The Winter War 1939-40 (b/w photo)

The Winter War. A military conflict between the Soviet union and Finland. It began with a Soviet invasion on november 1939 when Soviet infantery crossed the border on the Karelian Isthmus. About 9500 Swedish volunteer soldiers participated in the war. Here at Rovaniemi, North Finland, War correspondent journalist Geoffrey Cox of British newspaper Daily Express reports the ongoing events to the world press. He witnessed the early Finnish victories at Kemijärvi and Suomussalmi and wrote in his report: Men lay with hand grenades in their hands, poised to throw, one man leant against a wagon wheel with a length of wire still in his hands, until you got right up to him you could not tell that he was not still living. It was this incredible effect of the cold and the battle near Kemi halting the scene for all time. He had already covered the Spanish civil war. January 1940