Gunnar Lindqvist

Gunnar Isak Lindqvist (13 December 1898 in Helsinki – 5 January 1973) was a Finnish Jäger and a senior lieutenant in the Estonian Army. He had received military training during World War I as a Jäger and fought on the Eastern Front at the Misse River in 1916. Later, he took part in the Finnish Civil War in the White Army as a signals officer and in the Estonian War of Independence as a battalion commander. During his life, he served in the armies of three states and was a veteran of six wars. In the 1930s and 1940s, Lindqvist took part in several Nazi groups.

Family Lindqvist's parents were the translator and journalist Rafael Lindqvist and Olga Ivanoff. He was married for the first time in 1927 with Austra Wait and a second time with Hilja Helmi Toikander. Lindqvist attended the fifth grade in Normal Lyceum of Helsinki. He took part in the fighting in the First World War on the eastern front of Germany on the Misse River, the Gulf of Riga and the Aa River, where he was wounded on 7 January 1917. He was actively recruiting Finns for the volunteer Waffen-SS battalion. Lindqvist recruited at least 111 men, 54 of whom ended up in the battalion. The SS men he personally recruited included Unto Boman, Sakari Lappi-Seppälä and Lauri Törni. In 1942, Lindqvist was vice-president of the Blue Cross, a Nazi organisation. After Finland severed its alliance with Germany on 2 September 1944, Lindqvist was one of eight dangerous pro-German individuals immediately detained by the State Police. He was released after a couple of weeks on the condition that he would not leave Kärkölä. However, he fled during September with the intention of entering Germany, but was caught in Sweden and had to be interned there.

After the wars Lindqvist was interned in Sweden until 1946. From 1946 he worked as an accountant at the Umeå steam brewery until 1947, when he joined as a journalist and held the position until 1948. From , he joined Nord-Sverige magazine in Sollefteå and was a paid employee of the company until 1952, when he moved to Örnsköldsvik-Posten as editor-in-chief and held the position until 1956. In 1956, he moved to the Åland newspaper as editorial secretary, a position he held until 1962, when he became the PR man of Ålands Turistförening.

Awards

Cross of Freedom 4th class with swords (1918 and 1940) Commemorative medal of the War of Freedom with clasp Commemorative medal of the Winter War Commemorative medal of the War of Liberation of Karelia German Honor Cross of the Participants of the Great War Order of the German Eagle 3rd class Estonian Cross of Freedom 3rd class Commemorative medal of the Estonian War of Freedom Commemorative medal of the Latvian War of Freedom