100 stories from the hiking route

1978 – the last Estonian Forest Brother August Sabbe perishes

Information

Topic

Wars and occupations

Coordinates

Long-Lat WGS 84

Latitude: 57.923498

Longitude: 27.181303

L-EST 97

x: 6424684.2
y: 688453.0

Location

Ähijärve-Aegviidu Hiking route

Young men were sought for conscription into the Russian Army when the Soviet occupation and the Second World War began. Like many other young Estonian men, August Sabbe also chose to flee into the forest instead of joining the Soviet Army. In the forest, he hid from German mobilisation as well as from the Soviet Army mobilisation of 1944.
Everyone who had no “blood guilt” were allowed to leave the forest in 1945. Sabbe also heeded the call and started working at the Paidra Village mill. However, he was captured at the mill, taken to security offices and told to find and deliver to them a renowned group of Forest Brothers that included Jaan Roots, Arnold Kakko and Paul Randmaa. August Sabbe once again fled from work as an agent and became a member of Roots’ crew in 1950. The men hid in a bunker near Suur Taevaskoda.
In 1952, Jaan Roots was killed along with his crew. After this, August Sabbe hid alone, mostly in the forests of Võru and Põlva counties, near Pindi, Paidra and Leevi villages. Sabbe was hunted by both Põlva and Võru KGB. After a long search, he was found fishing at the Võhandu River. A KGB officer and an OBKhSS inspector dressed up as fishermen and struck up a conversation with Sabbe. Sabbe managed to jump into the river and drown himself in the struggle that commenced. It is also possible that he was drowned.
August Sabbe was known to be Estonia’s last Forest Brother.