Posted 9 years ago
maggiemay
(8 items)
I found this ring in an auction lot and was about to throw it away as it looked very plain and cheap. However when I looked closely I realised the very feint decoration on it looks like a Swastika with wings at either side. It is stamped 1940 inside. I was thinking it could have been a soldiers or a German civilian, presuming it is genuine of course.
Look here on this page. Do a search (ctrl S) for 'ring', or scroll 3/4 of the way down. Is that it?
http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/ha/schmidt/ausland.html
It's Finnish. Go here. Yours looks old, though, or very worn. Read the comments here. The one in the photo on this page is new, and a repro. One poster said this:
"Hi, I am Finnish and this ring is not a Finnish SS ring. In WW2 the air-force collected gold wedding rings from people to bay new planes and gave this metal ring in return.
If your ring is silver it means it is a reproduction for there was a fundraiser for veterans I think in 2006 and they sale these rings.
I think there are no reproductions in iron!"
http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/ss-uniforms-insignia/ring-finnische-ss-please-help-6020/
Here is the history of it:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1573114/Finlands-swastika-ring-honours-war-dead.html
"The original Air Defence ring, which was made of iron, was given to couples who donated their own gold wedding bands to the military to help finance the war effort.
Back in 1940, Finland stood alone and heavily outnumbered against an onslaught from Soviet forces.
Nevertheless, the Finnish troops heroically held off enemy attacks for four months in appalling winter conditions.
When Hitler turned on the Soviet Union in 1941, Finland allied itself with the Nazis, and with the help of thousands of German troops, managed to eject the occupiers.
As the fortunes of war swung again in 1944, and faced with another Soviet invasion, Finnish troops turned on the Nazis, forcing them out of the country."
INTERESTING! (And I'm part Finnish!)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1573114/Finlands-swastika-ring-honours-war-dead.html
Some parts of what I read here are misleading. I know of no instance where the Finns "fought" against the Nazis . The country was fully allied with Germany & only signed a symbolic declaration of war within weeks of Germany's defeat as required for a treaty with the Soviets . This was smoke & mirrors at the very end of WWII. Many countries grasped fascism as the lesser of 2 evils to fight the communist. I read that Finland was the 1st Axis country to pay off reparations.
Thank you for your comments, it was very enlightening. Celiene at first I didn't think my ring had the flower in the centre but on looking closer through the magnifier I can just make out the very feint impression of it. The wings are also more worn but I think it is definitely the same design as the one you highlighted, and thanks very much for that.
The 1940 inside clinches it.
Thank you Celiene, do you have any opinion if it is the original version or the later copies? It is not stamped at all, nor does it seem to be magnetic.
Hi,
That is a Finnish compensation ring from 1940.
There were two types of compensation rings made and given in 1940. They were both designed by Mauno Oittinen. The one you have is called Air Force Ring with its symbols. The other one is smooth with heraldic rose. Compensation rings given during Winter War were called iron rings in Finland, but they were not all made from iron. Some rings were made from aluminum or mixture of aluminum and other medals. Yours look like it was made of aluminum.
Swastika and wings have been symbols of Finnish Air Force since its beginning in 1918. Swastika has been symbol of good luck and eternity in Finland since ancient times and still is. In Finland it is still widely used in military medals, unit badges etc. It has nothing to do with the Nazis and the swastikas used in Finland are in different angle as in Nazi German sign. Finnish Air Force was pressured from Allied countries to take it away as their symbol during Lapland War (Finland against Germans) in April 1945 because it was seen too similar to Nazi sign, but in 1950 it was taken back.
The information other Finns have given you are correct.
Silver copies of it were sold in 2006-2007 to raise funds for Finnish War Veterans. Yours is one of the original ones.
From
Laila