Were there any multi-national foreign volunteer units in Europe?

[Hyus]

When I read about foreign volunteer units serving the Axis, they seem to have often been segregated based on nationality (for example, the Flemish Legion, the Kalmyk Cavalry Corps, the Georgian Legion, etc). I can understand the reasons for this (language, esprit de corps, etc.).

But I'm just curious if there were any foreign volunteer units with the European Axis that were multi-national in character? Sort of like the method of the French Foreign Legion, where volunteers from multiple countries/cultures have been thrown together in the same units.

[encyclo-collaboration]

Of course not.

And even in Allies units you ll not find this kind of "spirit".

[Sturmschwein]

Some foreign units had several nationalities in their ranks for example the North Caucasian Legion (Abkhazians, Circassians, Kabardians, Balkars, Karachais, Chechens, Ingushes etc...) or the Ost-Battalions. But there were indeed no "multy-national" units like you discribe.

[Hyus]

Of course not.

And even in Allies units you ll not find this kind of "spirit".

Have you heard of the French Foreign Legion?

[Hyus]

Some foreign units had several nationalities in their ranks for example the North Caucasian Legion (Abkhazians, Circassians, Kabardians, Balkars, Karachais, Chechens, Ingushes etc...) or the Ost-Battalions. But there were indeed no "multy-national" units like you discribe.

I see. Thanks.

[Loïc]

The Volga-Tatars Legion in garrison in Le Puy included until Lituanian jews

the 8th Company 3rd Regiment of the Brandeburgers mixed French, Italians and Spaniards, the LVF had also Arabs Italians and Russians

[Hyus]

The Volga-Tatars Legion in garrison in Le Puy included until Lituanian jews

Lithuanian Jews? That's very surprising. I assume they were hiding their identities?

the 8th Company 3rd Regiment of the Brandeburgers mixed French, Italians and Spaniards

That's interesting, thank you. What sort of actions did they participate in?

[Loïc]

Mainly anti-partisan actions against the Maquis and Resistance in southern France from what I know

for the Lituanian jews, obviously!

the Spanish Division Azul had also Portuguese,

actually these IIIrd Reich foreign legions recruited people beyond their theoretical geographic area

there is a movie about the famous case of Korean soldiers found in a Ost-Bataillon in Normandy

[John Hilly]

SS-Wiking had mixed nationals in 1941-42.

[Hyus]

SS-Wiking had mixed nationals in 1941-42.

What sort of nationalities were included?

[Sturmschwein]

SS-Wiking had mixed nationals in 1941-42.

What sort of nationalities were included?

Mostly germanic people like Norwegians, Dutch, Danish etc... but also some non-germanics like Estonians and Finns

[Hyus]

Mostly germanic people like Norwegians, Dutch, Danish etc... but also some non-germanics like Estonians and Finns

So this unit was formed from the outset as a multi-national formation? Or had it started as a particular national unit and then expanded to include other volunteers?
John Hilly mentioned the unit had mixed nationals between 1941-1942. What happened after 1942? Was the unit disbanded or segregated?

[encyclo-collaboration]

French Foreign Legion has nothing to compares .

strangers in Foreign legions don't serve as representatives of their respective countries, but as some kind of apatrid withth falses nationality / falses names.

It is totally different spirit than the Axis ethnic legions or even Internationals Brigades , etc

[-Michael]

The SS-Division ‘Wiking’ and the III. SS-Panzer-Korps.
These units included, Spanish, Walloon, Swedish, Swiss, ... volunteers.

[Hyus]

The SS-Division ‘Wiking’ and the III. SS-Panzer-Korps.
These units included, Spanish, Walloon, Swedish, Swiss, ... volunteers.

Thanks. Wasn't the SS "Nordland" unit also multinational? This website claims that by the end of the war there were Danes, Hungarians, Dutch, Norwegians, Estonians, Finns, French, Romanians, Swedes, Swiss, and Brits within it or attached to it: https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/11 ... n-nordland