A tragic sinking on Armasjärvi lake in 1940

In 1940, a tragic incident occurred on a lake in Tornedalen, Sweden, known as Armasjärvi. On that day, a ferry carrying an engineering company from the Boden Engineer Regiment sank, resulting in the deaths of 46 men. The protest of the ferryman, who stated that the ferry could not carry more than 40-50 people, was dismissed. During the subsequent court-martial, Lieutenant Ivan Pellijeff was charged with negligence in duty. Several survivors testified that the ferryman had made such a statement, and they had perceived it as if the command had dismissed the objection with a joke.

Lieutenant Pellijeff was acquitted of all charges. A memorial stone with the names and home towns of the deceased was erected on October 6, 1941, on the lake's eastern shore. Since 2011, Norrbottens Regiment remembers the engineering battalion in Boden and, with the support of Ing 3 Comrades Association - Norrlandsingenjören, an annual wreath-laying and ceremonies are performed. October 24 is also celebrated as the engineer corps' day (Armasjärvidagen). The incident is depicted in the film 1939 (1989).

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons