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Helmut Suitso 90

Helmut Suitso, a resident of Ehatare takes the traditional glass of champagne for the toast on his 90th birthday from Villi Mandra. Helmut Suitso joined the army in 1943 when he turned 18. He fought until the conclusion of hostilities. Along with other soldiers and their families, he escaped on board a small sailing ship, which carried some 100 people. They fled across the Baltic Sea to Sweden, escaping the invading Soviet forces.
Photo by Thomas Mäe

Helmut settled in Sweden where he met and married Heljo Muul in 1949 and lived for seven years. There were fears that the Swedish government would deport Estonians back to the USSR, so Helmut and Heljo decided to move to Canada. They caught a ship in Oslo, Norway and sailed to Halifax. They eventually settled in Toronto and had three children, Albert, Ellen and Peter.

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