Short answer: the M/36 uniform
Most Finnish soldiers in the Second World War wore the M/36 uniform (asepuku m/36). It included a steel-grey wool tunic and trousers, a field cap known as the verikauha, a heavy grey wool greatcoat, and leather belts and boots. Summer kit used a cotton tunic and a side cap. Winter kit added fur hats and white snow clothing. Older m/22 and m/27 uniforms were still in use early in the war, so mixed kit is common in photographs.
Where the M/36 came from
The M/36 was developed by a Finnish field equipment board in the early-to-mid 1930s. The board tested new clothing and sourced reference uniforms from Germany and Britain. It judged the earlier m/27 field uniform poorly suited to combat and not smart enough for garrison and parade. The new design was heavily influenced by German army tunics of the period. Cotton was tested and rejected for the main uniform, and wool was chosen. An experimental m/34 uniform was field-tested in limited numbers before the m/36 entered standard issue in 1936.
The M/36 remained the standard uniform through the Winter War (1939–40) and the Continuation War (1941–44). It stayed in use for years after the war.
Tunic and trousers
- Tunic: a short steel-grey wool tunic with six large buttons, a folded standing collar closed with two metal hooks, and large patch pockets with flaps. The buttons carry the Finnish lion emblem.
- Back: the tunic has belt hooks and a fold at the back that could be opened to give extra room around the waist.
- Trousers: breeches, riding breeches and straight trousers were all issued. They were cut much like the m/27 trousers but made from the m/36 wool.
- Summer tunic: a cotton version in a grey tone. Its weave gives a light grey look from a distance.
- Officers: finer diagonal wool and more tailored versions were privately bought.
Sources describe the main wool as steel-grey, but photographs and surviving pieces vary in shade. Judge colour with care.
Headgear: field cap, summer cap and fur hat
- Field cap m/36: a jaeger-style cap in the same wool as the tunic. It has two lion buttons at the front and a white-blue-white cockade. Soldiers called it verikauha, reportedly after its shape. It was the main field cap of the war.
- Summer cap m/39: a side cap approved in 1939 for summer wear. Sources also mention the nicknames venelakki and suikka.
- Fur hat m/39: the standard winter hat, made from fake fur with folding ear flaps. Officers’ and senior NCOs’ versions had shorter flaps. For the Soviet hats it is often compared with, see Soviet ushankas and winter headgear.
The field cap’s shape is also a recognition point. A cap with a lower profile or a different flap design may be a different pattern.
Greatcoats and rain gear
The greatcoat m/36 was a heavy grey wool coat, roughly four to five kilograms when dry. It was based closely on the earlier m/22 coat, and many m/22 coats were re-fitted with m/36 shoulder straps. Officers and senior NCOs could buy a raincoat m/36 or an oilcloth jacket privately. Both are less common.
Insignia: collar patches and buttons
- Collar patches: branch colours show the service arm. Infantry used green patches with a white frame. Field artillery used red. The Air Force used bright blue with black frames. Officers’ collar patches carried rank markings.
- Buttons: early buttons were brass or copper. Zinc buttons followed, and sources date this change loosely, around 1941. Bakelite buttons appeared during the war. Post-war buttons are plastic. The two common sizes were large and small.
- Rank on the tunic: NCOs wore rank in the form of stripes on the epaulets. Officers’ rank could also appear as pips on the collar tips, especially later in the war.
Helmets and winter kit
Finland used helmets of mixed origin. Collectors see German-pattern helmets, Italian, Swiss and Czechoslovak designs, and captured Soviet leather tank helmets issued to tank crews. A helmet of foreign origin does not make a piece foreign issue or unusual. For winter operations, white snow camouflage clothing was used. Surviving examples vary in pattern and quality.
Belts and boots
- Leather belt m/30: dark brown leather with a roller buckle, for enlisted men and NCOs. Officers used the m/27 belt.
- Boots: black jackboot-type leather boots were standard. Laplander boots were also used. Short laced boots (m/34) were tested in the 1930s and saw limited use.
- Tank corps: a leather uniform in the M/36 style was issued to tank crews. Leather items are rare.
Wartime changes
Wartime shortages affected almost every item. Wool was replaced with substitute materials. Buttons changed from brass to zinc and then to Bakelite. Some officers removed collar patches to avoid drawing sniper fire, and rank was moved to the tunic instead. A piece with mixed materials may be a wartime item, not a later replacement.
Telling M/36 items from later pieces
- Field cap: the post-war M/65 cap is made from thinner diagonal wool and has a longer, stiffer peak.
- Greatcoat: the post-war M/65 coat is shorter, and its collar is made from the same fabric as the coat. The M/36 greatcoat is longer and has two rows of chest buttons.
- Buttons: wartime Bakelite buttons come in grey, black and dark green. Post-war plastic buttons do not have the same steel loops.
- Cloth: check for diagonal or plain wool and for the sheen of later materials.