http://www.wssob.com/wss.html

Western Europeans
The Waffen-SS recruited many foreign volunteers into its ranks. After the May 1940 "Victory in the West," the SS began an active program to gain Western European recruits for several new Wafffen-SS volunteer legions. This effort intensified after June 1941, as the SS exhorted volunteers to join the "anti-bolshevik" campaign in the Soviet Union.

Why were the Waffen-SS were so interested in Western European volunteers? This effort was in response to Hitler and the German army setting strict quotas on the number of German youth the SS could recruit.

Over 125,000 West Europeans volunteered for the SS. Although their experiences really need to be researched on a unit by unit basis, here are some common elements regarding their service:

They took slightly different oath than Germans
They were often (at least at first) treated as 2nd class citizens by German SS officers
Language differences were an issue
They were exposed to less Nazi indoctrination, or the Nazi propaganda was tailored to their nationality
The were often partly motivated by their own political or nationalistic agendas
They were often the most disciplined and fanatic SS warriors
As the war progressed, they realized that their countrymen began to look on them as traitors and collaborators


At first Nazi racial polices determined acceptance level of volunteers. For example: Flemish volunteers were considered "aryan" enough to volunteer for the Waffen-SS, whereas Walloons were not; which is why the Walloon volunteer legion was assimilated at first by the German Army, not the SS. These racial standards were increasingly ignored as the German war fortunes declined and the SS was in desparate need of manpower.

Volksdeutsche
The Waffen-SS also recruited great numbers of Volksdeutsche from central and eastern European countries as well. Despite their ethinc background, these troops often suffered greater language and motivation difficulties that the western legions. Volksdeutsche seemed to have a bit of a mixed reputation among the Reichdeutsche Waffen-SS - in some instances they were considered good soliders, yet in others the volksdeutsche were considered cowardly and untrustworthy.

Eastern/Central European/Balkan volunteers
As the German fortunes steadily declined, the Waffen-SS took to recruiting or conscripting increasing numbers of foreign recruits that were by no stretch of the imagination bore any relation to the Nazi "ideal." These troops, although numerous, were perhaps the least motivated of all.

Country/Ethnicity Estimated # of volunteers Waffen-SS Units
Albanian 3,000 21st SS Division
Belgian: Flemish 23,000 5th SS Div., 27th SS Div.

Belgium: Walloon 15,000 5th SS Div., 28th SS Div.
British Commonwealth (English) 50 British Freikorps

Bulgaria 200-1,000? Bulgarisches Reg.

Croatia (includes Bosnian Muslims) 30,000 7th SS Div., 13th SS Div.
23rd SS Div.
Denmark 10,000 Freikorps Danemark, 11th SS Div.

Indian 3,500 Volunteer Leg.

Estonia 20,000 20th SS Div.

Finland 1,000 Volunteer Bat.

Hungarians 15,000? 25th SS Div., 26th SS Div.
33rd SS Div.
Latvia 39,000 15th SS Div., 19th SS Div.

Netherlands 50,000 23rd SS Div., 34th SS Div.

Norway 6,000 5th SS Div., 6th SS Div.
11th SS Div., Volunteer Leg.

France 8,000 33rd SS Div.

Italy 20,000 29th SS (Italian)

Poland/Ukraine 25,000 14th SS Div.

Russian (Belorussia) 12,000 29th SS Div., 30th SS Div.

Russian (Cossak) 40,000 XV SS Kosaken-Kavallerie-Korps

Russian (Turkic) 8,000 Ostürkische SS , Tatarishe SS

Rumania 3,000? Waffen-Grenadierregiment der SS (rumänisches 1)

Serbia 15,000 Volunteer Corps

Spain 200 - 1,000? Spanische-Freiwilligen-Kompanie der SS 101

Sweden, Switzerland & Luxemburg 3,000? 5th SS Div., 11th SS Div.

I knew this information when i was 13. but good stuff.

Two of my uncles were in the SS and fought in Russia.
They were treated like scum when they arrived back in Holland.
Yet they did it to fight the Bolsies.

Originally posted by Rugen
Two of my uncles were in the SS and fought in Russia.
They were treated like scum when they arrived back in Holland.
Yet they did it to fight the Bolsies.
Treated like scum in which way?

I do know in France that when soldiers returned from the SS they were forced to fight in Vietnam to regain their citizenship. They were forcefully enlisted in the Foreign Legion. I don't know what happened to those who were crippled in the war. I guess they had a really rough go at it.

They had it better than the members of the Malice Francois (sp?) who were shot by military courts after the war.

Thought the article does not mention it, I have heard of a few Americans who were POWs and joined the SS as well. They ended up going to a US military prison after the war.

The Estonians (the SS Narwa division) where especially tuff. It seems they were motivated by their hate of the Soviet system.
An Estonian regiment played a key role in the Korson pocket battle , and the Courtland peninsula.

I have an uncle in Germany who was in the Waffen SS. I've been trying to get his email from my brother for over a year now. I want to ask him about some of this before he dies...I'm pretty sure he's in his 80's.

Yeah! I got his email addy and sent him a short note.

Hopefully he's not one of those people who never checks his mail:(

Contact! Unfortunately he's going off to Sylt for 10 days of looking at naked people so I guess it'll have to wait before I can dig into him for some war stories.:(

Originally posted by Criminal

Treated like scum in which way?

I do know in France that when soldiers returned from the SS they were forced to fight in Vietnam to regain their citizenship. They were forcefully enlisted in the Foreign Legion. I don't know what happened to those who were crippled in the war. I guess they had a really rough go at it.

They had it better than the members of the Malice Francois (sp?) who were shot by military courts after the war.

Thought the article does not mention it, I have heard of a few Americans who were POWs and joined the SS as well. They ended up going to a US military prison after the war.


Criminal.
Tar and Feathers.
Treated like traitors even by their own family.
Even my father thought I was-as a kid- pro uncle and thus pro NSB.
Having been in the Japanese concentration camp and having a "friendly Nepalese Gurka" as my mentor for three weeks after being liberated by the Gurkas, I understood the difference between a traitor and a person who was anti Bolshe not anti Dutch and certainly not pro Nazi,which they saw as a better option than a bunch of commies

Originally posted by Rugen



Criminal.
Tar and Feathers.
Treated like traitors even by their own family.
Even my father thought I was-as a kid- pro uncle and thus pro NSB.
Having been in the Japanese concentration camp and having a "friendly Nepalese Gurka" as my mentor for three weeks after being liberated by the Gurkas, I understood the difference between a traitor and a person who was anti Bolshe not anti Dutch and certainly not pro Nazi,which they saw as a better option than a bunch of commies
Understood.

By the way Rugen, how are you doing? Send me a PM, I have not heard from you in a while.