Foreign Legions of the Third Reich

[Holly6]

Originally Posted by Tom Houlihan

A lot of them were ardent anti-Communists.

Still, another Dutch SS vet I've talked to indicates that regular food, shelter, and clothing were also good motivators.

For a lot of young men in the era, plain adventure with pay were the basic inducement.

No sure answer to that question.

Thanks Tom, I hope others will give me their perceptions. A job, meals and a cot?...plus the chance to "see the elephant"?....sounds a lot like the diaries I read about the ACW. I guess I shouldn't be suprised.

[Tom Houlihan]

Remember, all 18-yr olds think they're invincible. Pay, killin' Commies, wearing cool uniforms and winning fancy medals to impress the girls with. Does a lot to a young man!

[Holly6]

Originally Posted by Tom Houlihan

Remember, all 18-yr olds think they're invincible. Pay, killin' Commies, wearing cool uniforms and winning fancy medals to impress the girls with. Does a lot to a young man!

Of course you're right. Toss in the bands, flags and cheering crowds and you have the "Universal Soldier" of eons past. Ambrose wrote that he couldn't watch the film of Kennedy at the Dallas Airport without yelling at the screen "go back"!!. I feel that way about the proud photos of young Confederates and these of young Axis warriors.

[Tom Houlihan]

Originally Posted by Holly6

Toss in the bands, flags and cheering crowds and you have the "Universal Soldier" of eons past.

Aye, if you look at it the right way, there was no real difference between the young lad marching off in Feldgrau* with a Stahlhelm*, than a young lad in greaves carrying a sarissa!

* Insert uniform color/headgear of choice...

[cyberia]

13th Waffen SS Gebirgs aka "Handschar" Division-1943

[cyberia]

French volunteers for the Waffen SS leaving Paris-1944

[cyberia]

Soldiers of the Legion des Volontaires Francais on the Eastern Front-1941

[cyberia]

PK photograph of a Luftwaffe flak crewman looking over the regimental flag of the Legion des Volontaires Francais

[Hagen]

Film on the British Free Korps, hope you find it as interesting as I did, enjoy!

The Brits Who Fought For Hitler

[Airchallenged]

Originally Posted by Hagen

Film on the British Free Korps, hope you find it as interesting as I did, enjoy!

The Brits Who Fought For Hitler

Very nice video. I learned a whole bunch from it like the fact that there was such a unit. I am actually surprised that so few men joined the unit. I would have thought more would have joined to get away from the prison camps. Maybe if they had promised the units they would only be used in Berlin and kept that promise they could have made a larger unit. Anyone know if there was an American equivalent?