South Africans in the SS

[AndreM]

I know that there were quite a few South West Africans (now Namibia) on the side of the Germans in WW2 and South Africa came very close to joining the Germans. In February 1939 a movement called the Ossewa Brandwag was formed in South Africa. They had their own Stormtroopers and the movement was very much in favour of South Africans joining the Germans. Attached is their logo and you can see the alignment with Germany. My question is, with this background there must be South Africans who volunteered to join the SS or the Wehrmacht. Does anyone know if any South Africans fought on the side of the Germans?

[lieproo]

I don't know about south africa but in north africa some blacks native fought on the german side in full nazi uniform .

[AndreM]

.

Do you know from which countries?

[lieproo]

HERE'S A PICTURE.

[lieproo]

do you know from which countries?

no , i don't .

[lieproo]

HERE'S ANOTHER ONE FROM MY PERSONAL COLLECTION.

[AndreM]

.

Very interesting. Thanks!

[Michael Fay]

I know that there were quite a few South West Africans (now Namibia) on the side of the Germans in WW2 and South Africa came very close to joining the Germans. In February 1939 a movement called the Ossewa Brandwag was formed in South Africa. They had their own Stormtroopers and the movement was very much in favour of South Africans joining the Germans. Attached is their logo and you can see the alignment with Germany. My question is, with this background there must be South Africans who volunteered to join the SS or the Wehrmacht. Does anyone know if any South Africans fought on the side of the Germans?

VERY INTERESTING question!
I notice the Caravan covered wagon motif in the symbol. I have some SS newspapers with art and accounts of the Boertrek. So I know this image/ideal was known within the SS.
If I have time in a few days I will try and locate them and show a photo.
I always wondered if pro nazi Dutch after the war moved to S.Africa and influenced the politics for the next 30-40 years there, if you know what I mean.

[jacquesf]

Michael, the politics was influenced by a very strong Afrikaans Nasionalism, which started with the Great Trek, and through the Boer War. It was fuelled greatly by a strong anti British imperialism feeling. It did provide an escape to for other from European origin with a strong feeling of Nasionalism. Jacques

VERY INTERESTING question!
I notice the Caravan covered wagon motif in the symbol. I have some SS newspapers with art and accounts of the Boertrek. So I know this image/ideal was known within the SS.
If I have time in a few days I will try and locate them and show a photo.
I always wondered if pro nazi Dutch after the war moved to S.Africa and influenced the politics for the next 30-40 years there, if you know what I mean.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Poor Boers

Those Boers were the first Concentration Camp Victims. Yes, the British invented Concentration Camps.

[sando]

Andre - I am away from the bulk of my research notes re South Africans serving in German formations but do have a partial list now,

British Free Corps -

SS Mann Pieter LABUSCHAGNE
SS Unterscharfuhrer Douglas MARDON
SS Mann ? VILJOEN
SS Mann ? VAN HEERDEN

Liebstandarte SS Adolf Hitler -

Hiwi William CELLIERS

I also have additionl names and information regarding their deployment which I'll post as soon as I can. Hope this is what you were looking for. I do not recollect any sources differentiating between South Africa and South-West Africa (Namibia) but I may be wrong.

If anyone has the volume of Littlejohn's "Foreign Legions of the Third Reich" which deals with the British Free Corps / Legion of St George, there is I beleive some references to South Africans there. My copy is not to hand but I'm sure someone will be able to help.

[Michael Fay]

SS trek art

Found this illustration of the caravans

[Michael Fay]

SS trek art

Found this image of the caravans on this page

[Michael Fay]

SS trek art

I found this image of the caravans on this page in this SS Zeitschriften .

[Michael Fay]

SS trek art and poem

another close up.