Monument in the memory of Finnish jaegers-sappers
Memorial site

Located in Engure district, on the side of the A10 motorway near Smārde pub.

A memorial was erected on the site where the Battle of Smārde took place in the field in 1916 during the First World War. A company of Finnish Jaeger engineers (~ 200 men) took part in the battles as part of the German army. Smell's Day has become an official holiday for the Finnish Army's military engineers, which is still celebrated.

The Finnish Jaegers were a unit of the German army formed during World War I. It consisted mainly of nationally-minded Finnish volunteers who had left the territory of the Russian Empire, Finland. The Battle of Smārde was one of the most important offensive battles of the Finnish Jaegers, where a new tactic was used at that time.

A month after the incident, the Russian army attacked the German army near Smārde. Latvian combat units carried out reconnaissance around Smārde, built a supply road “Latviešu ceļš” across the bog and took part in battles. Around 300 Latvian fighters fell in the battles. Like the Finnish Jaegers in the German army, the Latvian riflemen in the Russian army were the founders of their national states and armies.