Finland Military Records

Military records identify individuals who served in the military or who were eligible for service. Most young men in Finland were required to serve in or register for military service at various times. Evidence that an ancestor served may be found in family records, biographies, censuses, probate records, civil registration, or church records.

Finland has had a standing army since the sixteenth century. Military records give information about a soldier’s military career, such as promotions, places served, pensions, and conduct. In addition, these records usually include information about his age, region of birth, residence, enlistment and discharge dates, and physical description. However, many military records in Finland provide very few details about individuals other than officers.

Available military records include:
 * Muster rolls
 * Lists of officers
 * Pay records
 * Pension records
 * Naval records

The FamilySearch Library’s main collection of Finnish military records is from the Swedish Era (before 1809), when Finland was part of the Swedish realm. The military records for the periods of Finnish autonomy and independence are available only through the Military Archives of Finland. See Finland Archives and Libraries for the address.

To determine to which company and regiment a soldier in a given parish belonged during the Swedish Era, you can use the map found in Eino Jutikkala's, Suomen historian kartasto: Atlas of Finnish History. The map is #35, Sotaväenosastojen Rekrytointialueet n. v. 17 (Troop Recruiting Districts, c. 1700), is on Pages 42–43.

Online Resources

 * 1914-1922 Finland, War Victims, 1914-1922 at MyHeritage - index ($)
 * 1938-1944 Finland, Second World War Casualties at MyHeritage - index ($)
 * 1939-1945 Finland, WWII Military Casualties, 1939-1945 at Ancestry - index & images ($)

Military Records (Sotilasasiakirjat/Militära Handlingar)
Military records establish individual identity and provide parentage and other relationships. These records are especially valuable in determining the place of birth or origin of a soldier ancestor. They include soldiers of Swedish, Baltic, German and Russian origin whose posterity stayed in Finland. Military service often resulted in name changes and these records can often resolve research problems involving change of patronymic to soldier surname.

These records include military service records, conscription registers, mercenary lists. The earliest military records exist for the Swedish military in 1565. After 1809 Finland was an autonomous Grand Duchy within the Russian Empire with an independent military until 1899. After independence in 1917 the Finns had their own military.

Content varies, depending on the specific type of record. There are muster rolls, lists of officers, pay records, pension records, and naval records. These generally provide the name of the soldier or officer, age, date and place of birth, names of parents or next of kin or guardian (if parents are deceased), occupation, residence, level of education, physical description, name of regiment, etc. Records are deposited at the National Archives (Kansallisarkisto) in Helsinki. A brief list of available records can be found at Puolustushallinnon aineistot Kansallisarkistossa (Defense administration materials in the National Archives).

Military Unit Names
Over time many, if not all, military units have had their names changed. For example, the FamilySearch Catalog lists records for the (FI: Suomen Kaarti, SV: Finska gardet). This unit was created in 1817 when a portion of the 3rd Jäger regiment was transferred from the Viipuri battalion to Vaasa and part to Parola. The unit stationed at Parola was renamed the Finnish Training Battalion (Suomen opetuspataljoon). In 1824 the unit was moved to Helsinki and renamed the Helsinki Training Battalion (Helsingin opetuspataljoon).

In 1827 the name was changed to the Helsinki Training Rifle Battalion (Helsingin opetustarkka-ampujapataljoonaksi). In 1829 the name was again changed, this time to the Finnish Guard (Henkivartioväen Suomen tarkk'ampujapataljoona). Another name change came in 1871, when the unit was renamed the 3rd Finnish Sniper Battalion of the Life Guards (Henkivartioväen 3. Suomen tarkka-ampujapataljoona), which remained until the unit was disbanded in 1905.

FamilySearch Catalog
For information about the Finnish military and the Finnish regimental muster rolls that were kept during the Swedish period, search the FamilySearch Catalog under:

FINLAND - MILITARY RECORDS

In the catalog, the Finnish regiments are listed by their Swedish names. For example, the catalog lists the Viipuri County Infantry Regiment as Sverige Försvarsdepartamentet (Viborgs läns Infanteriregiment).

You can find other military records in the Uudempi tilikirjakokoelma / New Collection of Accounts for each county (see Finland Public Records for more information).