Finnish Jews talk about fighting alongside Nazi Germany during WWII

Описание: (27 Jan 2012)
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FILE: 1940
1. Various of Finnish soldiers fighting during the Winter War against Soviet forces
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Helsinki, Finland - January 25, 2012
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Harry Matso, Finnish war veteran:
"I was an ordinary soldier. With a rifle, nothing else. No badge, no corporal, no sergeant, no colonel, nothing. Only a soldier."
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FILE: Finland - 1940
3. Various of Finnish soldiers fighting during the Winter War against Soviet forces
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Helsinki, Finland - January 25, 2012
4. Mid of memorial to fallen Finnish Jewish soldiers inside community centre
5. Close of marble plaque inscribed with names of dead soldiers
6. Close of Star of David on marble, and dates of Finland's two wars against Soviet forces 1939-1944
7. Mid, tilt down of names of dead soldiers
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Harry Matso, Finnish war veteran:
"We were Jews, but we were Finns. That was our country to fight for. But we never forgot to say that we are Jewish. Never."
FILE: AP TELEVISION
Finland - 1941
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9. Various of German Waffen-SS motorised unit moving into Finland
10. Waffen-SS trooper operating breech of his rifle as he fires two rounds
11. Besa light machine-gun team in action
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Helsinki, Finland - January 25, 2012
12. Close of old photograph showing Finnish military commander Marshal Mannerheim presenting commemorative wreath to Jewish community leaders
13. Mid of wreath in glass case
14. Close of leaves and ribbon wreath
15. Close of old photograph of Marshal Mannerheim with Jewish community leaders
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Harry Matso, Finnish war veteran:
"We heard, somewhere in Germany, there is a concentration camp. But what they are doing there, that we didn't know anything. Then, that we got to know much later, '44 or something like that"
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FILE: Auschwitz Camp, Poland, 1945
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17. Various people in concentration camp in Auschwitz ++MUTE++
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Helsinki, Finland - January 25, 2012
18. Wide interior of Helsinki synagogue
19. Close of religious artifacts in synagogue
20. Mid of Gideon Bolotowsky showing chandelier with names of dead Jewish soldiers
21. Close of metal Stars of David on chandelier with names of soldiers inscribed in Hebrew
22. Close of same
23. SOUNDBITE (English) Gideon Bolotowsky, Chairman of Finnish Jewish Community:
"The Jews who were citizens of Finland, of course were participating in the war as soldiers and officers in the Finnish army. This is of course extremely peculiar and unfathomable footnote actually to World War II. That you had German soldiers and Jewish soldiers basically fighting the same enemy. Not for the same goals, but for tactical reasons fighting the same enemy."
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FILE: 1941 - On the Russian Front
24. Advancing towards Kowno, canon fire, tanks advancing, Panzer 2s across field
25. Russian prisoners at gun point being interrogated
STORYLINE:
In 1941, Harry Matso was an 18-year old private in the Finnish army, mobilised on the Eastern Front to fight against Soviet forces.
Matso was one of around 300 Finnish Jews who fought alongside Nazi German troops against the Soviet Union.
"I was an ordinary soldier," says Matso, who celebrated his 88th birthday just last week. "With a rifle, nothing else. No badge, no corporal, no sergeant, no colonel, nothing. Only a soldier."
Between 1939 and 1944, Finland fought two wars against the Soviet Union.
During the short Winter War of 1939-1940, a small Finnish force succeeded in defeating a much larger Soviet invasion.

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