Soldiers of W-SS from Slovenia

[K.Kocjancic]

Here is a list of me and Klemen (thanks again for new names) of Slovene members of W-SS (or soldiers of W-SS from Slovenia). There are numbers of 600 Slovenes in W-SS.

Rank Name Unit Decorations
SS-Sturmmann Badl, Willi
Unknown Bambitsch, Stanislaus
Unknown Bracun, Anton
Unknown Divjak, Miha
Unknown Dobrownig, Michael 1./SS-T.Inf.FE-Btl. 3
SS-Schütze Dworschegg, Fritz
SS-Panzerjäger Essig, Franz
Unknown Fessl, Albert 3. SS FE-Btl. »Der Führer«
SS-Schütze Festin, Gustav
Unknown Fink, Adolf
SS-Schütze Flakus, Willibald
SS-Oberschütze Geiger, Josef 4. SS-K.E.K. Berlin-Lichterfeld
SS-Oberschütze Gförer, Karl Anton
Unknown Gornik, Franc 10. SS-Pz.Div.
SS-Schütze Göstl, Ernst 1. SS-Pz.Div. »LSSAH«
SS-Schütze Gradischnig, Alois
Unknown Gradischnik, Alois 5. SS-Krft.Fahr.Ers.Abt.
Unknown Gulda, Herbert 1./SS-T.Inf.FE-Btl. 3
Unknown Harz, Karl SS-Ers.Btl. (Wetzelsdorff)
SS-Schütze Harz, Karl
SS-Sturmmann Herbst, Karl
SS-Grenadier Hofer, Friedrich
SS-Schütze Hoinigg, Ernst
Unknown Hosmann, Paul I./SS-Ers.Btl. 3
SS-Oscha. Hupfauf, Johann
Unknown Iskra, Matija
Unknown Jamnik, Alois 3. SS FE-Btl. »Der Führer«
Unknown Janeschitsch, Konrad SS-H.S.L. Berlin-Lichtentwald
Unknown Janisch, Hermann
Unknown Janusch, Raimund 1. San.Ersätz-Kmp. d. W-SS
Unknown Jaunik, Franz SS-Dienststelle
Unknown Jausching, Anton 3. SS FE-Btl. »Der Führer«
Unknown Juran, Franz
SS-Sturmmann Just, Ludwig
SS-Rttf. Kadunz, Stanislaus
SS-Schütze Kautschitsch, Spiridion
Unknown Kikel, Anton
Unknown Klasinz, Otto San.Ers.Btl. d. W-SS
Unknown Klemencic, Vili
Unknown Kokal, Josef
SS-Oberschütze Kolednik, Johann
SS-Sturmmann Kolednik, Johann
SS-Sturmmann Koletnik, Johann
SS-Uscha. Kollaritsch, Robert Johann Ferdinand
Unknown Korenjak, Leopold 3. SS FE-Btl. »Der Führer«
SS-Schütze Korenjat, Leopold 11./SS-T-Inf.Rgt. 1 ISA in bronze.
Unknown Korent, Leopold SS-Inf.FE-Btl. »Ost«
Unknown Koritnik, Willi
SS-Uscha. Kos, Otto
SS-Oberschütze Koschel, Franz
Unknown Kowatschnitsch, Felix 3. SS FE-Btl. »Der Führer«
SS-Oberschütze Kramberger, August
Unknown Krischan, Franz 3. SS FE-Btl. »Der Führer«
SS-Schütze Krischan, Franz 3. SS-Ers.Btl. »Der Führer«
SS-Schütze Krischan, Johann
SS-Schütze Krischan, Stanislaus
SS-Schütze Krischanitsch, Otto
Unknown Kristl, Wladimir Heinrich
SS-Schütze Lederer, Willi
SS-Schütze Lednig, Leopold San.Ers.Btl. d. W-SS
SS-Uscha. Leitinger, Otto
Unknown Leustik, Hermanna
SS-Schütze Lichtenegger, Hubert
Unknown Lupša, Anton
SS-Rttf. Mader, Karl
SS-Bewerber Maile, Helmut
SS-Obergrenadier Malgai, Erich
SS-Sturmmann Marn, Josef
SS-Sturmmann Martintschitsch, Wilhelm
SS-Schütze Meier, Hans
SS-Sturmmann Messaritsch, August
Unknown Michitsch, Josef
Unknown Molitzer, Rudolf
Unknown Muhic, Tonček
SS-Schütze Nedelko, Felix
Unknown Nuntschitsch, Erich
SS-Grenadier Oplotnik, Emil
SS-Oberschütze Orel, Hermann
SS-Rttf. Paulmich, Fritz
Unknown Pawalitz, Alois SS-Inf.FE-Btl. »Ost«
SS-Rttf. Penteker, Karl
Unknown Pernath, Josef
SS-Rttf. Pertz, August
SS-Schütze Perusch, Karl
Unknown Petschounik, Emil
Unknown Pettek, Hans 1./SS-T.Inf.FE-Btl. 3
SS-Hstuf. Pg. Seda, Josef
SS-Grenadier Pintar, Franz
SS-Rttf. Pipp, Ivo
SS-Schütze Pungerschegg, Hubert
SS-Grenadier Reiter, Walter
SS-Schütze Repitsch, Alois
SS-Sturmmann Rossmann, Stefan I./SS-T.Inf.Btl. »Warschau"
SS-Schütze Schalamun, Franz
Unknown Schischek, Martin SS-T.Inf.FE-Btl. 3
Unknown Scholler, Fritz
SS-Sturmmann Schrock, Hugo
Unknown Schrott, Franz T.Inf.FE-Btl. 3
SS-Rttf. Selenko, Johann
Unknown Serach, Franz Zeugamt d. W-SS
SS-Sturmmann Skraban, Peter
Unknown Skvarca, Anton KWB
SS-Oberschütze Slapnik, Gottfried
SS-Schütze Smretschnig, Simon
Unknown Soderschnik, Franz
Unknown Sojer, Filipp 3. SS FE-Btl. »Der Führer«
SS-Scha. Stanek, Franc EK I., NKS I. Klasse, ISA in silver, medal for russian campain, silver VWA
SS-Schütze Strmschek, Franz
SS-Rttf. Tischitsch, Andras
Unknown Tratnik, Ivan 5. SS-Pz.Div. »Wiking« EK II.
SS-Kanonier Turnschek, Johann
SS-Bewerber Uratnik, Ladislaus 1. San.Ers.Kmp. (F.P.N. Oranienburg)
Unknown Vajdec, Jakob
SS-Oscha. Waldorf, Hubert
Unknown Weingerl, Franz 3. SS FE-Btl. »Der Führer«
SS-Schütze Widowitsch, Johann
SS-Schütze Wischnar, Günther
SS-Rttf. Woutschko, Viktor

If you have names of other, please contact me!

Regards,
Kocjo

[Marcus]

Interesting, how many of those were volksdeutsche?

/Marcus

[K.Kocjancic]

As you can see, there are a lot of German familly-names. A lot of these were members of German minority in Slovenia. But a lot of names are Germanized (for example Bambitsch is in Slovene Bambic, and so one).

SS-Hstuf. Pg. Seda, Josef was a Parteigenosse and German. For others I should see my archive.

Regards,
Kocjo

[sLOVEne]

By looking at the surnames of the individuals on your list, a good number of German family names were noticeable.

Does this mean that there were actually less than 600 Slovenes in the Waffen SS?
Or did you already take that into account, and come to the figure of 600 by deducting the possible Germans? (I'm sure that's pretty difficult, since even today many Slovenes bear German last names – how can you tell apart whether they are Slovene or German?)

[K.Kocjancic]

The number 600 Slovenes comes from Dežman's research (Dežman is one of the most recognized historians in Slovenia). He is researching German mobilization of Slovenes to German army between 1941-45.

So far, I don't know that was he thinking of, when he revealed this number (just Slovenes or all W-SS members from Slovenia). If he was thinking about Slovenes, then I have here good 1/6 of them.

sLOVEne, "what say" you about Slovenes in W-SS? Do you have any others?

Regards,
Kocjo

[K.Kocjancic]

BTW.
I said:

SS-Scha. Stanek, Franc EK I., NKS I. Klasse, ISA in silver, medal for russian campain, silver VWA

(it's nice to quote your-self 8) )

He was wounded in STALINGRAD and evacuated. A lot of guys here said, that there was no W-SS unit in Stalingrad. So how was he wounded in Stalingrad (he wasn't a member of Heer, but WAFFEN-SS). In 1944 he lost his faith in German victory and then he started to work with Partisans (so he was stationed in Slovenia in 1944) and got them some rifles. After the war he was living in Slovenia, because he was working with NOG.

Regards,
Kocjo

[Octavianus]

Ave Marcus,

Interesting, how many of those were volksdeutsche?

I would say that about 1/3 of the names appearing on this list are Volksdeutsche (Meier, Weingerl, Waldorf, Hupfauf, Harz, Göstl, Geiger, Gförer usw.), the rest being "Slovenes". The lattest should be bymy firm belief divided into three separate cathegories - a.) of germanized Slowenes, that is the people who had abandoned the Slovene community due to various reasons, germanized their surnames and accepted the German language as their mother tongue, b.) of a group of Slowenes who volunteered for service in the Waffen-SS BEFORE the attack on Yugoslavia in April 1941 and c.) of a large group of those Slovenes who were forcibly mobilised in the German armed forces during 1942-1945 and had volunteered or not (they lattest were majority) to serve in the Waffen-SS.

In all cases their surnames in Soldbuch were (like mine in 1890s) germanized, thus making it very difficult for us to pinpoint exactly who on this list is a germanized Slovene (or a person with one or two Slovene parent(s)) and who is not.

BTW: The list is impressive, Kocjo.

The number 600 Slovenes comes from Dežman's research (Dežman is one of the most recognized historians in Slovenia). He is researching German mobilization of Slovenes to German army between 1941-45.

This is not entirely correct, Kocjo. The exact number of Slovenes serving in the Waffen-SS will probably never be fully discovered or if it will be it will require a lot of time, a lot of patience and a lot of hard work.

The mentioned number of 600 men that is quoted here referrs to the "Slowenische Freiwillige" who had enlisted into the Waffen-SS and Wehrmacht (!) before April 6th 1941, when Germany and Italy invaded Kingdom of Yugoslavia, a process which had started during annexation of Austria 1938 when the first "Slovene" from Untersteiermark is recorded to have enlisted in the Wehrmacht.

He was wounded in STALINGRAD and evacuated. A lot of guys here said, that there was no W-SS unit in Stalingrad. So how was he wounded in Stalingrad (he wasn't a member of Heer, but WAFFEN-SS). In 1944 he lost his faith in German victory and then he started to work with Partisans (so he was stationed in Slovenia in 1944) and got them some rifles. After the war he was living in Slovenia, because he was working with NOG.

There has been no Waffen-SS in the Stalingrad Kessel, but I assume
SS-Scha. Stanek could have been a member of General Hoth or Von Manstein's force which attempted to relieve the besieged 6. Armee in Stalingrad. Or he was perhaps just involved in some operations with the Waffen-SS around Taganrog, Rostov and Doneck basin, which were eventually leading the 6th Army into Stalingrad. This is a theory which I find more likely to be true as it would also explained how he got his Russian Winter Campaign Medal.

In addition SS-Scha. Franz Stanek is also probably the only Slovene Waffen-SS member whose photo was openly published in the press, thus not only confirming his existence but also his participation in the Waffen-SS during World war II.

How he, a former Waffen-SS, managed to survive the post May 1945 communist purges is a story I would wholeheartidly like to hear!

Gratiam,

Octavianus

[K.Kocjancic]

If you know any other Slovene volunteers/members or members of W-SS from Slovenia (Volksdeutscher), please contact me!

Regards,
Kocjo

[Daniel L]

Very interesting list Kocjo, thanks for sharing!

Best regards/ Daniel

[K.Kocjancic]

Does anyone has any other names? Or names of W-SS members, born in Slovenia (Germans and Italians)?

Regards,
Kocjo

[Oberst Mihael]

Nice list, didn't know there were so many!

[K.Kocjancic]

Nice list, didn't know there were so many!

This is just the first version - now I have about 200 names.

LP,
Kocjo

[Mark V.]

I found another name for your list (that is if you don't already have him). He's Albin Jagoditsch from SS-Pz.Rgt.9. When he arrived to the division he knew absolutely no German - but was nevertheless liked by his German comrades.

One time (probably at Tarnopol in 1944) while driving his truck loaded with ammunition to front he passed by his regimental commander's car, which got stuck. Otto Meyer expected Albin to help him out but Albin just replied don't have time right now, have to deliver this to our boys. BTW he his original truck was destroyed by a mine but he managed to improvise and "orrowed" exactly the same truck from a neighbouring Heer unit.

lp

[Daniel L]

SS-Unterscharführer Josef "Sepp" Tratnik, 3./SS-Pz.Rgt. 12 (2. Zug).

Source: The Panzers and the Battle of Normandy, Georges Bernage. This book has some really good information about Tratnik.

Best regards/ Daniel

[K.Kocjancic]

I found another name for your list (that is if you don't already have him). He's Albin Jagoditsch from SS-Pz.Rgt.9. When he arrived to the division he knew absolutely no German - but was nevertheless liked by his German comrades.

One time (probably at Tarnopol in 1944) while driving his truck loaded with ammunition to front he passed by his regimental commander's car, which got stuck. Otto Meyer expected Albin to help him out but Albin just replied don't have time right now, have to deliver this to our boys. BTW he his original truck was destroyed by a mine but he managed to improvise and "orrowed" exactly the same truck from a neighbouring Heer unit.

lp

Thanks!

New name!
Do you have any other info on him (DoB, DoD, place of birth,...)?

Regards,
Klemen