Bengt Rütgersson Essén (12 August 1920 – 13 August 2020) was a Swedish high school principal and a veteran of the Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union.

Early life

Essén was born in Yokohama,

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

to Rütger Essén and Ingeborg Essén. As a student, he went to Stockholm for his Christmas break, and three or four days before Christmas, he volunteered for service. At the age of 19 on New Year’s Eve 1939, he boarded a train to

Haparanda Haparanda (; fi, Haaparanta, , aspen shore or bank) is a locality and the seat of Haparanda Municipality in Norrbotten County, Sweden. It is adjacent to Tornio, Finland. Haparanda had a population of 4,856 in 2010, out of a municipal total of 10,2 ...

with other volunteers. After a fifteen-day ski march, they arrived at the Salla border to join the Finnish armed forces. He was one of 9,500 Swedish

volunteers Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

who fought in the Finnish Winter War. The corps he was in took over positions from the Finnish army, as they were sent to the Karelian Isthmus. His schedule was four hours of sleep and food and then four hours at the front. He also patrolled around the lines to spot possible attack routes and enemy locations. Following the war, he distanced himself from his father’s pro- Nazi views, and during German attacks on Norway later in World War II, he joined a volunteer regiment to protect Swedish borders.

Later life and death

Following the war, he worked as a paramedic and studied Swedish and History at Stockholm University. He became a high school teacher in the

Solna Municipality Solna Municipality ( sv, Solna kommun or , ) is a municipality in Stockholm County in Sweden, located just north of Stockholm City Centre. Its seat is located in the town of Solna, which is a part of the Stockholm urban area. Solna is one of t ...

and taught those subjects. In 1946 after meeting Venla Gebhard during a student exchange they married, after her death, he lived with Erica Ljungdahl until her death. He gained attention for his role in the war later in his life and in 2016 was invited to the Slottsbalen. Essén died on August 13, 2020, being the last living Swedish volunteer that fought in the Winter War.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Essén, Bengt 1920 births 2020 deaths Swedish soldiers 20th-century Swedish educators Heads of schools in Sweden Men centenarians People from Yokohama Swedish centenarians Swedish volunteers in the Winter War