British Free Corps Info

[Martin Månsson]

I did not read anything about the BFC in the chronicle of the "Aufklärungsabteilung" of Nordland? So did they serve now in this "Abteilung", like it is described in the link, or not?

In the new recent published version of Herbert Pollers book SS.Pz.AA11 I and my fellow editor Lennart Westberg has written a (new) short chapter about the BFC in AA11. They came to the 3rd company AA11 under Hans-Gösta Pehrsson near Oder, but were shortly thereafter released from their service by SS-Ogruf. Felix Steiner who sent them to western Germany to avoid being captured by the Russians.

Best
Martin

[Potsdamerplatz]

The article on Feldgrau confirmed what I have always suspected - this unit was never involved in combat.

It was merely another propaganda exercise which failed miserably.

British soldiers who joined up for the British Free Corps would have been executed for treason at the end of the war.

Best regards.

[Kim Sung]

The article on Feldgrau confirmed what I have always suspected - this unit was never involved in combat.

It was merely another propaganda exercise which failed miserably.

According to Marc Rikmenspoel(a moderator of this forum)'s 'Waffen SS Encyclopedia', some members of this unit participated in the battle of Berlin in which they had bloody combats against the Red Army soldiers at street fightings.


'Waffen SS Encyclopedia' p.133

Several British volunteers were in Berlin during the battle for the city, from the last remnants of the BFC coordination stuff, as war reporters, or as volunteer medics with SS Nordland. As one of the latter, Reginald Leslie Cornford knocked out a Soviet tank in close combat on 27 April, and was then killed by survivors of the tank's crew. Eric Pleasants was also in Berlin, and was able to escape from the city after killing two Soviet soldiers in hand-to-hand combat.

[Rand]

Reginald Leslie Cornford never existed. He was invented by the author Ronald Seth for his book on the British Free Corps (BFC) called "Jackals of the Reich".

Only one member of the BFC took part in any fighting in Berlin. He was a German called Wilhelm Rossler who had served as a Sonderfuhrer with the unit. When the BFC was removed from service with Nordland, he chose to remain and fight on against the Soviets.

The part about Eric Pleasants is correct, he had deserted to be with his German wife.

[Mannerheim_Huddersfield]

The article on Feldgrau confirmed what I have always suspected - this unit was never involved in combat.

It was merely another propaganda exercise which failed miserably.

According to Marc Rikmenspoel(a moderator of this forum)'s 'Waffen SS Encyclopedia', some members of this unit participated in the battle of Berlin in which they had bloody combats against the Red Army soldiers at street fightings.


'Waffen SS Encyclopedia' p.133

Several British volunteers were in Berlin during the battle for the city, from the last remnants of the BFC coordination stuff, as war reporters, or as volunteer medics with SS Nordland. As one of the latter, Reginald Leslie Cornford knocked out a Soviet tank in close combat on 27 April, and was then killed by survivors of the tank's crew. Eric Pleasants was also in Berlin, and was able to escape from the city after killing two Soviet soldiers in hand-to-hand combat.

If my memory serves me well, or rather; if my sources serve me well, a small number of British volunteers were present and involved in the Battle for Seelow Heights but I have heard of no instances where they were involved in the actual fight for urban Berlin.

On another note: Were the Britische Freikorps ever stationed or trained in Hildesheim? If anyone has any information as to what buildings they used and exactly how they wee integrated into the existing Waffen SS structure it would be much appreciated.

Edit: I just noticed that the person who started this was called C18. Any relation to Combat 18? Perhaps he's looking for ideas

[Evzoni]

From what I have read there were not many, mostly British, a few South Africans, New Zealanders and Canadians and with only 3 Australians.

[Audrey]

Hello from South Africa
I am a new member and have been doing some research on the South African men who were involved in the British Free Corps while POWs.
I have the WW2 service documents for van Heerden and Mardon - there were also two other men, Labuschagne and Viljoen.
I would be very grateful "Leibrandt" if you would contact me off line as I would very much like to know where you found the information in South Africa on the British Free Corps.

For the information of the Forum, I have access to WW1, WW2 and police records here in SA.

Look forward to chatting further.
Audrey
[email protected]

[Kurt_Steiner]

Wasn't one of the members of the BFC awared with the DKiG?

[Eddy Marz]

Hi everyone;
Just found this thread... This is what I have :

'Britische Freikorps', originally 'Legion of St George' - formed essentially from Mosleyites and British Armed Forces with divided loyalties (German parents etc.). The concept of the corps was started by John Amery, son of a distinguished British Peer. Amery approached Gottlob Berger after the latter had started his SS enlistment drive in occupied territories. Of the alleged 300 members of the Korps, only 58 became full members and took to wearing Waffen-SS uniform. The first commanders of the Britische Freikorps were Hauptstufs Roggenfeld and Roepke. The Korps fought essentially in Russia where their last commander was Felix Steiner himself. Most of them were captured by the Soviets and returned to England for court martial. Amery was arrested in Milan, condemned to death and executed in England.

Here are three pics :

- Britische Freikorps members in an indoctrination center ('holiday camp' as their UK superiors told them)
- Cuff detail
- Eric Durin (or Duran), the 'hard man' of the Korps

Regards
Eddy Marz

[Kurt_Steiner]

Well, the Britisches Freikorps wasn't directly commanded by Steiner, but attached to the Nordland division, which was part of his Corps, IIRC. And the BFC just "fought" -if this word can be used in this sense here- in the last stages of the battle for Berlin, not in Russia, as we may think.

[Eddy Marz]

Thanks Kurt.

Eddy

[Phil Nix]

I found this in a book called "Hitlers Airwaves" by Horst Bergmeier and Rainer Lotz.
Phil Nix

[edward_n_kelly]

Adrian Wheale also wrote the book Renegades: Hitler's Englishmen (Paperback: 256 pages Publisher: Pimlico; 2Rev Ed edition (3 Jan 2002) ISBN-10: 0712667644 ISBN-13: 978-0712667647). Available Amazon.co.uk (or even interlibrary loan).

(Hardcover version Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson (19 May 1994) ISBN-10: 0297814885 ISBN-13: 978-0297814887)

Can get both from 4 pounds sterling upwards.

Edward

PS - now for some shameless name dropping ! Have corresponded directly with Adrian on matters military over the years. Pleasant fellow.

[Marcus]

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/Marcus

[Stammerjohan]

To my knowledge, 8,000 uniforms were made for this unit, under the german assumption that it would have a much larger recruiting number. this was 1944. With only 27 recruits, there remained these stockpiled uniforms with the cuff bands and union jack shield, ready for issue but never were..... Do these unissued uniforms still exist today? Or were they perhaps modified with different insignias later on to be re-issued? Does anybody know what could have happened to these?