new SS memoir

[Josh Cowell]

Hi,

as of April 16, 2015, "On The Devil's Tail" is under heavy suspicion to be a full fantasy tale, as the whole "Charlemagne" part is heavily faked, ridiculous and impossible claims contradicted by (historical) facts.
All the names and locations are usually wrongly used or located, events didn't happen (Spitfire strafing the SS-Ausbildungslager Sennheim during an oath ceremony, yeah right !) and we have almost no factual info or date during all the 1944-1945 timeline.
Too many factual errors, this can't be due to the veteran losing his memory at this stage.
Too many ridiculous WWII cliches...

To date Helion was unable to provide a contact to Vittornio, and it is impossible to get access to the original french (or italian) memoirs to get a french edition.

French specialists and historians are now trying to check in the military archives to know if the guy was even in the "Charlemagne". It may take months unfortunately...

It is the first "Walter Mitty" in the (french) Waffen-SS... and probably not the last.

To ask 35 euros for this "Sven Hassel" crap is just ridiculous.

Strongly NOT recommended. You will get better story in "Landser" or other similar publications.

See You

Vince

Thank you so much for saving me time and effort that it would've taken to have read this. I have waited months and was just informed it would be shipped soon. So I went ahead and canceled it. Phew!

[Terry OToole]

well each to his own , until its all unmasked as a fake (if it ever is) I suppose it falls into the "forgotten soldier" category --which I enjoyed as well

[FrenchVolunteer]

Hi,

many french readers and collectors were also very disappointed.
I tried to contact Vittorino without any success, same story for the french editor "Editions de l'Homme Libre".

I will probably point out all the historical fantasies/inaccuracies in the future.

On another hands, we (I) can't say anything about the Indochina part.
I hope that some french readers and specialists of the war will be able to give us more info.

See You

Vince

PS : i just sold back my own copy.

[Michael Page]

What's the verdict on this one?

[FrenchVolunteer]

Hi,

the full book is accurate, but unfortunately only the first print is having original and uncensored names of the BILOM soldiers.
M. Muelle had verbal clearance from the veterans to name them, but unfortunately he didn't ask for signed clearance...
So some family members wanted to have the book removed, and M. Muelle had to pay for the second print as far i understood, which costed him tonns of money...

The original print has the next front cover :



Le bataillon des condamnés, Presse de la Cité, 1989

You can find it for around 40 to 50 euros.

The first reprint - with censored names - has a green cover with a different name :



Le bataillon des réprouvés, Presse de la Cité, 1989

The last reprint is the one you posted the picture.
Another name, and the text is in yellow.

Le bataillon des damnés, Grancher, 2001

See You

Vince

[Beersheba4thLH]

The 1st edition of Raymond Muelle's book on Le BILOM is accurate. I personally knew many of the veterans interviewed for this book.

[book lover]

Hi
is there a english edition of Raymond Muelle's book???

[FrenchVolunteer]

Hi,

unfortunately no english version exist... And the first print (with the full names) is not easy to find.
It could be a nice idea for Helion, instead of releasing the suspicious, boring and so-called "memoir" of Martelli...

By the way M. Muelle released many other books on french elite & special forces during the Indochina war, but i didn't rode them to be honest.

See You

Vince

[Michael Page]

OK, FrenchVolunteer, thanks for the replies (my notifications don't work for some reason).

I bought the Martelli book and unfortunately Amazon's 30 day window for returns has since elapsed otherwise I would have returned it.