Olavi Puro

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Olavi Puro
Puro in the cockpit of his Bf 109 during mid-1944
Nickname(s)Olli
Born18 November 1918
Helsinki
Died20 June 1999 (1999-06-21) (aged 80)
AllegianceFinland Finland
Service/branchFinnish Air Force
Years of service1940–1944
RankLieutenant
UnitLeLv 6, LeLv 24
AwardsFreedom Cross, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Class
Other workData processing director at a savings bank

Olavi Kauko Puro was born on 18 November 1918 in Helsinki and died on 20 June 1999. He was one of the top scoring aces in the Finnish Air Force with 36 confirmed victories.[1]

Biography[edit]

Puro served in Fighter Squadrons (LLv's): 6 and 24 during the Second World War. He became an ace in 1943. Puro was actively flying at the front almost during the whole war.

During his 207 combat missions, Olavi Puro scored 36 confirmed victories in I-153s, Brewster Buffaloes and Bf 109 Gs. Puro was relieved from service at the end of the war in 1944 and took up a job as a data processing director at a bank.[2] His memoirs were published in the book Mersu-ässä in 2011.[3]

Victories[edit]

Puro claimed the following numbers of victories in each type of aircraft he flew:[2]

Aircraft Victories
I-153 2
Brewster Buffalo 5.5
Messerschmitt Bf 109G 28.5
Total 36

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Keskinen 1978, p. 24-27.
  2. ^ a b Stenman & Keskinen 1998, pp. 80–81.
  3. ^ Koala-kustannus : Books : Olavi Puro Mersu-ässä

Bibliography[edit]

  • Keskinen, Kalevi; Stenman, Kari and Niska, Klaus. Hävittäjä-ässät (Finnish Fighter Aces) (in Finnish). Espoo, Finland: Tietoteas, 1978. ISBN 951-9035-37-0.
  • Stenman, Kari; Keskinen, Kalevi (1998). Finnish Aces of World War 2. Aircraft of the Aces 23. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-783-X.

Further reading[edit]

See also[edit]

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