Finnisches Freiwilligen Bataillon

The Finnisches Freiwilligen-Bataillon der Waffen-SS (Finnish Volunteer Battalion of the Waffen-SS) was a unit composed of Finnish volunteers who served under German command from 1941 to 1943 during the Continuation War. Numbering around 1,400 men, the battalion was integrated into the 5th SS Panzer Division "Wiking", where it operated as a frontline infantry formation, seeing significant action on the Eastern Front, particularly in Ukraine and the Caucasus. The volunteers wore standard Waffen-SS field-grey uniforms, but with subtle distinctions: they retained their Finnish identity by wearing a national shield insignia—a blue swastika or blue-white cross—on the upper left sleeve, and some officers were permitted to wear Finnish-style boots or field gear. The collar tabs followed SS regulations, with SS runes on the right and rank insignia or blank tabs on the left, though some men wore plain tabs without runes, especially early on. The battalion never adopted a unique cuff title, and the use of "Wiking" cuff titles was rare among the Finns. By mutual agreement between Finland and Germany, the unit was disbanded in 1943, with most volunteers returning home, many of whom went on to serve in Finland’s own armed forces.