Wehrmacht Veterans in other Armies of the World
Re: Wehrmacht Veterans in other Armies of the World
Tido Holtkamp served in the Kriegsmarine as a cadet on the Horst Wessel. After obtaining U.S. Citizenship was drafted into the U.S. army during the Korean War and ended up serving in Germany not far from his home.
http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2008 ... viewmode=2
http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2008 ... viewmode=2
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Re: Wehrmacht Veterans in other Armies of the World
Gentlemen,
From Peter Kalischer's,"The Marines' Remarkable Foreign Legion", Colliers 130 (25Oct52) 96-101. Pfc. Michael Averko Olaff von Hilderbrand was an ex-member of the German Army intelligence,born in Lithuania (Baltic German),joined the Hitler Youth and served with German antiaircraft,and was proficient in nine languages. Pfc. John Diener was a German Army tanker when only 15,engaged in action against Russia. They were in the US Marine's Reconnaissance Company during the Korean War. I can find nothing further about their fates. I wonder what is their highest ranks in the USMC before they retired?
Sincerely,
Edward L. Hsiao
From Peter Kalischer's,"The Marines' Remarkable Foreign Legion", Colliers 130 (25Oct52) 96-101. Pfc. Michael Averko Olaff von Hilderbrand was an ex-member of the German Army intelligence,born in Lithuania (Baltic German),joined the Hitler Youth and served with German antiaircraft,and was proficient in nine languages. Pfc. John Diener was a German Army tanker when only 15,engaged in action against Russia. They were in the US Marine's Reconnaissance Company during the Korean War. I can find nothing further about their fates. I wonder what is their highest ranks in the USMC before they retired?
Sincerely,
Edward L. Hsiao
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Re: Wehrmacht Veterans in other Armies of the World
Gentlemen,
I think there were German advisers or mercenaries that had been involved with the Portugese Countersurgency War of 1961 to 1973. There where plenty of foreign advisers from Western Europe that were helping the Portugese Armed Forces.
Sincerely,
Edward L. Hsiao
I think there were German advisers or mercenaries that had been involved with the Portugese Countersurgency War of 1961 to 1973. There where plenty of foreign advisers from Western Europe that were helping the Portugese Armed Forces.
Sincerely,
Edward L. Hsiao
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Re: Wehrmacht Veterans in other Armies of the World
In US Army Special Forces of the early 1950s it was true in the original 10th Special Forces Group that of the 12 men in their A teams(Operational Detachments) it was not uncommon for the Team Leader, a Captain, to be the only native english speaker, One of my old drinking buddies had been a Lativian 15 year old, drafted into the SS at the end of the war, who retired as an SF E-7.
Re: Wehrmacht Veterans in other Armies of the World
Germans becoming POW camp guards in Britain 1945
I have been researching German POW camps in Britain and in TNA records it shows that on 30 July 1945 300 ex German POWs were drawn from Camps 23 and 159 for guard duties at working camps. My belief is that these may well have been Polish men forced to join the German Army, or Germans who were previously born in what became the new state of Poland at the end of WW2.
Does anyone have any information to substantiate my guess or references to books or documents that adds further information to this story?
Thank you
Foam
I have been researching German POW camps in Britain and in TNA records it shows that on 30 July 1945 300 ex German POWs were drawn from Camps 23 and 159 for guard duties at working camps. My belief is that these may well have been Polish men forced to join the German Army, or Germans who were previously born in what became the new state of Poland at the end of WW2.
Does anyone have any information to substantiate my guess or references to books or documents that adds further information to this story?
Thank you
Foam
Re: Wehrmacht Veterans in other Armies of the World
the Arab Liberation army was reputed to have a bunch of Bosnian Muslim Waffen-SS vets and some other former German military personnel:
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=12613
Ultimately, a bunch of them seemed to end up in armies throughout the Arab world.
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=12613
Ultimately, a bunch of them seemed to end up in armies throughout the Arab world.
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Re: Wehrmacht Veterans in other Armies of the World
Gentlemen,
On page 589 of "The Face Of Courage",Leutnant Hennecke Kardel, who was a Knight's Cross holder,didn't surrender after the German capitulation in May of 1945 and went with the Latvians to conduct partisan operations in the Baltics for many years. I believe there were pretty of German soldiers including those who won the Knight's Cross had conducted sabotage operations with the Latvians after they refuse to surrender to the Soviets in May of 1945.
Sincerely,
Edward L. Hsiao
On page 589 of "The Face Of Courage",Leutnant Hennecke Kardel, who was a Knight's Cross holder,didn't surrender after the German capitulation in May of 1945 and went with the Latvians to conduct partisan operations in the Baltics for many years. I believe there were pretty of German soldiers including those who won the Knight's Cross had conducted sabotage operations with the Latvians after they refuse to surrender to the Soviets in May of 1945.
Sincerely,
Edward L. Hsiao
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Re: Wehrmacht Veterans in other Armies of the World
The French rounded up about a battalion of SS men and they had a choice serve or be executed. They were sent to fight in Vietnam.
Re: Wehrmacht Veterans in other Armies of the World
While working at Bethlehem Steel in the 70's-80's I was told of a guy "Walter Werbowski" who was a former German soldier who worked in our shop (he would get a WHOLE LOT of teasing about being a "kraut"...)
"Walter" at first was very reluctant to talk about the war... but after a few weeks of me asking (pestering?) he told me he was "Polish" and because of his small stature he was drafted and became eventually a Tiger crew man with the Panzer Lehr division. (I believe he said he was captured in Normandy?) He spoke to me about the problems they had with breakdowns with Tigers and Pathers... He liked the MkIV...
He later joined the US Army when he emigrated to the U.S. and then upon discharge from the US Army came to work at Bethlehem Steel.
"Walter" at first was very reluctant to talk about the war... but after a few weeks of me asking (pestering?) he told me he was "Polish" and because of his small stature he was drafted and became eventually a Tiger crew man with the Panzer Lehr division. (I believe he said he was captured in Normandy?) He spoke to me about the problems they had with breakdowns with Tigers and Pathers... He liked the MkIV...
He later joined the US Army when he emigrated to the U.S. and then upon discharge from the US Army came to work at Bethlehem Steel.
Re: Wehrmacht Veterans in other Armies of the World
God, I am getting old... now the more I think about I am not 100% certain it was a Tiger... might have been a Panther that he was a crew member of... but he was familiar with the Tiger tank, and talked about breakdowns with Tigers and Panthers... and the allied fighter bombers...
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Re: Wehrmacht Veterans in other Armies of the World
Dear Sir,
Pretty interesting story that this German WWII veteran had. How long did "Walter Werbowski" served in the US Army? "Werbowski" may sound Polish but I believe this gentleman is a German and he should be proud to be one.
Sincerely,
Edward L. Hsiao
Pretty interesting story that this German WWII veteran had. How long did "Walter Werbowski" served in the US Army? "Werbowski" may sound Polish but I believe this gentleman is a German and he should be proud to be one.
Sincerely,
Edward L. Hsiao
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Re: Wehrmacht Veterans in other Armies of the World
Gentlemen,
After the surrender of Germany in May of 1945,there was talk about getting the German veterans of the German 1st Parachute Division to join the US Army to fight against the Japanese in the Pacific. That didn't work out.
Sincerely,
Edward L. Hsiao
After the surrender of Germany in May of 1945,there was talk about getting the German veterans of the German 1st Parachute Division to join the US Army to fight against the Japanese in the Pacific. That didn't work out.
Sincerely,
Edward L. Hsiao
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Re: Wehrmacht Veterans in other Armies of the World
In the book The Last Valley by Martin Windrow about the French in Vietnam. The writer mentions a GD veteran called Hubert Mayer who was serving with the French Foreign Legion at Dien Bien Phu 1953/4.
Regards Rich
Regards Rich
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Re: Wehrmacht Veterans in other Armies of the World
Gentlemen,
German snipers of the Wehrmacht had a hard time finding civilian jobs after World War II. Some were employed as military armed assassins of the Western Allied Armies. The CIA of the United States may had hired some German snipers. Some became partisans in Latvia killing Soviet personal while operating with the Latvians after the German surrender. But I think plenty of German snipers joined the French Foreign Legion and continue their expertise in sniping the enemy.
Sincerely,
Edward L. Hsiao
German snipers of the Wehrmacht had a hard time finding civilian jobs after World War II. Some were employed as military armed assassins of the Western Allied Armies. The CIA of the United States may had hired some German snipers. Some became partisans in Latvia killing Soviet personal while operating with the Latvians after the German surrender. But I think plenty of German snipers joined the French Foreign Legion and continue their expertise in sniping the enemy.
Sincerely,
Edward L. Hsiao
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Re: Wehrmacht Veterans in other Armies of the World
Gerhard Thyben,a 157 air to air victories German air ace, flew in the Columbian Air Force a few years later after WWII.
Edward L. Hsiao
Edward L. Hsiao