- This project will hopefully result in a guidebook, or guidebooks, for the Western Front, which will make it possible to follow in the footsteps of the Swedish born soldiers and their fate in World War 1. After that the result will be maintained at this page, and most likely be developed into other projects, sprung out from this main project.
Why am I doing this?
In Sweden today we know quite much about the facts around Second World War, how it developed, and how it ended. A lot of people in Sweden know something about that war. In the military schools today we are good in connecting the activities, tactics and the technologies from WW2, and take that with us into future dialogues, and using it as reference in various discussions.
But every war is in a way fought with some conclusions from the previous one, and the experience from the end of WW1 was the start on the strategy and tactics in the plans the different opponents made for upcoming battles in WW2.
But my opinion is that we, in Sweden, talk less about the individuals that fought these wars, especially those who fought in WW1, and very seldom about those who were born in our own country, our descendants. What did they think? What made them join the units and fight as they did? What made them take these risks? Was the end of the world near? We have to sacrifice ourselves now or? We will never know. One thing is sure, they didn’t know what we know today.
So, what can I do?
My aim now is to highlight the fate of these individuals, those who put their first steps on our northern soil, who emigrated to other countries due to the difficulties that we had here in Sweden in the mid and late 19th century, and for some reason joined the forces who fought for their cause on the battlefields in Europe at that time.
I want to connect the individuals to the terrain, where they were when they fell at the Western Front, and where they have their final rest, or the places where those who don’t have their own headstone, are commemorated.
I want the Swedes to read about this, maybe visit those places with some help of the facts tha I have gathered, but I also want other nations in Europe to know about this, and that is the reason I make this website in English, a quite common language in Europe.
So. That’s why I do this. I also think we could have done more as a country, but that is another story …
Step 1
- File data of every Swedish soldier that I find regarding their military history, and their circumstances at the battlefield. Up to this date I have data of about 483 Swedish born soldiers. 462 of those are verified by information from Church books. (October , 2024)
- Soldier Criteria:
- Born in Sweden
- Fought in The Great War
- Fought and fell at The Western Front
- Buried or commemorated at The Western Front.
Step 2
- Find more information of the soldier regarding details of the actual situation, based on diaries from the unit the soldier fought for.
Step 3
- Research about to find and present more data about their background and family in Sweden, if possible.
Documentation
- Trips to the battlefields will be made as soon as possible to collect data and take pictures of the actual sites and cemeteries in the battlefields.
Guided Tours in the future
- If there will be of interest, it will be possible to join me on my trips down to the battlefields and follow the steps of our Swedish soldiers who fell at the Western Front. More information about this later.
Over time I will collect information into a base of material that hopefully will be a book about the Swedes at the Western Front.