is there, he died while testing a Gladiator of F.19 (Swedish volunteer sqn).

Stig, the publisher is Apali, URL http://www.apali.fi, and they seem to still sell the Hyvönen’s book, on page 3 under Kirjat.

Regrettably Jaakko Hyvönen, who managed to fly some combat sorties in Bf 109G near end of the war, passed away in June 2002.

HTH
Juha

Re: Question to FAF experts
 

Thanks Juha

I have located the publisher.

All in Finish, but I will have my Mrs to help me out with the contacts... :)

Cheers
Stig