Aviation Museum of Central Finland in Tikkakoski.
Aviation Museum in Tikkakoski
Swastika and the Roundel
The swastika is an ancient ornament, found in various places of Europe and Asia, and it has also been discovered in Africa and America. In the continental Europe it was known as early as the New Stone Age, and in Finland in the New Iron Age (about 500 ВС) or even earlier. The swastika has symbolized the sun wheel, the source of life, for example. It has also signified Thor's hammer and has been a provider of happiness and fruitfulness.
It was believed to protect against evil powers too. German antisemites adopted the swastika as their emblem at the end of the 19th century. During the 1920's it became the symbol of the Nazi party and it was designated in the German national flag in 1935.
The insignia of the Finnish Air Force, the blue swastika, was brought to Finland by Swedish explorer Count Eric von Rosen who used a swastika as his personal lucky emblem - even his utility articles were all marked with it. Von Rosen donated to Finnish Air Force the first aircraft. It was flown from Umea, Sweden, to Vaasa on 6th March 1918. This Thulin D had blue swastikas painted on its wings and the blue swastika became the Air Force insignia in March 1918. The swastika was used until 1st April 1945 when it was replaced with the current roundel, also an old Finnish military emblem.