Sunny summer day in Helsinki. Member of Lotta Svärd voluntary auxiliary organization heading to the railway station for her assignment in the east. 25 June 1941. (first day of hostilities) SA-kuva 20506

Lotta

Member of Lotta Svärd putting ID card in her pocket while saying good byes to her relatives before starting her journey towards the eastern border. Helsinki, 20 June 1941. SA-kuva 20035

Good byes

Captain Lieutenant Jouko Pirhonen (1915-1996). Mikkeli, Finland. 19.12.1943.

Served in Finnish Navy 1934-1974. During his wartime service he mostly commanded minelayers and motor torpedo boats, but also served as company commander in Battalion Aaltonen (infantry unit created of navy personnel) which took part in the Battle of Vyborg Bay at the end of the Winter War. He also served on Coastal Defense Ship Ilmarinen for a year, moving back to torpedo boat duties just 10 days before Ilmarinen sunk with most of her crew. In the same month his torpedo boat squad sunk a 800-ton minesweeper near Suursaari/Gogland Island, and later, in october 1941 he sunk two 450-ton Fugas minesweepers at the same island. He was wounded to his leg in 1942 during his 6 week secondment to 4th Schnellboot squadron of German Navy. At the end of the same year he infiltrated into the harbor of Lavansaari/Moshchny Island with three torpedo boats, sinking some 1700-ton gun boat "Krasnoje Znamja". For his merits Pirhonen received the Mannerheim Cross on June 4, 1943. By this time he had accomplished 63 attack-, mining-, and recon missions to enemy controlled waters and to enemy bases, sinking and damaging vessels without suffering any casualties. From 1942 to the end of the war, he served as commander of torpedo boat squadron at Gulf of Finland. By the end of the war the torpedo boats had been to 204 missions. Finnish Navy lost it's motor torpedo boats, along with submarines, when they were banned from Finland in Paris Peace Treaty in 1947. For the last 8 years of his military career (1966-74) Pirhonen was commander of the Finnish Navy. He was made honorary member of United States Naval Institute in 1971 and honorary member of Finnish Naval Officer Association in 1973. He died on May 23, 1996, and was survived by wife (died 2013) and two children (born 1940 & 1943).

Ranks:
Reservialiluutnantti (Reserve Sub-lieutenant) - 5.9.1935
Aliluutnantti (Sub-lieutenant) - 16.9.1937
Luutnantti (Lieutenant) - 16.9.1939
Kapteeniluutnantti (Captain lieutenant) - 9.12.1941 
Komentajakapteeni (Commander Captain) - 18.7.1944
Komentaja (Commander) - 12.3.1956
Kommodori (Commadore) - 13.11.1961
Kontra-amiraali (Rear admiral) - 7.8.1966
Vara-amiraali (Vice admiral) - 5.7.1971