Landing of German troops on Aaland Islands, March 7, 1918.

Landing of German troops

Eckerö, 6 March 1918.

Commanders of the Royal Swedish and Imperial German Naval Detachments have today agreed on the following concerning the landing of German Landing Units and borders of occupation areas on the Aaland Islands:

1) The landing of German troops will take place beginning in the morning of March 7, 1918.

2) Areas in the free use of solely German troops are:

a) The municipality of Eckerö,

b) " Hammarland,

c) " Sund,

d) " Saltvik.

3) Areas in the free use of solely Swedish troops are:

a) The municipality of Finström including Geta,

b) The municipality of Jomala including Mariehamn (municipal boundaries as in "Karta över Åland III. Upplagen Mariehamn 1917").

4) In the east islands belonging to Aaland Islands up to Skiftet sea area are free to use for German military maneuvers.

5) German troops are further agreed to use:

a) Emkarby and Godby in the municipality of Finström for the sole use by them,

b) Ytterby and Omningby as well as Port of Norrvik (on the coast of Lumparfjord) for temporary use on March 7 and 8, 1918,
c) German troops will occupy the cable station in Djupvik (cable to Nystad, Finland).

6) Swedish troops will have a storage space in Eckerö, and they leave a military unit in Harrasby up till March 8, 1918.

7) The port of Eckerö will always be open to Swedish ships.

8) German ships are permitted to disembark in the port of Mariehamn whenever weather conditions would not allow them to use the port of Eckerö, provided the port authority is given a notification

9) Free passage is mutually recognized in all routes through the occupation areas of Swedish and German troops

10) The Swedes will take the possession the Russian military network, and the Germans the postal one as parts of the telephone and telegraph network on the Aaland Islands. Other details will be agreed in mutual understanding.

The commanders of the naval detachments have agreed the texts above in a mutual hope that they can carry their duties in comradely and friendly understanding.

Commander of Swedish Royal Navy detachment,
Count Ehrensvärd, Vice Admiral.
Commander of the Ostseedivision Navy,
Meurer, Rear Admiral.

Source: The article by Staatsrat, Dr. Leisler Kiep in the book Our first comrades-in-arms (Ensimmäiset aseveljemme), publ. Rintamamiesliitto, Tampere, 1942.

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