Information about Ukrainian "SS Youth" organisatio

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Soylent_Dan
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Joined: 06 Sep 2004, 23:06
Location: Holden, Massachusetts USA

Information about Ukrainian "SS Youth" organisatio

#1

Post by Soylent_Dan » 24 Mar 2006, 03:31

A gentleman I work with, a Ukrainian emigre, sent me this link about a so called "SS Youth" organization in the Ukraine during the occupation: http://ukr-ww2.onestop.net/ss_youth.html

I am not entirely convinced such an organisation existed and that website does offer much in the way of accurate historical information, seems that something was lost in translation.

Eugen Pinak
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Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
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#2

Post by Eugen Pinak » 24 Mar 2006, 15:40

This information is correct, but in English they are usually known as "Flak helpers".

Some general info: http://www.luftwaffesociety.com/Flakhelferen.html

Thread about Latvian helpers on this forum: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=48299


Melnyk
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Location: England

#3

Post by Melnyk » 25 Mar 2006, 08:45

Hello

The Germans drafted youths from all occupied nations between 14-18 years of age to undergo pre-military training as Flak-helfers (Flak helpers) with the Luftwaffe. The programme was administered by the Hauptstelle (Main Office) of the Hitler Youth organisation in Berlin. Recruitment and training were the responsibility of Hauptbannführer Nickel and the newly formed 'Dienstelle Nickel' which had a staff of about 100 officers, 200 nco's and men and over 100 boys and girls from the Hitler Jugend. This organisation operated through 3 branches: Kommando Nord (Baltic), Kommando Mitte (Belorus and East Ukraine and Kommando Sud (Generalgouvernment) 'Dienstelle Nickel' delivered the conscripts to the Oberkommado der Luftwaffe (OKL) for distribution through Luftgaukommandos (LKG) which undertook the training as required. Neither the Ukrainian Central Committee nor the Military Board approved of the programme but Alfred Bisanz acting on his own initiative, issued a poster under the names of members of the Military Board (i.e.; Zeleny and Navrotsky) without their knowledge or consent.

A youth camp was established in the Austrian village of Malta, for young Ukrainians aged 15-18 whom the Germans had been recruiting in Galicia since April 1944. Malta was one camp of several in which the Germans placed young men (and women) recruited from both east and west Ukraine, whereupon some received pre-military training prior to their wholesale conscription into the Luftwaffe as auxiliaries or Flak-helfers. The two respective groups who were geographically separated, were also distinguished by arm brassards in the Ukrainian national colours of blue and gold, bearing either the Galician lion emblem (for Galician Ukrainians) or Trident emblem (for those from the Reichkommisariat Ukraine) and diamond shaped cap badges in those colours.
In this capacity they served as anti-aircraft gunners, searchlight operators, or with signals and transport sections often in the most threatened cities such as Berlin, Dresden, and Hamburg. Theoretically, on reaching the age of eighteen the young men could request transfer to the Galician Division where they would automatically qualify as officer and nco candidates.By way of an inducement the Galician recruits only were promised that their schooling would continue throughout their training and service, although the evidence suggests that this was only honoured in part. 6,547 boys and 1,121 girls from Galicia were registered although the total number employed was in the region of approximately 14,000.
In practice the Luftwaffe jealously guarded this source of manpower and did not encourage contact with the Galician Division, so that ultimately it was only from one such camp in the Austrian village of Malta, that approximately 280 youths later transferred after completion of their training.

For an interesting and detailed account of the personal experiences of a Ukrainian youth who joined the Galician Division having first undergone training at this camp see 'Victim of Circumstance' Michael Paziuk, Bridge Books, Wrexham, Clwyd, 1993. See also P. Pilkiv "Ukrainian Youths in the Division" (Visti Kombatanta, Nr. 2, 1995). I would like to express my gratitude to Mr Paziuk for placing his comprehensive photographic collection on this subject at my disposal for the purposes of my research.

The Author of the book 'On The Horns of a Dilema - Prof HUNCZAK, was also a Ukrainian flak helper.


Mike Melnyk

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