In the late summer of 1944 tens of thousands of Baltic people were compelled to flee their homelands. They fled in desperation with the intensifying war front in the Baltic lands and in fear of the pending terror of a Soviet reoccupation of their nations. Some fled via limited land routes, several thousand crammed onto the last departing freighter ships. In Estonia, over 30,000 Estonians fled to the Baltic sea coast seeking passage to Sweden on boats large and small. Those who were fortunate to find space on boats would embark on a perilous journey - across the Baltic sea. Many boats capsized in the stormy seas, some boats were ruthlessly sunk by the invaders’ gunboats. Several thousand perished at sea. Yet over 27,000, crammed on their small boats for two or more days and nights, survived the journey and landed on Swedish shores. They disembarked into an uncertain future but feeling heaven blessed for their deliverance. The escapees hoped that the war would soon come to an end and envisaged a return to their homeland and to their loved ones left behind. But this was not to be. The lives of those escapees were irreversibly diverted and a return to the homeland would not be possible for decades…
(Pikemalt saab lugeda Eesti Elu 21. oktoobri 2022 paber- ja digilehest)
