Väinö Valve

Väinö Lahja Richard Valve (until 1915 Vähätupa; 28 December 1895 – 11 March 1995) was a Finnish general, navy commander and the last living member of the Royal Prussian Jägerbattalion 27 formed from Finnish volunteers.

Valve studied seven years in Lappeenranta and after completing middle school, he worked in apprenticeship, until went to study electrical engineering in Tampere. In 1916 he joined to Jäger Movement and travelled secretly to Germany. He was in military training until 1918 until he travelled as an officer to newly independent Finland and fought in the Finnish Civil War together with other jägers.

In the 1920s Valve's military career was in upswing; he commanded first the coastal artillery and in 1933 he became commander of the Finnish Navy, including the coastal artillery. Valve took part at developing military co-operation with Estonia. The Second World War interrupted Valve's masterminded navy development plan, which had been approved just shortly before. During the Second World War the coastal artillery performed well in the Winter War and in the Continuation War Valve organised navy co-operation with the German Kriegsmarine. After Finland made armistice with the Soviet Union, the navy took part in Lapland War in which the objective was driving off German troops from the country.

Valve was defence minister of Finland in 1944–1945. He left army in 1946 as lieutenant general and made career in banking. He took actively part in jäger association activities.

Valve was promoted general in 1992. He died in 1995 as the last Finnish jäger.