Portuguese in the Waffen-SS & Wehrmacht

Tom Stahler · Post by **Tom Stahler** » 07 Jan 2003 00:31

Someone could give here informations about the "Green Legion" (Legião Verde) portuguese... I believe that it fights on the eastern front and that there were portuguese Waffen SS gone from this legion

Andy H · Post by **Andy H** » 07 Jan 2003 11:39

Hi Tom

Though there may be evidence that individual Portugesse men voluntered I'm unaware of Green Legion made up of Portugesse men. Where did you the info pointing this particular units existence?

Andy from the Shire

Tom Stahler · Post by **Tom Stahler** » 07 Jan 2003 13:41

I have readen in a book of a french specialist about Waffen SS, Jean Mabire, that besides the spanish Azul Division, there was a little portuguese legion, the Legião Verde, composed by three hundred men. When Azul Division had to come back Spain, due to the decision of Franco, this legion would have been also repatriated.

My great interests in this moment are the volunteers from Portugal, Ireland (from the Blue Shirts, maybe) and Poland (were there polish volunteers in W-SS).

All info is welcome.

Dan E. Moe · Post by **Dan E. Moe** » 07 Jan 2003 19:58

Never heard of the green legion.

Dan

Tom Stahler · Post by **Tom Stahler** » 07 Jan 2003 20:44

By searching on the web, there was a portuguese legion inside the spanish Azul division. The Legião Verde would be inside Azul. If a portuguese member could give us informations...

Dan E. Moe · Post by **Dan E. Moe** » 11 Jan 2003 10:58

Did they wear any kind of national insigna? (armshield....?)

Dan

Tom Stahler · Post by **Tom Stahler** » 11 Jan 2003 13:02

I don't think that he had insigna. By speeching with a portuguese of this forum but in another subgroup, it seems that there were 3OO portuguese volunteers but not authorized by Salazar. So no flag allowed... Most of them was in the Azul Division.
The Green Legion was probably a portuguese legion which fought against Republicans during the Spanish war besides Franco.
But I continue to search informations.

I. Miranda · Post by **I. Miranda** » 08 Apr 2003 02:19

Anyone knows anything about this? I know that the Spanish Blue Division have some portuguese members, but can anyone help me?

Gen. Erwin Rommel · Post by **Gen. Erwin Rommel** » 08 Apr 2003 09:41

Im Portuguese aswell, but i dont know nothing, but i'm sure some volunters were there.

alsaco · Post by **alsaco** » 08 Apr 2003 17:19

In fact, you must remember that the Salazar regime did not accept that portugueses do join foreign armies, and that obtaining a passport to travel for personal reasons was not very well considered by the secret police.

The regime is often qualified as fascist, but not really of the nazi quality, and even not so favourable is it may seem to franquism. And the interests of Portugal were much more on the british side than on the german one.

Andy H · Post by **Andy H** » 08 Apr 2003 22:39

I.Miranda

There was a post sometime ago where somebody thought that an actual body/unit of Portugese men served with W-SS and gave the unit a name, though no-one could confirm it's existence and unfortunatly I've not been able to find the thread.

It is more than probable that the odd individual may have joined or tried to join the W-SS, more for the sense of adventure than any political belief IMO

Andy

Tom Stahler · Post by **Tom Stahler** » 26 Apr 2003 02:39

The question of Portugueses fighting for NS Germany has been often asked, even by myself. I think that I've found the solution in a book, "the unknown fascists" by François Duprat (dead in 1978). In his book, he talked about 1000 Portuguese volunteers in the spanish division Azul, in a legion named the Green Legion (Legião Verde). They came back to Portugal at the same date that spanish volunteers back to Spain. Few portugueses, beside spanish, came to Waffen-SS, and fought in Berlin.
These portuguese volunteers were essentially members of the fascist portuguese movement Nacional-Sindicalismo directed by Rolão Preto (exiled by Salazar).

Nuno Carvalho · Post by **Nuno Carvalho** » 06 May 2003 16:37

Portugal and Spain remained neutral during WWII, but I know, that there were Spanish volunteers (the Blue Division, I think). I've read in a website (which I can’t recall) something about Portuguese volunteers that were incorporated in that division. Can anyone tell me more about this?

PS: sorry for my poor English.

Tom Stahler · Post by **Tom Stahler** » 07 May 2003 12:11

The question of Portugueses fighting for NS Germany has been often asked, even by myself. I think that I've found the solution in a book, "the unknown fascists" by François Duprat (dead in 1978). In his book, he talked about 1000 Portuguese volunteers in the spanish division Azul, in a legion named the Green Legion (Legião Verde). They came back to Portugal at the same date that spanish volunteers back to Spain. Few portugueses, beside spanish, came to Waffen-SS, and fought in Berlin.
These portuguese volunteers were essentially members of the fascist portuguese movement Nacional-Sindicalismo directed by Rolão Preto (exiled by Salazar).

PS: I have already posted this text in this section under the title "portuguese volunteers in Azul division"

bernardoperes · Post by **bernardoperes** » 15 May 2003 21:13

I was curious about that myself cause I'm half portuguese. I had never seen stuff about portuguese volunteers for the Waffen SS, but they had virtualy people from all europe, so I guess at least a few portuguese must have served together with the spanish.

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