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Off-Topic / Third last Knight of the Mannerheim Cross dies at 102
« on: 14-06-2010, 18:06:00 »
Onni Määttänen, receiver of Mannerheim Cross, passed away 13 June at the age of 102 years.
Määttänen took part in all three wars of Finland in WW2 (Winter War, Continuation War and Lapland War).
He was slightly wounded by a shrapnel in Winter War in 1939, apparently his Civil Guard badge and memobook in breast pocket saved his life back then.
He took part and led long range patrols behind enemy lines and his Cross award merits his patience and endurance, eg. he was wounded during of the patrols during the Continuation War but he revealed his wound only when patrol returned to base.
His last patrol is also one of the most famous ones - in September 1944 the patrol consisting of seven men was out of food and one the patrol members was in fever. They couldn't get in contact with base with their radio for some time to organise a re-supply drop. When the contact was made in the end, the answer was: "The hostilities are over, come back any way possible." The walk back home would have taken three weeks, though. Yet, during the next radio contact flight back was arranged although it was armistice and there was no clearance for the flight from the Soviet authorities.
After the WW2, Määttänen worked as a farmer until 1979. He lived in his house to 2005 and moved then to rest-home where he died at the age of 102. Määttänen received Mannerheim Cross no. 119. Now there are only two Cross recipients alive, Tuomas Gerdt and Heikki Nykänen.
Määttänen took part in all three wars of Finland in WW2 (Winter War, Continuation War and Lapland War).
He was slightly wounded by a shrapnel in Winter War in 1939, apparently his Civil Guard badge and memobook in breast pocket saved his life back then.
He took part and led long range patrols behind enemy lines and his Cross award merits his patience and endurance, eg. he was wounded during of the patrols during the Continuation War but he revealed his wound only when patrol returned to base.
His last patrol is also one of the most famous ones - in September 1944 the patrol consisting of seven men was out of food and one the patrol members was in fever. They couldn't get in contact with base with their radio for some time to organise a re-supply drop. When the contact was made in the end, the answer was: "The hostilities are over, come back any way possible." The walk back home would have taken three weeks, though. Yet, during the next radio contact flight back was arranged although it was armistice and there was no clearance for the flight from the Soviet authorities.
After the WW2, Määttänen worked as a farmer until 1979. He lived in his house to 2005 and moved then to rest-home where he died at the age of 102. Määttänen received Mannerheim Cross no. 119. Now there are only two Cross recipients alive, Tuomas Gerdt and Heikki Nykänen.
