Let's Build the Latvian Legion

[Georg_S]

Here is some info I want to share with you who are interessted in the Latvijan Legions.

Betr Teilnehmer des 2. Offz. Lehrganges (Letten)

Folgende Tewilnehmer am 2. Offz.-Lehrgang mit wirkung vom
20.5.1944 wie folgt versetzt

Zur 15.Waffen-Gren.Div-SS
SS-Ustuf Bluemtals, Arvis
SS-Ustuf Elmars Germanis
SS-Ustuf Edgards Riekstinsch
SS-Ustuf Julijs Sirmais

Zue 19.Waffen-Gren. Div.-SS
SS-Ustuf Karlis Kalnins
SS-Ustuf Aleksandrs Pavlovskis
SS-Ustuf Janis Spruksts
SS-Ustuf Verners Voitkus
SS-Ustuf Ludwigs Lazdinsch
SS-Ustuf Viktors Limbens
SS-Ustuf Janis Repins

Zur Korps-Flak-Bttr. GenKdo. VI.SS-Freiw. A.K.
SS-Ustuf Voldemars Zvirgzdins

zu SS-Gren.AuE.Einheiten 15
SS-Ustuf Zanis Elferts
SS-Ustuf Janis Kilis
SS-Ustuf Roberts Kirsfelds
SS-Ustuf Vilis Kowalskis
SS-Ustuf Alexsandrs Krampis
SS-Ustuf Fricis Lankmanis
SS-Ustuf Martins Leipins
SS-Ustuf Ermans Rutitis
SS-Ustuf Klaudijs Ziberts
SS-Ustuf Janis Skrastins
SS-Ustuf Otto Solks
SS-Ustuf Roberts Strautins
SS-Ustuf Levs Berzins
SS-Ustuf Fricis Kalnins
SS-Ustuf Voldermars Sietins
SS-Ustuf Janis Schlesers
SS-Ustuf Anton Vetra

Zum Befehlshaber der Waffen-SS "Ostland"
SS-Ustuf Oskars Varlejs

42 Other names to different units such as Lett.Grenschutz Rgt.

All of the above officers was promoted to SS-Ustuf on May 20, 1944

Those lists are public in several SSO concerning Officers of the Latvijan Legions, I have also number 1 and 3 of the Officer courses for Lett. Officers

Best regards
Georg

[Georg_S]

This officer have been discussed a lot, but here is what is public in his SSO File (beside the photo)

Best regards
Georg

[IronIron]

Here is a photo of Kriss Brantevics of the Lettische SS legion

//Georg

Hi_Georg_S!
Can You please give some more information about Krišs Brantevics?
It is for a family tree purpose. Any kind of information would be useful.

[Georg_S]

Hello Iron

Send me an email on [email protected]
And I Will send you his SS-file

Best regards
Georg

[Kurti]

Hello guys,
I have a question to the latvian schuma btl's. I read on axishistory.com that the germans raised four Schutzmannschaft Bataillions in 1944 called "lettgallische" (Number 325-328).
What was the difference to a "lettische" Bataillion?
Why the germans did this? Did they see the human beings from latgale as seperate people or was it Just a desperate try to raise manpower for the loosing war?

Best Regards!

[JustinS]

Hello

I am trying to find the fate of SS-UStuf Andrejs Apsitis, unfortuantely is he listed as Andrejs Aspits in the FHr liste der NARA and he is also listed as KIA in 1944, the truth is that he survived the war, was POW for approx. 1 year. Went to Sweden and started to work with Swedish intell. and later CIA. He was married and had two children. He was the son to Secrytary of Justice in Latvija Hermann Aspitis. Who was deported in 1941 and died in 1942.

If anyone has a photo of Andrejs Aspitis and know the deathdate of him I would appriciate it a lot. He is part of the upcoming book about SS / Waffen-SS officers Part 1 (A). If everything goes well it will be published in spring 2020.

Best regards
Georg

Georg, did you ever find a picture or anything else about Andrejs Apsitis? Anyone have any more info they can post or email me? Thanks in advance.


Justin

[Georg_S]

Georg

Georg, did you ever find a picture or anything else about Andrejs Apsitis? Anyone have any more info they can post or email me? Thanks in advance.


Justin

Hello Justin,

Still no photo of him, just a few more data such as death etc. Its hard to research the Latvijan SS men, most of their SSOs are thin and doesn´t say much, a few exeptions of course. But mainly hard to research and there isn´t a good archive that you can search online etc. But I keep trying.

Best regards
Georg

[JustinS]

Georg

Georg, did you ever find a picture or anything else about Andrejs Apsitis? Anyone have any more info they can post or email me? Thanks in advance.


Justin

Hello Justin,

Still no photo of him, just a few more data such as death etc. Its hard to research the Latvijan SS men, most of their SSOs are thin and doesn´t say much, a few exeptions of course. But mainly hard to research and there isn´t a good archive that you can search online etc. But I keep trying.

Best regards
Georg

Hi Georg, understood, thank you. I wanted to see if perhaps you had found something in your research. My interest in Andrejs Apsitis is actually due to a find last month. A box was unearthed in Latvia that appears to have been buried by Apsitis in early May of 1945. A couple articles have been written by a journalist with Delfi.lv and there are a couple pictures of him. The find included two Officer collar tabs(one Runic and one Latvian with the large swastika), a map, Russian and German paper currency, a Lebenslauf and more including various personal effects. The contents of the box were taken to a War Museum and it appears to be a genuine find. I managed to obtain a number of pieces from the man who made the find. I have translations of the first two articles that were written and a third article is due out this week. Their research points to him working both with Swedish and US intelligence, but also with the KGB. He seems to have been quite an interesting character!

[Georg_S]

Hello Justin,

Many thanks for that info, I found the article but of course it was locked behind a paywall so I could read the whole article. Did you have the opportunity to get scans of a photo of him? I can totally agree that he was quite a caracter. I will see if the Riksarkiv in Sweden have something on him as well.

If you want to share something, you can reach me on my email [email protected]

Best regards
Georg

[JustinS]

Hello Justin,

Many thanks for that info, I found the article but of course it was locked behind a paywall so I could read the whole article. Did you have the opportunity to get scans of a photo of him? I can totally agree that he was quite a caracter. I will see if the Riksarkiv in Sweden have something on him as well.

If you want to share something, you can reach me on my email [email protected]

Best regards
Georg

Here’s the better of the two pics of him. I will email you today, thank you Georg.

[tigre]

Hello to all ; a little more..........................

Inspector General for the Latvian Legion.

On March 29, 1943, General Rudolf Bangerskis was appointed as the Inspector General for the Latvian Legion.

Source: THE LATVIAN LEGION (1943–1945) AND ITS ROLE IN LATVIA’S HISTORY. Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. 2013-01
https://picclick.com/Ww2-Latvian-Vintag ... id=1&pid=3

Cheers. Raúl M .

[G, Y?]

Just read the book, Driven West, Taken East by Vilnis Bankovičs who was first drafted in the Arbeitsdienst and then into the Latvian Legion. They were told to hold a position and then the Germans left them behind without warning them that they (the Germans) were withdrawing. Everyone was rounded up by the Soviets and they all did time in a gulag.

It's not the first time I read about the Germans leaving foreign soldiers behind on the promise that they would return to them.