Standartenjunker Protopopoff French SS

[SonderDivision R]

Hi,

I am trying to get info on this man he was supposedly a "Prince" but there is no listing of a first name or any information on him only a death in Berlin May 1st 1945. If anyone has any info or photos please let me know

Thanks

[Phil Don]

Hi

First name Serge (Sergeij)
Born in 1923.

He was the son of the russian consul in Nice.
Here a pic.

[Ustuf.33]

Waffen-Standarten-OberJunker der SS Serge PROTOPOPOFF , a russian born in Paris (date unknown, but in the start of 20's) , from russians parents who have quit Russia for escape bolchevik revolution .
He go in the LVF in 1943, and before to be sent at the front, pass in the "Ecole des cadres de la LVF" at Montargis (near Orléans) . Like others LVF mens, he is transfer in Waffen-SS the 01 september 1944 . In Pomerania , Protopopoff fight with the 9th company of the Waffen-Grenadier-Regiment der SS 57 . He fight in battle of Berlin, assistant of Oscha. Jean OLLIVIER , the chief of the 4th company of the french SS-Sturmbataillon in Berlin . Protopopoff destroy five tanks in the battle, and he is killed the 1st may 1945, by a shell . He receives the Iron Cross First class psothumely (after his death) .


PS : the photo shown by Phil Don is taken in september 1943, in the "Ecole des cadres of the LVF" .

[Le Page]

There's a fair amount of info on Protopopoff in "For Europe" by Robert Forbes.

[SonderDivision R]

What stinks about the book is there is no index in the back to find all the pages on him instead you have to read it. I am not saying the book is not worth reading it just sucks when you want to referance one particular person.

[Le Page]

Yeah that's a pain in the ass.

[Ustuf.33]

Yes it is very sad , no index....

[Panzermahn]

The photo posted by Phil Don also appeared in Richard Landwehr's Charlemagne's Legionnaires which published in the early 1990s, one of the first English-language reference for this unit.

He was in the Milice before he enlisted in the LVF

[Ustuf.33]

I rectify my previous post : Serge PROTOPOPOFF was Standarten-Junker (NOT Standarten-OberJunker)

What stinks about the book is there is no index in the back to find all the pages on him instead you have to read it. I am not saying the book is not worth reading it just sucks when you want to referance one particular person.

Yes, it is the reason I take so much time to take off all informations from this book ! I have it since 3 years, and even when I re-read it some weeks ago, I find some new informations, previously forgotten by me!!

[Panzermahn]

Hi Ustuf.33

Do you have a list of White emigres or Russo-French volunteers in the Charlemagne Division?

Panzermahn

[Ustuf.33]

Yes!
there is :
-StdJu Serge PROTOPOPOFF
-Scharführer Nicolas CHOUMILINE
-Sturmmann Nicolas SAMASSOUDOV

-Rottenführer Wassili (I am not sure if it is his name or surname...)

all are coming from LVF


and I know too :
-Alexis PRONINE (Sturmbrigade, Sennheim), who will working for SS-Hauptamt in Minsk. I ignore his rank (maybe simple Schütze).
-Nicolas OSTELETSKY (Sturmbrigade, Sennheim). I am not sure he is ethnic russian

[Panzermahn]

Hi Ustuf.33

Thanks for the list! Correct me if I am wrong, but I read before Leon M. (I don't know the surname) and one of the youngest volunteers in LVF was also from Russian descendency. Is this true?

Also, not forgetting Serge Krotoff, formerly from the Sturmbrigade, who was executed together with 11 other French volunteers at Bad Reichenhall, 1945.

Panzermahn

[Ustuf.33]

Serge Krotoff is not really an ethnic russian. He has only ONE russian great grand-father (start of the 19th century), so he is almost totally french. only his surname is russian.
you understand what I mean?


sorry, I don't know this Léon M. !
I know that Sturmmann Samassoudov was very young (born in 1928), but that's all...

[Panzermahn]

HI Ustuf.33

Sturmann Samassoudov at the age 13? The age I got for Leon M. is 15 or 16 years old in 1941

Thanks for the explanation on Krotoff

[Ustuf.33]

Samassoudov, born 1928 (or een maybe 1929!) is 16 years old in 1944.

I have a young georgian boy , emigree in France, enlisted in LVF en 1941, called Léon Vatchnadzé. there is some photos of him.