Figure 1.--Sweden and Denmark after the onset of the Soviet invasion launching the Winter War (November 1939) took in child evacuees. The War was fought primarily in Karelia, the Finnish bread basket. Food shortages as a result developed and conditions deteriorated for the children. Most of the children were taken in by Seweden, but Denmark took in 4,000 children. Here mothers and children taken in during the Winter War are returning home after the signing of the peace treaty with the Soviets (March 1940). This was just a few weeks before the Germans invaded Denmark. Here the children and mothers in Copenhagen are preparing to return home. Notice all the snow. The press caption read, "Finnish Evacuees to Return to Finland: Many families [meaning mother anbd child] who evacuated Russo-Finnish war zones to other countries are now returning to Finnish soil now that peace has been declared. These babies had been sent to Copenhagen during the height of the war, and boarded there with other families." The photograph was dated (March 27, 1940). Tragically with the Continuation War, even more Finnish children were sent to Sweden and Denmrk, often without the mothers. |
