Foreign Volunteers during the Battle of Berlin, 1945

[RFPB]

I know there were several Indian soldiers involved in the battle of Berlin. I've also heard a claim that there were 30 native American volunteers captured and later released by the Soviets.

[Rob - wssob2]

I know there were several Indian soldiers involved in the battle of Berlin. I've also heard a claim that there were 30 native American volunteers captured and later released by the Soviets.

Got any sources to back your claim?

[Werter]

III. THE LVI PANZER CORPS
..........
The following troop units were brought into Berlin under the corps' command:
..........
6. Remnants of other combat units, including the 9th Parachute Division and SS Panzer Grenadier Division "Nederland." These units were all low in fighting strength and combat value.
..........
The city contained an estimated 60,000 soldiers and from fifty to sixty tanks.14
..........
The "other forces" estimated above as corresponding to between two and three divisions were largely splinter units of various types. Volkssturm companies, alert units, members of the Hitler Youth, parties of stragglers from the front, and SS units were to be found side by side and intermingled, without any over-all organization. A Latvian battalion in this category immediately went over to the enemy.

Source: THE GERMAN DEFENSE OF BERLIN by Wilhelm Willemar, Oberst a.D.

In this regard, I have two questions:
1. Does anyone have any additional sources of information about the presence in surrounded Berlin part of the division SS Nederland?
2. The above-mentioned Latvian battalion can not there be 15th SS Fusilier Company (Latvian) commanded by Ostuf Neilandis?

[murx]

My father was working in the Lorenz Radiowerke research labs in Berlin. In the last days of war some "We-never-will-learn-about-the -facts" wanted to draft him and all other lab's workers to the "Volkssturm", some recruiters waiting in front of the doors with P40s around the shoulder. He said to have been escaped over the lab's rear fence with the help of the Lorenz factory's fire brigade, whichs members for some reason he never found out,nearly exclusively were Dutch.

[Medi]

I know there were several Indian soldiers involved in the battle of Berlin. I've also heard a claim that there were 30 native American volunteers captured and later released by the Soviets.

Got any sources to back your claim?

It will very interesting to know what sources were used for this infomation.....

[Panzermahn]

I know there were several Indian soldiers involved in the battle of Berlin. I've also heard a claim that there were 30 native American volunteers captured and later released by the Soviets.

I don't know about the native American volunteers captured in Berlin but for the Indians, it's actually a single Indian legionnaire captured by Red Army in Berlin 1945 and were photographed (fellow forum member Semenov mentioned about the captured Indian legionnaire in his book about Waffen SS by Yauza Publishing 2005)

Admittedly, it is a secondary source but I was provided by a kind researcher, a 1994-dated testimony of SS Oberscharführer Willi Rogmann, Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, commander of Kampfgruppe Rogmann (see Tony Le Tissier's Battle of Berlin), who mentioned there was a single Indian legionnaire in his battle group (as well as a couple of volksdeutsche from United States and some Walloons) during the battle of Berlin.

I believed he is most likely from the guard detachment of the Free India Centre located in Berlin but that's just my guess.

In Robert Forbes' book, he mentioned that Robert Soulat, Waffen Uscha of the Charlemagne Division, met two Indian legionnaires in Neustrelitz, where the Charlemagne Division was reformed.

Also, there was a Hungarian SS company during the Battle of Berlin. I received scans of the 20-page document of a testimony of a veteran of this company, kindly provided by a Hungarian friend and researcher who made copies during his visit to the Hungarian State Military Archives back in 2005 but according to what I have known, the testimony by this veteran were more like a memoir rather than ATB report.

[Werter]

Panzermahn

I received scans of the 20-page document of a testimony of a veteran of this company

Can U send me this papers PM?

[Werter]

Spanish Waffen-SS Volunteers during the Battle of Berlin, 1945








Source: Siegrunen #79

[Ustuf.33]

"In Robert Forbes' book, he mentioned that Robert Soulat, Waffen Uscha of the Charlemagne Division, met two Indian legionnaires in Neustrelitz, where the Charlemagne Division was reformed.""

He was Rottenführer, not Uscha. . I don't remember of this remark on Forbes book .interesting .

[Ljotrulf]

"In Robert Forbes' book, he mentioned that Robert Soulat, Waffen Uscha of the Charlemagne Division, met two Indian legionnaires in Neustrelitz, where the Charlemagne Division was reformed.""

He was Rottenführer, not Uscha. . I don't remember of this remark on Forbes book .interesting .

As I recall (and I don't have Forbes' book to hand at the moment) the two "Indian legionnaires" wer British (i.e. white, non-Indians) serving in the Legion Freies Indien. Since they were only with the Charlemagne Division for a short time before being sent on their way westwards, it is conceivable that one or both became involved in the fighting in Berlin.
A friend in the Kameradenwerk Korps Steiner once told me of a conversation he had with a now deceased Norwegian SS man where he advised that he had come across two Englishmen and one Indian during the fighting in Berlin. As to who these individuals were and the unit they were with, one can only wonder.

[Panzermahn]

Hi Werter

The article from Siegrunen #79, on Ostuf Luis Garcia Valdajos was written by Erik Norling

Panzermahn

[mr_straz]

Who can tell me more about the following Latvian officers, I believe they all served with the Waffen-SS.

Eduards Stauers
Voldemars Laivins
V. Baumans
Rutkis
E. Zalums
R. Kilevics
Rubjas
Titmanis
Liepniks


Any information about these men is welcome, couldn't find anything myself on this forum or on the internet about them.
Greetings,
Mikedc

Mike, I believe I have some information about one of the officers you inquired about above. Voldemars Laivins was my mothers sisters husband (my uncle). When I was born in 1964 he nominated himself to be my godfather. He emigrated to Australia as a member of a family block of 24 Latvians seeking a better life in 1949. He was accompanied by his wife. My Uncle tried to educate me about what he did in the war but not being a student of history I only took a mild interest in it at the time. While integrating somewhat into the Australian way of life, he militantly upheld his Latvian heritage. He had two children who are now in their 70's and still reside in Eastern Australia, both of whom came to reject his insistence in their carrying on his philosophies and views. As a central component of maintaining his connection with Latvian culture, he acted and was recognized as a leader in the Latvian society - a fraternity / sorority with a clubhouse situated in Bankstown Sydney. He finally passed away in November of 2002 at the approximate age of 86. I traveled from the United States to attend his funeral in Sydney. He was buried in the Latvian section of the massive Rookwood Cemetary joining a number of his like minded and impassioned compatriots.

[PF]

Postscript-The British Free Corps of the SS http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Free_Corps
In regard to US Volunters for the SS http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_James_Monti

Of Course there was probably ethnic Germans who had lived in the US who came back to fight der Fatherland...

[odinn62]

general desovic lived in jail till he died in 1960

[Ljotrulf]

I know there were several Indian soldiers involved in the battle of Berlin. I've also heard a claim that there were 30 native American volunteers captured and later released by the Soviets.

Got any sources to back your claim?

SS-Uscha. Willi Rogmann claimed to have had an Indian (from the Indian Legion) in his platoon during the battle of Berlin together with a couple of Walloons. I also heard from a friend in the Kameradenwerk Korps Steiner that the Norwegian comrade (Steen?) saw two Indians during the fighting in Berlin together with one "Briton" (possibly Eric Pleasants or Bob Roessler if he was still wearing his BFC uniform). Impossible now to verify but not as outlandish as it may at first appear.