Abandoned Suulajarvi airbase

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  chuh (guest)

  http://www.elknet.pl/acestory/lampi/lampi.htm At the Suulajarvi air base the pilots of each flight had been billeted in a separate dugout. The flight commander had a private room, the officers had a room and the NCO's their own. There were no "social" limits between the rooms, the pilots could freely visit each other. But the spirit in each dugout was different. The 1st flight where Lampi served in 1944 comprised humorous and musical teetotallers and their pastimes were innocent enough. But one of the other dugouts were manned by eager card players, sometimes games went on 24 hours a day. The third dugout housed the roughest pilots who could take to drinking. One night tremendous noise was heard, and the next morning Lampi went to see what had happened. The dugout was a sorry sight. Two drunken pilots had pulled their pistols and shot up the walls, the furniture, their broadcasting receiver and even the fine fireplace. The flight commander had been shot through the palm by accident... All of this was ended on 9 June 1944. The Red Army offensive started. The enemy broke through the defensive lines in the Carelian Isthmus and Suulajarvi a/b had to be evacuated on the 11th June. Lampi was the last pilot to leave for Immola.

  17 years ago | reply | hide comment