Verner Hans Puurand (until 1938 Puurmann; 14 September 1904 – 12 June 1983) was an Estonian Naval officer and politician. From 1973 to 1977 he was a minister of Estonian government-in-exile.[1]
He was born in Tapa parish, Estonia. In 1928 he graduated from Tondi military school.[1]
In the 1930s, he was sent to Britain to supervise the construction of two submarines for the Estonian navy, the Lembit and the Kalev.[2]
In 1939 he was temporary commander of the submarine Kalev. During World War II, he collaborated with the Germans.[3] In 1944 he fled to Germany, then later to Australia. He died in Brisbane in 1983.[1]
Since he is regarded as the founder of the Estonian submarine fleet, a monument to his memory was unveiled in his birthplace, the village of Naistevälja in Tapa parish, Lääne-Virumaa county, on 25 June 2014.[2]