Kokemäki airfield, Finland

[Leendert]

During a recent trip to Fnland my host took me to a small airfield some 10 kms west of Kokemäki, a town roughly between Tampere and Rauma.

According to the gentleman the airfield was built for/by the Germans for operations by the Luftwaffe.
Behind the computer at home however I could not find any wartime reference to this airfield so far. It's just south of Route 2194 near Highway 2 and still in use for light aviation.

Any Finnish board member who can help me out here?

(By the way: enjoyed the museum in Tikkakoski/Jyväskylä.)

Kiitos!

Leendert

[Stig Jarlevik]

Hi Leendert

Bases are perhaps the single weakness when it comes to Finland during WW 2 and I would be interested to learn what this one was actually used for and by who.

The Finns were masters of forward airfields but I always felt they were a lot closer to the front, but possibly they had developed this one for the defence of Hangö and Åbo (Turku) from the Soviet Units based in Northern Estonia.

I find it doubtful that it was used by Luftwaffe, since Luftwaffe were basically based in the north of Finland (they came to the south during various emergencies in 1944, but only for shorter periods), and I cannot understand what they were supposed to be doing in such an area.

And yes you are right, Tikkakoski is very nice and so is the Museum in Vantaa

Cheers
Stig

[Carl-Fredrik Geust]

The name of the airfield in question is PIIKAJÄRVI (EFPI). The planning as military reserve field was initiated already in 1934, but construction work was slow, and the field was handed over to Finnish Air Force only in spring 1943. Military use was rather limited, and included probably only some Finnish trainers and liaison aircraft. I have never heard that the field would have been used by Luftwaffe, who had a major maintenance facility at Pori ("Luftpark Pori"; some 50 km to the NW). Today Piikajärvi is used by the aviation clubs in Pori, Rauma and Kokemäki for light aviation and sailing aircraft.
Carl

[Leendert]

Gents,

Thanks for the additional information about this small airfield. Even my Finnsh host had some trouble to find it. The day after Juhannus only one Cessna was parked there.

Regards,

Leendert

PS Stig: next time I'll also try to see the Vantaa museum!

[Stig Jarlevik]

Thanks Carl

Nice piece of detail. Is there anything written on the internet regarding Finnish Air Bases?

Leendert
Vantaa will surely be worth a visit. A bit more central than Tikkakoski, and I had great help from my wife who speaks rudimentary Finnish

Cheers
Stig