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{{Infobox military person |
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|name=Boris Cirandi Nelke |
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|birth_date={{Birth date|1899|6|10|df=y}} |
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|death_date= |
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|birth_place=[[Estonia]] |
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|death_place=[[Sweden]] |
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|image= |
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|image_size= |
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|caption= |
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|nickname= |
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|allegiance={{flagicon|Estonia}} [[Estonia]] |
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|branch= |
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|serviceyears= {{flagicon|Estonia}} 1919 – 1941<br>{{navy|USSR}} 1941 |
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|rank=[[Captain]] |
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|commands={{flagicon|Estonia}} ''[[USS Harjurand (ARS-31)|SS Harjurand]]'' (1936–1939)<br/> |
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{{flagicon|Estonia}} ''[[Eestirand|SS Eestirand]]'' (1939–1941)<br/> |
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{{navy|USSR}} ''[[Eestirand|SS Eestirand (VT-532) ]]'' (1941) |
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|unit= |
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|battles=[[World War II]]([[Soviet evacuation of Tallinn|Battle of Tallinn]]) |
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|awards= |
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|laterwork=}} |
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'''Boris Cirandi Nelke''' (born 10 June 1899) was an [[Estonians|Estonian]] sea captain. He is most notable for taking part in the [[Soviet evacuation of Tallinn]] during [[World War II]], where he helped thousands of Estonian conscripts to revolt against Soviet troops aboard the SS [[Eestirand]] and flee to safety. |
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==Early life and career== |
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Nelke was the youngest of three sons to Karl and Anna Nelke. His father was a carriage maker and worked on the ceremonial carriage that was built for [[Queen Victoria]] when she visited [[Russia]] in 1894. He was born near the port city of [[Tallinn]] in Estonia. His older brothers, Waldemar and [[Alexander Nelke|Alexander]] were both sailors and had already left home while Nelke was still a boy. Nelke attended the [[Käsmu]] Maritime School and graduated on 11 April 1919 and became an officer candidate.<ref name=kasmu>{{cite web |url=http://www.kasmu.ee/et/content/k%C3%A4smu-merekool-eesti-vabariigi-perioodil |
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|title=Käsmu Maritime School of the Republic of Estonia during the period |first=George |last=Vendla |website=Käsmu Maritime Museum |accessdate=12 December 2014}}</ref> |
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In the early 1930s, the fishing industry in Estonia was just beginning to grow. Nelke, went to work with the Estonian Fishing Co. which was at the forefront of Trawl fishing. Nelke first assignment was as captain of the the ''[[USS Harjurand (ARS-31)|SS Harjurand]]'' fishing [[herring]] off the coast of [[Iceland]].<ref name=sammet>{{cite book |url=http://www.museumstavanger.no/Portals/48/biblioteket/1993%20Estonian%20herring%20expeditions%201932-1937.pdf |title=Estonian Herring Expeditions 1932-1937 |first=Jaak |last=Sammet |publisher=[[Stavanger Museum]] |year=1993}}</ref> The ''Harjurand'' was one of the smaller fishing vessels which would support the company flagship, the ''Eestirand'', which Nelke would later command. The success of the expedition led to the beginning of the modern Estonian fishing trade.<ref name=sammet/> |
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==SS Eestirand== |
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Nelke was captain of the ''Eestirand'' when Soviet forces occupied Estonia on 16 June 1940. Soon after, the fishing fleet was pressed into service of the [[Soviet Navy]]. The largest of the ships was the ''Eestirand'' which was recommissioned into the [[Baltic Fleet]] as ''VT-532''. As captain, Nelke was to support the Soviet war effort by transporting Soviet troops and war [[materiel]] in the heavily mined Baltic Sea. |
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In August of 1941, the Soviets began a mass evacuation of Tallinn as German forces surrounded the city. Nelke would be responsible for roughly 3,500 Estonian conscripts and military personnel to [[Kronstadt]].<ref name=kriss>{{cite book |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=Fg_ED4icdu8C&pg=PA130&lpg=PA130&dq=eestirand+tallinn&source=bl&ots=52LSCTr_Y0&sig=_4JYOIoyl1xSgyyp0MnqGziHtdc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=DwiHVIqLGIymyASpmoG4DA&ved=0CC8Q6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=eestirand%20tallinn&f=false |title=Estonian Life Stories |page=130 |first=Tiina |last=Kriss |publisher=Central European University Press |date=2009 |isbn=9789639776395 |accessdate=9 December 2014}}</ref> |
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The ''Eestirand'' was heavily damaged by German air attack on 24 August near the small island of [[Keri (island)|Keri]]. Nelke was given a direct order from Soviet command to continue, which he ignored. Instead, Nelke set a course for [[Prangli]] Island, approximately 6 km to the south, beaching the sinking ship off the shore. Nelke and crew helped the 2700 surviving Estonian conscripts to disarm the Soviet military personnel aboard the ship and take control of the island and avoid mobilization to Leningrad.<ref name=bradt>{{cite book |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=ibfxAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA128&lpg=PA128&dq=eestirand+tallinn&source=bl&ots=d5Js0XQpqb&sig=N0txQnJjRDEcOa6X4fyphwiQSME&hl=en&sa=X&ei=DwiHVIqLGIymyASpmoG4DA&ved=0CDQQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=eestirand%20tallinn&f=false |title=Bradt Travel Guide: Estonia |first= Neil |last=Taylor |pages=128 |publisher=Bradt Travel Guides |date=2014 |isbn=9781841624877 |accessdate=9 December 2014}}</ref><ref name=err>{{cite web |url=http://news.err.ee/v/varia/b5e11a05-a237-4d47-87a1-763210bce568 |title=1941 Steamer Tragedy, Revolt Remembered |first=Kristopher |last=Rikken |website=''[[Estonian Public Broadcasting]]'' |date=24 August 2011 |accessdate= 13 December 2014}}</ref> |
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A memorial was built on Prangli Island to honor the bravery of the crew of the ''Eestirand'', and those who had died in the attack. The actions of Nelke and his crew showed the extent to which Estonians esteemed their country's and their own freedom.<ref name=err/> For his part in the revolt, Nelke was branded an "enemy of the people" by the Soviets and fled Estonia to live in exile.<ref name=kasmu/> |
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==References== |
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