Finnish Forces

Onni Määttänen

Onni Henrik Määttänen(1908–2010) Knight of the Mannerheim Cross #119. Määttänen was trained as a artillery NCO during his conscript military service in 1928-'30 but When the Winter War started in 1939, Sergeant First Class Määttänen was put as a scout/sniper to infantry unit which operated near his hometown, Ilomantsi. Reason for this was that he had showed excellent shooting skills before the war, earning himself the elite shooting medal of Civil Guard. During Winter War SFC. Määttänen's trigger finger was hit by shrapnel from mortar round and part of it had to be amputated. In Continuation War Määttänen was trained for long distance patrol duties and was put to ErP 4(Seperate Battalion 4). Some of the Russian areas were already familiar to him as he had lived near the border and in his youth had often went across the border on his hunting trips. In 1942 Määttänen participated in the 100 man patrol which destroyed the great supply center of Petrovskij Jam. Onni liked animals very much and it was hard for him when he was ordered to shoot 100 horses which were in a stable of the supply center."Enemies are enemies but horses are just innocent pieces of nature." SFC. Määttänen was awarded the Mannerheim Cross 2nd class, on August 1, 1943 and he became the knight #119. During Continuation War he made 19 patrols behind enemy lines, and then 1 more in Lapland War.