Wehrmacht soldiers in other wars...

Dan W. · Post by **Dan W.** » 25 Nov 2002 02:57

Anyone know of any good stories of former SS/Heer soldiers that went on to serve in other conflicts? I had heard stories of these Germans serving in the French Army in Vietnam. Tonight on television was an interesting story about the Korean War, and the Chosin Reservoir breakout by the U.S. Marines.

Only miles from the safe zone of Haga-ri, during the breakout, a Lt. Joeseph Owen, from the Army's 31st Regiment, wounded and crawling out, ordered a soldier helping him to join the breakout and he would get out later. The soldier, known as "Bernie", was a former soldier in the Third Reich. He promptly said "Never! I will never leave my officer!" and continued to carry this Lt. into the safe zone, through fierce fighting along the way. The dead were stripped of ammo and clothing, and the wounded were targets as well, with grenades tossed into moving trucks of wounded. Than the bridge at Koto-ri was blown up, yet a treadway bridge was flown in and the last obstacle of the breakout was overcome and the suvivors, with many North Koreans following, reached safety.

A fascinating program.

David C. Clarke · Post by **David C. Clarke** » 25 Nov 2002 04:05

Hi D.W., Afraid I can't help you, just dropped in to make a comment. Many of the Marines at "Frozen Chosin" were "retreads" who had fought in the Pacific in WWII. The withdrawal from Chosin is easily the greatest American acheivement in arms during the Korean War.
I wonder if "Bernie" fought on the Ostfront?
Best Regards, David

Korbius · Post by **Korbius** » 25 Nov 2002 12:19

Some of the german soldiers that were collaborating with the Japanese in Asia, especially those germans that were working in the secret service and were helping Subhas Chandra Bosev to declare independence of India from the British, ended up serving in the Foreign Legion at the end of the war and they fought in Vietnam during '50-'54.

paddywhack · Post by **paddywhack** » 21 Dec 2002 15:18

theres a very gtood book on a unit in the french indo china war(vietnam) who was mostly formed from ss and fj soldiers very very good book so good in fact i cant remember the name!!!

when i remember il post the name!

cybercat · Post by **cybercat** » 24 Dec 2002 15:56

Devil's Guard - although a good read I dismiss it as historically as correct as Sven Hassel.

Peter · Post by **Peter** » 26 Dec 2002 18:34

Can't think of the name of the book, BIG photo book of the Walloon Legion of the Waffen-SS, several photo captions mention that the SS soldiers later died in French Indochina (Vietnam) in the 1950's with the French Foreign Legion.
cheers
Pete

Gott · Post by **Gott** » 26 Dec 2002 18:54

i would not be surprised if the former wehrmacht soldiers ended up in spanish or argentine military...

cybercat · Post by **cybercat** » 28 Dec 2002 02:26

Ex-Nazi era German soldiers also served in the Congo as mercenaries I believe.

Peter · Post by **Peter** » 28 Dec 2002 10:13

Cybercat is right, there is a book Congo Mercenary by Mike Hoare which mentions his Sergt-Major (cant remember the guys name) who wore his EK1 on his tunic and also in BIAFRA during the civil war was an ex-Hitler Youth, then Foreign Legionaire who turned mercenary, Rolf Steiner (he's pictured in several mercenary books, possibly Anthony Mockler's too.
cheers
Pete

Ville Kosonen · Post by **Ville Kosonen** » 03 Jun 2003 03:17

Here is Siegfried "Kongo-" Müller
Note EK1 on chest.

Put "Der Lachende Mann" or just Kongo Müller to Google to find more info.

Interesting man indeed, I have the film, Der Lachende Mann in vhs. Finnish TV showed it couple of years back. Excellent!

Ville

Xavier · Post by **Xavier** » 03 Jun 2003 03:22

hooola!!

it has been mentioned here in this very same forum, that several crew of heavy mortars at dien ben puh were of german origin. ex-WSS and ex-heer

they served together as crew in the mortar sections due to common language (german) among them.

regards

Xavier
the link scrounger

ChristopherPerrien · Post by **ChristopherPerrien** » 03 Jun 2003 05:44

I had heard something that Otto Skorenzy(sp?)- German Commando was an adviser for North Vietnam. I think he did a fair amount of mercenary work too, after the war.

There may be something in his auto-biography, not sure. I have been meaning to buy it and read it.

Karl da Kraut · Post by **Karl da Kraut** » 03 Jun 2003 16:13

From 1945-1954 the Legion Etrangere recruited 30,000 - 35,000 Germans. Most of them were WWII veterans. During the 1st Indochina War c. 40-50% of the LE personell in South-Eastern Asia were Germans.

There's a nice movie of the French director Pierre Schoendoerffer ("La 317 e section"; 1964) which describes the retreat of a LE unit after Dien Bien Phu. A main part of the plot is the conflict between the young and inexpierenced lt. commanding the unit and his aide-de-camp, a German WWII veteran.

Possibly some Wehrmacht veterans from Alsace-Lorraine fought with regular French units in Indochina/Vietnam.

Tom Houlihan · Post by **Tom Houlihan** » 03 Jun 2003 20:47

I'm going to agree with Cybercat on "The Devil's Guard." It's one of my favorite reads, but I doubt the veracity of that particular story. However, I wholly believe the premise! For some reason, a lot of fighters, say from units like, oh, the Waffen-SS, felt persecuted, or that their lives would be in danger if they stayed in Germany. Others, who were from what became the DDR, just didn't have a home to go to. Therefore, it makes sense that a large number of them ended up in la Legion. Utilizing former officers and NCOs in similar positions within their units makes perfect sense. Grouping Germans in units makes sense, too, since they had been fighting together for several years. Did it happen the way it was written in "TDG?" Probably not. But it's still a good read.

Lobscouse · Post by **Lobscouse** » 04 Jun 2003 01:13

Paddywhack.

Was that book titled Street without Joy, by Bernard Fall?

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Wehrmacht soldiers in other wars...

Wehrmacht soldiers in other wars...

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