South Africans in the SS

[jacquesf]

Very interesting. This is something I was not aware off. I would love some more information. Jacques

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.

[AndreM]

.

Hi Michael and Sando

This is really interesting and exactly what I was hoping to find! Please let us have whatever information you have

Andre

[turenne]

Do you know from which countries?

HELLO, the men were part of the "Deutsche arabische Legion" whisch was created in 1942 in Greece by german officiers evacuated from the military mission of bagdad.
these men were volonteers issued from english army arabs prisonners mainly coming from middle east, arab students from all europe or people issued from french army mainly coming from north africa.

mfg


loocking from all items of IR 77

[AndreM]

.

Hi Sando,

Have you been able to get more information on South Africans who served in the SS?

Andre

[sando]

Hi Andre

Most of my research is still in storage as I'm in the process of moving home. Off the top of my head I seem to remember a South African was attached to an SS anti aircraft unit (LAH ?) and another was a cook (HIWI ?) with another unit. Both served in Italy after being captured in North Africa.

I'm sure I have names and units detailed somewhere. Some of the information came from an obscure book on the British Free Corps and I think South Africans are mentioned in the book on Hitler's Foreign Legions by Littlejohn/Bender.

Rest assured I'll update with sources as soon as I can.

Chris.

[HouweTrouwe]

Some Flemish volunteers came from South Africa.

[sando]

I've turned up a bit more information from published articles on the British Free Corps regarding -

Pieter LABUSCHAGNE, Laurence VILJOEN and Douglas MARDON.

All three joined BFC between Dec '44 and Jan '45. They were sent to the SS Combat Engineer Training School and replacement batallion in Dresden from where they were to be posted to III SS Panzer Korps and then to "Nordland."

VILJOEN was hospitalised with burns following the air raid of 12th Feb '45.

All three were tried in South Africa and aquitted (!) after the war although LABUSCHAGNE was fined £75. The trial papers would make interesting reading if they are still in the public domain.

There was a Belgian, Sgt Theo ELLSMORE who masqueraded as a South African. I do not know which SS unit he served with but several members of the BFC went AWOL from a train carrying "a Flemish SS batallion" to Brussels in Sept'44.

It is also interesting to note the use of Paul KRUGER president of the Transvaal on Dutch SS recruiting posters to drum up anti-British support. Clearly the Germans wanted to be associated with the Boers in the eyes of the Dutch.

I referred in an earlier post to a South African serving with the LAH AA unit. I think in fact there were two of them and they were both awarded the Iron Cross 2nd class but I need to verify this.

Hope this helps.