SS-Pz.Aufkl.Abt. 11 'Nordland'

[Regiment Norge]

Hi folks!

In the early stages of the battle in the Oranienbaum pocket the 3. company saw action on 15.1.44 2 Km northeast of the village Kapylowka, and took some casualties here - the swede Rune WICKSTRØM was KIA 16.1.44 here. The 4 company had casualties around 17.1.44 near the village of Kosherizy.

The interesting part is that also the I./SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt 23 "NORGE" (Kdr. Fritz VOGT) was put into action at these places between 14.1-17.1.44. Is there anything written about this combat from the hands of veterans from both of these companies?

Regards

[Endzeit Jan]

Hi
The 3.Kp. had their first loss to the 14.01. at Kostalitzi.
Jan

[Lasse]

What kind of complaints was passed onto Saalbach about the men in his batalion?

Is anyone intressted in a list with information about the swedish volounteers (Enlisted men and NCOs) in the 3./AA11?

Hi!

Interested in the estonian swedes in the unit as the national swedes are well known.

Have Gunnar EKLÖF written about his service in the unit after the war?

Regards

Hello,

Havent found my lists about the swedish SS volounteers yet, bu about Eklöf:

As far as I know he wrote a little about his service in the. 3/AA11 and about how he was wounded for some magazine a few years before his death. Besides this he also told the police in Sweden some smaller parts about his service during their investigation of Eklöf 1945.

[Endzeit Jan]

Hi

Then on 20 May 1944 he went into the SS-Panzer-Aufkl.-Abt. 11 of the 11. Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division "Nordland", where many Swedish volunteers were grouped. He was wounded in action while serving with this unit on 18 July 1944. apparently the Swedish Recce party was caught in an ambush near Kunighisky in Lithuania and its' SPW was hit by anti-tank fire and its' driver SS-Rottenführer Karl-erik Persson was killed.

Eklöf was subsequently awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class and after recovering from his wounding was posted to the SS-Hauptamt in Berlin where he served as liaison officer to the Swedish SS volunteers. During his stint in Berlin he shot and killed fellow Swedish SS comrade Sven Rydén in an argument over a woman. For this crime he was imprisoned, but shortly released to serve in SS-Jagdverband "Nordwest" for the last months of the war.

It has also been stated that he stayed in Berlin posted to the SS-Hauptamt in his capacity as liaison officer to the Swedish volunteers, until the capitulation in 1945. When the city fell he was able to make good his escape and avoid being taken prisoner by the Russians. He returned to Sweden in the summer of 1945. (Side Note: He was arrested in 1943 on leave, while on walking down the mainstreet in Luleå, norethern Sweden, by the local police, for wearing his Waffen-SS uniform)

Jan

[Regiment Norge]

Hi

Then on 20 May 1944 he went into the SS-Panzer-Aufkl.-Abt. 11 of the 11. Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division "Nordland", where many Swedish volunteers were grouped. He was wounded in action while serving with this unit on 18 July 1944. apparently the Swedish Recce party was caught in an ambush near Kunighisky in Lithuania and its' SPW was hit by anti-tank fire and its' driver SS-Rottenführer Karl-erik Persson was killed.

Eklöf was subsequently awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class and after recovering from his wounding was posted to the SS-Hauptamt in Berlin where he served as liaison officer to the Swedish SS volunteers. During his stint in Berlin he shot and killed fellow Swedish SS comrade Sven Rydén in an argument over a woman. For this crime he was imprisoned, but shortly released to serve in SS-Jagdverband "Nordwest" for the last months of the war.

It has also been stated that he stayed in Berlin posted to the SS-Hauptamt in his capacity as liaison officer to the Swedish volunteers, until the capitulation in 1945. When the city fell he was able to make good his escape and avoid being taken prisoner by the Russians. He returned to Sweden in the summer of 1945. (Side Note: He was arrested in 1943 on leave, while on walking down the mainstreet in Luleå, norethern Sweden, by the local police, for wearing his Waffen-SS uniform)

Jan

Hi Jan!

Thanks for aditional information on EKLÖF.

A fellow Tölz comerad from Norway remembers that he was in Norway in 1945. But it is hard to track EKLÖFs movements in 1945, he was under investigation in the killing of RYDEN in 1945 in Berlin (when did that happened?) and imprisoned by the SD. To my knowlede he was in prison on 2.5.45 and then set free by russian forces and his name appears in a prison book from that prison in Berlin. And yes he was also the commander of the Swedenkompanie within the Jagdverband Nord-West. Maybe he was in Norway in 1945 for that purpose when the leader of the norwegian Jagdverband company also was in Norway. After that he moved to Berlin, and then the incident with RYDEN and imprisonment and so set free by the russian.

EKLÖF was WIA 17.7.44 Kunigsky and Karl-Erik PERSSON with two other soldiers was KIA.

To Lasse: What sort of magazines did he write for? Der Freiwillige?????

Persson also wrote some memoirs from the Dorpat combat.

Regards

[Lasse]

Hi

Then on 20 May 1944 he went into the SS-Panzer-Aufkl.-Abt. 11 of the 11. Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division "Nordland", where many Swedish volunteers were grouped. He was wounded in action while serving with this unit on 18 July 1944. apparently the Swedish Recce party was caught in an ambush near Kunighisky in Lithuania and its' SPW was hit by anti-tank fire and its' driver SS-Rottenführer Karl-erik Persson was killed.

Eklöf was subsequently awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class and after recovering from his wounding was posted to the SS-Hauptamt in Berlin where he served as liaison officer to the Swedish SS volunteers. During his stint in Berlin he shot and killed fellow Swedish SS comrade Sven Rydén in an argument over a woman. For this crime he was imprisoned, but shortly released to serve in SS-Jagdverband "Nordwest" for the last months of the war.

It has also been stated that he stayed in Berlin posted to the SS-Hauptamt in his capacity as liaison officer to the Swedish volunteers, until the capitulation in 1945. When the city fell he was able to make good his escape and avoid being taken prisoner by the Russians. He returned to Sweden in the summer of 1945. (Side Note: He was arrested in 1943 on leave, while on walking down the mainstreet in Luleå, norethern Sweden, by the local police, for wearing his Waffen-SS uniform)

Jan

Hi Jan!

Thanks for aditional information on EKLÖF.

A fellow Tölz comerad from Norway remembers that he was in Norway in 1945. But it is hard to track EKLÖFs movements in 1945, he was under investigation in the killing of RYDEN in 1945 in Berlin (when did that happened?) and imprisoned by the SD. To my knowlede he was in prison on 2.5.45 and then set free by russian forces and his name appears in a prison book from that prison in Berlin. And yes he was also the commander of the Swedenkompanie within the Jagdverband Nord-West. Maybe he was in Norway in 1945 for that purpose when the leader of the norwegian Jagdverband company also was in Norway. After that he moved to Berlin, and then the incident with RYDEN and imprisonment and so set free by the russian.

EKLÖF was WIA 17.7.44 Kunigsky and Karl-Erik PERSSON with two other soldiers was KIA.

To Lasse: What sort of magazines did he write for? Der Freiwillige?????

Persson also wrote some memoirs from the Dorpat combat.

Regards

Helllo,

I dont really agree with your information about Eklöf. To my knowledge he was sent to Berlin to recover from his wounds in 1944, spent the fall there as verbindungsoffizier for the swedish SS volounteers. (In november he also reported about spies in SS-Pz.Aufkl.Abt 11). He was given the mission to organize a swedish company for the Jagdverband Nordwest, and ordered in january 1945 several volounteers stationed at Graz to come to Berlin for that purpose. They on the other hand was not so keen on becoming some sort of "behind the lines" unit for the Germans at that point in the war. 6 of them went to Berlin, 3 managed to get transfered to a norweigan unit and returned to Sweden via Norway, the other 3 counterfitted a marsching order towards Norway and managed to return to Sweden.

Eklöf stayed for all I know in Berlin till he was arrested in februari 1945 when he was arrested for the murder of Rydén. He was never convicted so no clear motive is known, some point towards that Rydén wanted to return home (Eklöf was a fanatic nazi) and other point towards that the had an argument over a woman. When the russians closed in on Berlin in april 1945 he was released, picked up his wife and went to the Swedish church in Berlin to get protection there.

No idea what magazine it was he wrote for, but I belive it was a swedish magazine.

[Regiment Norge]

Hi Lasse!

I have no detail knowledge of EKLÖF, so I may be wrong and I only have his SS-PA of information and a french Suretè report on Jagdverband were he is mentioned. As I can recall Lennart W. told me that he had found EKLÖFs name in a german prison book from Berlin, I have no copies of that myself.

The history of the AA 11 has been written in several books but no records of the unit exists such as KTB with Anlagen, IC Berichte, Tagesmeldungen, Befehle, Gefechtsberichte. I have seen in casualty reports that there is a remark on the death of some soldiers that says "look at Gefechtsreport" on this incident, but they are gone.

Fragments can be found in KTB Nederland, but it is only brief mentioned. I think Wilhelm Tieke had a lot of material, but he has given his entire archive away years ago. Who knows who got it??????

Regards

[Lasse]

Hi Lasse!

I have no detail knowledge of EKLÖF, so I may be wrong and I only have his SS-PA of information and a french Suretè report on Jagdverband were he is mentioned. As I can recall Lennart W. told me that he had found EKLÖFs name in a german prison book from Berlin, I have no copies of that myself.

The history of the AA 11 has been written in several books but no records of the unit exists such as KTB with Anlagen, IC Berichte, Tagesmeldungen, Befehle, Gefechtsberichte. I have seen in casualty reports that there is a remark on the death of some soldiers that says "look at Gefechtsreport" on this incident, but they are gone.

Fragments can be found in KTB Nederland, but it is only brief mentioned. I think Wilhelm Tieke had a lot of material, but he has given his entire archive away years ago. Who knows who got it??????

Regards

Hello,

Thank you. I belive Westberg agrees with my opinion on Eklöf, he have had the chance to read my chapter about Eklöf for my "book" or what to call it and havent made any corrections so far. According to Agte the Sureté report (what kind of a report is that anyway?) it is incorrect, sinice the jagdverband nordwest never had a sixth company. Maybe it was intended to have one but since Eklöf pretty much failed to organize his company it might only been "on the paper" so to speak.

I havent either seen any source stating that Eklöf recived the EKII even though this often is mentioned.

[Regiment Norge]

Hi Lasse!

I have known Lennart since 1990 and he is an expert on AA 11. The french Surete report (it is stamped with this) is after the war on interrogation of some Jagverband officer I do not remember, but I lack some pages in the report.

Eklöf got his EK II 18.11.44 as I have a copy of it.

Regards

[Endzeit Jan]

Hi
In this booklet is a report of Eklöf.

SIEGRUNEN #59
DESCRIPTION: You are bidding on a book titled "Siegrunen #59" by Richard Landwehr. Journal of the foreign volunteers of the Waffen SS.

Siegrunen No. 59 (summer 1995)

Editorials

The Replacement Battalions of the SS-Totenkopf Division, 1940-42

The Lucky Shot by Martin Faugli (former Norwegian SS-Rottenführer)

The Death of SS-Sturmbannführer Alois Thaler

Waffen-Obersturmführer Ernst Christian Hartvig Viffert

Remembrances of 9th Company, SS-Regiment "Deutschland"

Waffen-SS Personality Profiles

SS-Gruppenführer Karl Gustav Sauberzweig

SS-Untersturmführer Thorkell Tillmann

SS-Obersturmführer Sven Ryden

SS-Oberscharführer Johan Westrin

SS-Untersturmführer Gunnar Eklöf

Waffen-SS Miscellany

The "Nachrichtenmaiden" of the Waffen-SS

Flemish Brothers in the Waffen-SS Who Were Killed or Missing in Action

Waffen-SS Book Reviews

48 pages

24 photos

Jan

[Lasse]

Hello,

Managed to find my old list of swedish and estonian swedes in SS-Pz.Aufkl.Abt 11. My list is a few months old, so might be some corrections to be made to it. The sources are several books (Ragnarök, Poller, Svenskar i Krig) archival material from swedish archives and SS-PA´s.

Enjoy!

Swedish citizens

Ahlgren, Rune
SS-Ostuf. or SS-Ustuf. (1944)
2./AA11 - zugführer
Recruited in Norway, 1943.
Arrived in the company probebly around april/may 1944.
KIA: 30/10 1944. Preekuln, Kurland.
Previously served in: Finland 1941.
Declared as dead in sweden 1958.

Alm, Sven.
SS-Sturmmann (1943)
3./AA11
Recruited in Norway, 1943, with Rune Wikström.
Arrived in the company: dec 1943.
Fahnfluchtig, fall 1944.
Accused for selling information about the panzerfaust and panzerschreck to the Swedish gouvernement.
Previously served in:
Survived the war.

Baecklund, Per-Sigurd
SS-Ustuf. (1944)
3./AA11
Recruited in Germany, 1942.
Arrived in the company around augusti 1944, transfered to another unit, returned most probebly to AA11 in the end of october, begining of november 1944. Left AA11 for SS-Feld.Erz.Bat 11 in january, 1945.
Survived the war.

Berg, Nils
SS-Rottenführer (1943)
3./AA11
Arrived in the company: - (possibly 1943)
Recruited to SS in Norway together with Knut Fagerström.
Fahnfluchtig, fall of 1944.
In sweden, Fagerström and Berg had tried to organize an nationalsocialist party. The attempt ended as most of the people involved instead recruited themself to SS.
Survived the war.

Eklöf, Gunnar
SS-Ustuf. (1943)
3./AA11 – zugführer.
Arrived in the company: May 1944.
Recruited in Finland/Germany 1941.
Later worked as liasonsofficer for the swedish SS volountters. Disliked by the other volounteers.
WIA: 17/7 1944 and removed from the unit.
Survived the war.

Eldh-Albiez, Wolfgang
SS-Untersturmführer (1944)
3./AA11. Possibly served a short while with AA11 during 1943, before being sent for officerstraining at Junkerschüle Bad-Tölz. Later placed in SS-Panzer-Brigade Gross where he was wounded, augusti 1944.
Survived the war.

Eriksson, John-Erik
SS-Rottenführer.
3./AA11
Only served in 3./AA11 a short period before being transfered to Dondagen, Latvia for training. Later belonged to SS-Panzer-Brigade “Gross”.
Previously served in: Finland.
Survived the war.

Eriksson, Sten
SS-Unterscharführer (1945)
2./AA11
Arrived in the company: april 1944.
Transfered to SS-Standarte “Kurt Eggers”, summer 1944.
Previously served in: Division “Wiking”.
Survived the war.

Fagerström, Knut
SS-Rottenführer (SS-Sturmmann 1943)
3./AA11
Arrived in the company: - (posibly 1943)
Deserted during the fall of 1944.
Recruited to SS in Norway with Nils Berg.
In sweden, Fagerström and Berg had tried to organize an nationalsocialist party. The attempt ended as most of the people involved instead recruited themself to SS.
Accused for selling information about the panzerfaust and panzerschreck to the Swedish gouvernement.
Survived the war.

Helmér, Lars
SS-Sturmmann (1943)
3./AA11 (can someone confirm that he actually served in AA11?)
Arrived in the company: 1943.
Recruited to SS in Norway.
Fahnfluchtig, Croatia 1943. MIA since then.
Previously served in: Finland 1939 and 1941.


Höglund, Elis
SS-Unterscharführer (1944)
3./AA11
Arrived in the company: april 1944.
Recruited to SS in Norway, 1941.
Fahnfluchtig, fall of 1944.
After returning to Sweden he abandoned the nationalsocialist ideology and instead became a syndicalist.
Previously served in: Rgt. “Westland” and Finland 1939.
Survived the war.

Holm, Karl-Olof
SS-Rottenführer (1943)
3./AA11. Squadleader.
Recruited to SS in Finland, 1943. Possibly together with Walther Nilsson and Carl Martin Ograhn.
Possibly sold information about the swedish Flak-regiment Lv7.
Fahnfluchtig, fall of 1944. Captured by feldgerdarmie, probebly executed or KIA in a penalbatalion during the battle of Kurland.
Previously served in:

Isgren,
SS-Rottenführer. (1943/44)
3./AA11 (can someone please confirm that he served in AA11?)
Arrived in the company, 1943
Recruited to SS in Finland.
Fahnfluchtig, Croatia 1943, but got transfered to a unit in Italy where he deserted to the brittish. (according to Carl Martin Ograhn)
Previously served in: Finland 1939.

Johansson, Arne
SS-Unterscharführer
3./AA11
KIA: mars 1945, Gross-Wachlin.
Previously served in: Finland, and a SS medical unit.

Johansson, Nils Sture
SS-Rottenführer
3./AA11
Recruited in Norway.
Previously served in: Rgt. Germania.
Survived the war.

Johansson, Ragnar I.
SS-Rottenführer
3./AA11
Recruited in Finland 1941.
Previously served in: division “Wiking”
Survived the war.

Johansson, Ragnar II
SS-Unterscharführer
3./AA11 – “melder” and driver for kp.fhr Hans-Gösta Pehrsson
Recruited in Finland together with Isgren.
Arrived in the company: April 1944.
KIA: 2/5 1945 – Berlin.

Note: Since there are two Ragnar Johansson I am a bit confused which of them served in SS since 1941. I do belive it was Ragnar Johansson I though, and Ragnar Johansson II recruited himself together with Isgren in Finland.

Ledin, Marcus
SS-Unterscharführer. (1944)
3./AA11
Recruited in Norway, 1941.
Arrived in the company: april 1944.
Fahnfluchtig, fall of 1944.
Previously served in: Division “Wiking”.

Meyer, Heino
SS-Untersturmführer (1944)
3./AA11 – zugführer.
Recruited in Norway, 1943. (Also served in SS 1941)
Arrived in the company: spring, 1944.
WIA: April 1944, returned to the company probebly around october 1944.
WIA: mars 1945, sent home to Sweden.
Previously served in: Rgt. “Germania”.

Mohlin, Sigurd
SS-Sturmmann (1943)
3./AA11
Recruited in Finland.
Dead: september 1944 in Norway (sickness) according to Gunnar Eklöf.

Nilsson, Walther
SS-Oberscharführer (1944)
3./AA11 – Zugführer
Arrived in the company: 1943
Recruited in Finland together with Carl Martin Ograhn, and posibly also Karl-Olof Holm. 1943.
KIA: January, 1944
Possibly sold information about the swedish flak regiment Lv7 to the germans.

Nordqvist, Sven
3./AA11
Arrived in the company: april 1944.
Recruited in Norway
According to Ograhn he was considered illoyal towards Sweden.
Previously served in: division “Wiking”?


Ograhn, Carl Martin
SS-Unterscharführer?
3./AA11
Recruited in Finland together with Walther Nilsson, 1943.
Arrived in the company: 1943
Fahnfluchtig, Croatia 1943. Captured by feldgerdarmie and transfered to a unit in Italy where he was wounded. Managed to return to Sweden late 1943.
Previously served in:

Olsen, Stig
3./AA11
Recruited in Norway, 1943.
Arrived in the company: 1943.
Fahnfluchtig, in Croatia 1943. MIA since then.

Pehrsson, Hans-Gösta
SS-Hstuf. (1945)
3./AA11 – zugfhr and kp.fhr
Recruited in Denmark, 1941.
Arrived in the company, 1943.
WIA: january 1944 as zug- or kp.fhr. Returned in mars 1944.
Acted as kp.fhr for the 3./AA11 in periods till the battle of Berlin.
Survived the war.
Previously served in: Freikorps Danmark.

Pehrsson, Karl-Erik
SS-Rottenführer (1944)
3./AA11 – driver for zugfhr. Gunnar Eklöf.
KIA: 17/7 1944.
Accused for selling information about the panzerfaust and panzerschreck to the Swedish gouvernement.
Previously served in:

Somberg, Ingmar
SS-
3./AA11 and stab AA11
Recruited in Norway, 1943.
Arrived in the company, december 1943 or january 1944
Fahnfluchtig, fall of 1944.
Survived the war.

Wahlberg, Franz
SS-Unterscharführer
3./AA11
Recruited in Norway, 1941.
Arrived in the company, 1943.
Captured during the battle of Berlin.
Previously served in SS with: Rgt. “Westland”.
Volounteer in Finland 1918 and Spain 1938.
Survived the war.
Wahlström, John
SS-Panzergrenadier
3./AA11
Arrived in the company, april 1944.
KIA: 19/7 1944.

Wallin, Erik
SS-Oberscharführer (1945)
3./AA11 and 5./AA11 –zugfhr and squadleader.
Recruited in Finland, 1943.
Arrived in the company 1943. WIA in Croatia.
Participated in the battle of Berlin, wounded and captured. Managed to escape and return to Sweden.
Previously served in: Finland 1939 and 1941.
Possibly sold information about the Swedish Flak-regiment Lv7 to the Germans.
Survived the war.

Westrin, Johan
SS-Oberscharführer (1944)
3./AA11. Served a shorter while before transfered to SS-Panzer-Brigade “Gross”.
KIA: 5/10 1944.
Previously served in: Finland.
Declared as dead in sweden during the 1980´s.

Wikström, Rune
SS-Sturmmann
3./AA11
Recruited in Norway togheter with Sven Alm.
Arrived in the company: probebly dec 1943.
KIA: january 1944.

Estonian-swedes:
Note: most of the data on the estonian-swedish volounteers in SS-Pz.Aufkl.Abt 11 is missing. But I am under the impression that most, if not all, of them arrived in the unit in 1943 when “Nordland” was organized at the Grafenwöhr training camp near Nürnberg. I havent found any information on any of them having a higher dienstgrad than SS-Sturmmann.

Ahlberg, Axel
Survived the war. Probebly the last living estonian-swede serving in the company. I belive he was wounded in early 1945 during the battle of the Kurland pocket and transfered to another unit.
Bergström, Anders
Brandt, Arthur.
Captured in Berlin, 2/5 1945. Died in soviet captivity.
Brandt, Fridolf
Brandt, Osvald
Grönman, Anders
Kornblom, Anders
Kornblom, Johan
Kornblom, Lars
Fahnfluchtig and return home to Sweden.
Kärras, Edgar
Lindström, Axel
Lindström, Emil
Sundberg, Sigfrid
Söderholm, Elmar
Söderholm, Gunnar
Thomson, Harald
The only estonian-swede killed in combat in AA11. KIA at Narva 1944.
Åkerman, Lars
Österberg, Johannes.

[Lasse]

And also, here are two not so often seen pictures. These where taken in Finland/Russia by the group of volounteers who arrived in SS-Pz.Aufkl.Abt 11 in april 1944.

[Endzeit Jan]

Hi
I have a picture of Persson here with Swedish soldiers. Can tell someone how are their names.





I wish a happy new year everyone here. God with us.


cheers Jan

[Regiment Norge]

Hi !

Thanks for the lists of swedes and estonian swedes. Somewere I have more information on Harald THOMSON, but for now these;

Nils Sture JOHANSON was for a short time in june/july 1943 with the 7./SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt 23 "NORGE".

In the files of III.(germ.)SS-Pz.Korps Signatur RS-3 in the BAMA there is a Fernschreiben from Steiner about the deserters in the Korps in 1943 from Croatia, and I also remembered that there was two swedes who were mentioned in this telex.

There also exists a Fernschreiben about Lars Gunnar HELMER as I can remember who transferres him to Grafenwöhr in 1943 from Ers.Btl. 5 Ellwangen.

Regards

[Regiment Norge]

Hi again!

Found some notes to the swedes in my file;

SS-Pz.Gren. Sven NORQUIST got his EK II in 3. Cp 18.11.44

Rttf. Erik WALLIN got his EK II in the 3. Cp 1.11.44

SS-Pz.Gren Håkon PALM got his EK II in 5./Norge 5.11.44

Strm. Sven ALM got his EK II in 3. Cp 14.3.44

Ustuf. Hans-Gøsta PEHRSSON got his EK I in 3. Cp 12.2.44

Regards