Wehrmacht Veterans in other Armies of the World

[Winston Smith]

In his book 'Blowback' Christopher Simpson claims that Otto Skorzeny organised a number of former german officers and NCO's to train the egypt army of Nasser just prior to the Suez crisis of '56.

regards

Another intresting information revealed lately about Skorzeny time in Egypt is that in 1963 he worked for the "Mossad" providing them with information about the German scientists that worked in the Egyptian missle program.

[Fallschirmjäger]

I thought he did not like the jews maybe being a former waffen ss man,or was there money or blackmail in it?,thanks.

[Winston Smith]

I thought he did not like the jews maybe being a former waffen ss man,or was there money or blackmail in it?,thanks.

This information was reveald few months ago during an interview with an ex-Mossad agent, supposly after the capture of Eichmann many SS veterans feared a similar fate, he claim that in return for the information about the German scientists the Israeli goverment promise Skornzeny that no harm would come to him, personly I suspect he was given something else in return since he was tried and found innocent and W. Germany declare him as being de-nazified so Israel didn't have much of a case against him, althought it's possible his fear of being arrest wasn't logical and/or the Mossad was just pretend his after him in order to enlist him.

[Fallschirmjäger]

Thanks for the info Winston Smith.

[Brian Ross]

I had the honor to serve with Major Felix Fazekas in the early 1980s, who will be well known to Australian soldiers as one of the sub-commanders of the AATTV - Australian Army Training Team Vietnam - one of the most highly decorated units in Australian Army history with four VCs to its credit. I knew Major Fazekas at the end of his long career. He had served in the Hungarian Army in WWII, the FFL in Indo-China and the Australian Army in Borneo and Vietnam. He was reputed to have once worn his Iron Cross Second Class on parade in the Australian Army. Apparently the RSM was not amused and he was ordered not to in future. He was a most unusual man, to say the least. Interestingly, he is by chance buried next to my uncle. I was surprised when I discovered this at my uncle's funeral.

[Lobscouse]

Canada allowed German citizens to immigrate circa 1951, and quite a number of wehrmacht veterans among them. Some found their way to recruiting offices, and I had the privilege of meeting a number of them. The first one I got to know was a little guy who had served in U-boats. It was his habit to repeatedly say "scheiss" whenever something went wrong, and he was known by that name by some of the platoon. Later, in the early 60s I served with two others in the Royal Canadian School of Military Engineering (RCSME) at Camp Chilliwack, Vedder Crossing, British Columbia; one a former Afrika Korps Panzer Grenadier and the other a Pionier who had seen action on a number of fronts. I also came across a Sergeant Clerk who had been called up late in the war and served briefly on the Westfront. Most Germans had tired of uniforms and military service, but not all, particularly if jobs are scarce.

Foreign decorations could only be worn IF prior authority had been granted by Army Headquarters, excluding long service and good conduct awards from those foreign armies.

[Daniel Laurent]

Hi everybody,
To clarify about the Axis veterans who served in the French Army in Indochina.

Some were incorporated in the Army straight from the POW camps. It was that or the mines clearing operations....
Many deserted, either taking advantage of the stop-over at the Suez canal to run away to some Middle East country, some even joining the Vietminh in Indochina...

But some others, Germans (Or Austrians) Wehrmacht, W-SS as well as Hungarians, were "real" volunteers in the French Foreign Legion. They fought till the end, bravely, and quite a number of them died at Dien Bien Phu, for the French flag and side by side with French, Algerians and Vietnamese comrades.

The French Foreign Legion, till date, is using songs coming from that time, such as a French version of "Ich hatte eine kameraden".

My respect to all the ones who fought and fell, whatever was their camp.

Regards
Daniel

[Utrecht]

The French Foreign Legion, till date, is using songs coming from that time, such as a French version of "Ich hatte eine kameraden".

Untill the sixties the Germans have always outnumbered the other nationalities in the Foreign Legion. Ich hatte eine kameraden (J'avais Un Camarade) has probably been sung in the FL since long before former SS- and Wehrmacht soldiers joined the FL.

Germans were also serving in Rhodesian units, particularly in the RLI which consisted at some times of over 50 nationalities.

Former Dutch SS-soldiers fought as part of the Dutch contingent in Korea (and probably a few were among the Dutch troops in Indonesia, 1945-1949).

[Daniel Laurent]

Hi,Utrecht,
One historian, American if I remember well (Sorry, not posting from home, I don't have my sources here) was allowed to study the Legion archives at Aubagne, near from Marseille, very unusual and rare.

Hi conclusions were that during the years 45-55, 2 third of the Legionnaires were former Axis forces soldiers : Approximately 1/3 Germans and Austrians, 1/3 other Axis nationalities, mainly Hungarians.
Due to the limitations he had in his access, no mention of the % Waffen-SS and Heer.

Regards
Daniel

[Utrecht]

Hello Daniel,

Thanks for your reply.

There is a book about Germans in the Foreign Legion: Deutsche in der Fremdenlegion 1870-1965, written by Eckard Michels.

According to Michels the percentages of Germans in the Legion were:
1914) 25%
20s) 50%
1939) 20%
1945) 10%
1953) 55%
End 60s) 20%

So, as you can see the number of Germans joining the Legion was very much related with the situation in Germany. After both World Wars the number increased. In Economic better times (Nazi-periode and in the sixties the Wirtschaftwunder) less Germans were in the FL.

[Daniel Laurent]

Hi Utrecht,

So, as you can see the number of Germans joining the Legion was very much related with the situation in Germany. After both World Wars the number increased. In Economic better times (Nazi-periode and in the sixties the Wirtschaftwunder) less Germans were in the FL.

Right.
By the way it was the same for all nationalities. Nowadays, as far as a veteran who retired last year told me, a lot of Russians, Ukrainians, Serbs et other Eastern Europe are in the Legion.
Regards
Daniel

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Gentlemen!

Thank you very much for your contributions to this long interesting subject that I first made a while back. I'm sorry for my long absence because I moved from Flagstaff,Arizona to Waldport,Oregon to be by the ocean. I had trouble getting back on line at first but now I'm free of that problem. Yes there were plenty of Wehrmacht veterans that can never have enough fighting against Communism. Their post World War II military adventures seems endless until they were killed or finally retired.

Sincerely,

Edward

[Peter H]

Our member Rudi S.

http://forum.axishistory.com/profile.ph ... ile&u=5204

http://www.feldgrau.com/interview6.html

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Hello Fellows,

I remembered reading about Rudi Salvermoser's interesting life story. I'll say that he served with honor in both the German and the United States Armies. I wish there were more stories about German World War II veterans that end up serving with the U.S. Armed Forces postwar.

Sincerely,

Edward

[martin13666]

Fighting in different armies was very usual for Estonians. Many were taken directly to red army from estonian army. Changed sides in early stages of war and became soldiers of Waffen-SS. Some of the Waffen-SS people ended their service in american company guarding war criminals in Nurenberg. Some left german army then commies reoccupied Estonia and were mobilised into Red Army again. So the list is lacking USSR.