Georg Sooden
| Georg Sooden | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | "Vana Koll" ("Old Bogy") |
| Born |
December 2, 1904 Helsinki, Finland |
| Died |
July 28, 1944 (aged 39) Blue Hills, Estonia |
| Buried at | Jõhvi, Estonia |
| Allegiance |
 Estonia.svg.png){kind=small} Nazi Germany |
| Years of service |
Estonian Army 1925–1940 Wehrmacht 1941–1944 Waffen SS 1944 |
| Rank | SS-Sturmbannführer |
| Unit |
1943 659th Ost Battalion 1944 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian) |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
1st & 2nd class Iron cross Eastern Front Medal |
Georg Aleksander Sooden (December 2, 1904 – July 28, 1944) was an Estonian officer, who served in the Estonian Army, the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS.
Georg Sooden was born in Helsinki, Finland. His family moved to Estonia into Jõhvi. In 1925 he enlisted in the Estonian Army and graduated officer school in 1927.
After Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1941, Sooden was drafted into the Red Army; he deserted to the Wehrmacht when it invaded the Soviet Union. That same year, Sooden volunteered for the Wehrmacht's Estonian units and he was promoted to Oberleutnant. In September, the Estonian East battalions were moved to Russia, fighting against the Red Army in Volkhov. In May 1943, Sooden was appointed to command of the 659 Estonian East Battalion and was awarded with the Iron cross. On January, 1944 Sooden was promoted to Sturmbannführer.
In 1944, the battalion came to Jõhvi and soon it was sent to the Narva front and attached to the 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian). He fought in the Battle of Narva and the Battle of Tannenberg Line in the Sinimäed Hills.
Georg Sooden was killed in action on July 28, 1944. Sooden was buried in Jõhvi in the square of the War of Independence.
Awards
Decorations