Wehrmacht Veterans in other Armies of the World

Discussions on every day life in the Weimar Republic, pre-anschluss Austria, Third Reich and the occupied territories. Hosted by Vikki.
Post Reply
Edward L. Hsiao
Member
Posts: 2102
Joined: 01 Aug 2003, 09:43
Location: Flagstaff,Arizona

Wehrmacht Veterans in other Armies of the World

#1

Post by Edward L. Hsiao » 21 Mar 2005, 07:06

Gentlemen!

This is a list of countries that the Wehrmacht veterans had gone to after World War II. This is review and this list is incomplete. The veterans went into these countries to serve in another uniform or as advisors.

Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil*
Columbia*
Chile
Denmark*
Egypt*
France(Including the French Foreign Legion)
Indoneisa
Israel
Italy*
Mexico*
Netherlands
South Africa
Spain(Including the Spanish Foreign Legion)
Syria
United Kingdom
United States of America

*Unconfirmed

I forgot to add Canada and possibly Iran and Iraq to the list. Also the the countries in Africa which I can't spell. That all I can think of right now of what countries that the Wehrmacht veterans served in. (not included Austria and Germany) :idea:

Sincerely,

Edward :wink:

JamesL
Member
Posts: 1649
Joined: 28 Oct 2004, 01:03
Location: NJ USA

#2

Post by JamesL » 21 Mar 2005, 15:41

When my brother served in the US Army in the mid-1960's his company commander and 1st sergeant were both Heer veterans. The CO was a teenager who survived the Battle of Berlin. Said the Russians thought he was too young to be a soldier and sent him home. The 1st shirt was a seasoned NCO. Both were very competent and highly respected by the US soldiers.

However, when they tried to teach the Americans how to goose step and started shouting parade orders in German .............. the soldiers had some fun that day.


Edward L. Hsiao
Member
Posts: 2102
Joined: 01 Aug 2003, 09:43
Location: Flagstaff,Arizona

In the US Army

#3

Post by Edward L. Hsiao » 23 Mar 2005, 02:30

Dear Sir,

Thank you so much for sharing about you brother and his encounter with two Heer veterans who served with the US Army. Pretty interesting! :wink: I think a lot of Wehrmacht veterans who served in the US Army had made a long service career of it. Quite a few of them fought both in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. They won US military decorations to add with their German ones that they won during World War II. They make good Special Forces soldiers (Green Berets). :wink:

Sincerely,

Edward

Edward L. Hsiao
Member
Posts: 2102
Joined: 01 Aug 2003, 09:43
Location: Flagstaff,Arizona

Waffen-SS veterans in the British Army

#4

Post by Edward L. Hsiao » 09 May 2005, 08:17

Gentlemen,

It was a known fact that some German Waffen-SS veterans had served in the Royal armed forces after World War II mainly the army!

Edward

Edward L. Hsiao
Member
Posts: 2102
Joined: 01 Aug 2003, 09:43
Location: Flagstaff,Arizona

Three Other Sevices of the U.S.

#5

Post by Edward L. Hsiao » 11 May 2005, 07:23

Gentlemen!

So far I knew that the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS veterans had served in the US Army and the US Marine Corps after World War II. I wonder if there were any other German veterans from WW II that served with the US Air Force, the US Navy, and the US Coast Guard?

I think I should add Taiwan to my list above as of German WWII veterans that served in other countries. Germany had a long history of helping the Chinese Nationalist Armed Forces. I won't be surprised that ex-German servicemen decided to help them this time in Taiwan.

Sincerely,

Edward :wink:

User avatar
fallweiss
Member
Posts: 31
Joined: 30 Jan 2005, 18:03
Location: Poland
Contact:

#6

Post by fallweiss » 19 May 2005, 22:03

1954-German veterans from Falschrimjager units fought in Dien Pien Bhu-in Foreign Legion-only a few men saved their lives they took very heavy losses.

cfdh
Member
Posts: 78
Joined: 13 Jul 2004, 15:53
Location: UK

#7

Post by cfdh » 20 May 2005, 06:21

You can add the Congo / Zaire / DR Congo to that list as some ex-German WWII soldiers fought in that, although as part of a mercinary unit circa 1950s-60s.

mietek
Member
Posts: 235
Joined: 14 Apr 2004, 17:09
Location: Poland-->Kent, UK

#8

Post by mietek » 20 Jun 2005, 11:56

Hi.

Also in Polish army after 1945 were ex-WH soldiers and officers.

Best Regards

mietek

Eugene (J. Baker)
Member
Posts: 1177
Joined: 25 Dec 2002, 15:26
Location: Koenigsberg/Kaliningrad, Russian Federation
Contact:

#9

Post by Eugene (J. Baker) » 20 Jun 2005, 11:59

mietek wrote:Hi.

Also in Polish army after 1945 were ex-WH soldiers and officers.

Best Regards

mietek
any additional info?

User avatar
Musashi
Member
Posts: 4656
Joined: 13 Dec 2002, 16:07
Location: Coventry, West Midlands, the UK [it's one big roundabout]
Contact:

#10

Post by Musashi » 20 Jun 2005, 13:20

Eugene (J. Baker) wrote:
mietek wrote:Hi.

Also in Polish army after 1945 were ex-WH soldiers and officers.

Best Regards

mietek
any additional info?
I can tell you what happened before the end of the war. During the World War II many Polish citizens were conscripted into the Germans Army, because a large part of Polish territory was incorporated to Germany. I read Kaszubs (the ethnic minority from northern Poland) and Silesian were valued in Deutches Afrika Korps and Erwin Rommel ordered to recruit as many of them as possible. Generally a few hudred of thousands of Poles, Kaszubs and Silesians served in the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS during WW II. I can't provide you the exact number now. Polish troops fighting on the Western Front often proposed the German PoWs of Polish origin to join the Polish Army. Sometimes they heve an alternative: to join or be executed. Therefore the number of soldiers in the Polish Army on the Western Front was increasing significantly until the end of the war in spite of heavy losses.
The most funny story I know is about antitank gunners of 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade. The English paras always wondered how it is possible that Poles are able to hit 80+% of targets during exercises and they are not able to hit more than 50-52%. They did not know the Poles were hardened Afrika Korps veterans, who had been conscripted into the Polish Army from PoW camps.
I don't know what happened after the war.

Regards,
Chris

Molobo
Banned
Posts: 629
Joined: 14 Feb 2005, 15:20
Location: Poland

#11

Post by Molobo » 20 Jun 2005, 14:59

Generally a few hudred of thousands of Poles, Kaszubs and Silesians served in the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS during WW II
The number is way too high. Poles from Silesia were incorporated into Wehrmacht but IIRC the number reached about from Silesia were generally viewed as Volksdeutsche, later many were forced into the army against their will.
Musashi you can read it about here in Polish :
http://www.ipn.gov.pl/biuletyn6-7_41-42.pdf

In general 300-400.000 people were conscripted by Wehrmacht in Upper Silesia, which contained a high number of German minority, ,many against their will by either forcing them to sign Volskdeutsche lists or signing them on them without their agreement.
Around 120.000 people conscripted were Polish and outside the Volskliste.


Polish deserters from Wehrmacht who joined Polish Army are circa 90.000
Out of those 60.000 are from Upper Silesia.
Sometimes they heve an alternative: to join or be executed.
The offer was on given to those without officer status IIRC.

SFMike
Member
Posts: 11
Joined: 07 Nov 2004, 20:46
Location: Monterey, California, USA

GERMANS IN THE US ARMY

#12

Post by SFMike » 02 Aug 2005, 18:56

After I returned from my second tour in Vietnam, I was stationed at Fort Ord, California. I was the NCOIC of the G-3 Testing Unit which was composed of thirty senior NCOs who were recuperating from wounds received in RVN. One day, the company commander decided to hold a full field inspection of the company.

The usual Full Field inspection has all weapons and field equipment on display with the soldier in his Class A uniform. Our section was different from the rest of the company because the NCOs assigned had not been issued weapons or field equipment. They turned out in their Class A uniforms with the Combat Infantry Badge and Jump Wings (if issued). The company commander (Transportation Corps) approached the section and I called them to attention. The C.O. took one look at the assembled NCOs and informed me that the NCOs were all out of uniform because they weren't wearing their ribbons on their uniforms. He ordered that the section reassemble at 1900 hours with all authorized awards and decorations in place. I asked if he wanted foreign awards, too ans the C.O. replied, "I want them wearing every F__king medal they've ever been awarded by any F__king country in the world".

At 1900 hours, the C.O. arrived, I called the section to attention and open ranks march. The C.O. then approached the first rank and was confronted by two NCOs wearing the Medal of Honor on blue ribbons around their necks and one sergeant with the Iron Cross First Class on a Red, White and Black ribbon around his neck. The C.O. saluted all three men and turned to me expressing his regrets at disturbing the group on NCOs and ordering that my section was excused from standing inspections and formations as long as he was company commander.

SFMike

Edward L. Hsiao
Member
Posts: 2102
Joined: 01 Aug 2003, 09:43
Location: Flagstaff,Arizona

That's Interesting!

#13

Post by Edward L. Hsiao » 03 Aug 2005, 05:32

Dear Sir,

A Ritterkreuztraeger (Iron Cross with a neck ribbon) in the US Army! :wink: An a brief but amusing,interesting story! :lol: Thank you very much! :D

Sincerely,

Edward

User avatar
FRANCY RITTER
Member
Posts: 3031
Joined: 02 Dec 2004, 19:12
Location: PARMA City of European Food Safety Authority ITALY

#14

Post by FRANCY RITTER » 04 Aug 2005, 11:14

Hello!!

The infamous German, Major Rolf Steiner (1933), to served during Biafra/Nigeria war (September 1967 / January 1970) .
Steiner was commander of the famous special unit "S" brigade , and during the ww2 to served in the Hitlerjugend
Attachments
steiner.jpg
steiner.jpg (9.6 KiB) Viewed 24338 times

PJF
Member
Posts: 146
Joined: 23 Aug 2004, 20:17
Location: Chicago, USA

#15

Post by PJF » 04 Aug 2005, 16:55

When I was with the 2/502 Inf (101stABN) in 1973 the battalion intel NCO was a SFC claimed to have been a veteran of the Red Army, Heer and US Army!

He stated that he was conscripted as a 16 yr old into the Red Army in late 41, captured by the germans and served as a hiwi and finally joining the US army in the early 50's.

He was definately ethnic russian but otherwise I have no independent confirmation of his claim. His last name was Federov.

Post Reply

Return to “Life in the Third Reich & Weimar Republic”