SS Veterans at Dien Ben Phu

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genghed
Unregistered User
(10/14/00 10:44:04 pm)
Reply SS Veterans at Dien Ben Phu
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I've heard that some of the French Foreign Legion soldiers captured by the Vietnamese at Dien Ben Phu were ex SS veterans who joined the French Foreign Legion after the end of WWII to escape punishment. I've also heard SS veterans were accepted warmly by the French Foreign Legion because of their combat experience.

Is there any evidence or websites / books about this ?

Genghed.

Klemen
Unregistered User
(10/14/00 11:55:09 pm)
Reply test
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Klemen

Dula
Unregistered User
(10/15/00 3:11:56 am)
Reply German Vetrans in the Nam
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Brain Beckett's book "The illustrated History of the Vietnam War" mentions that German veterans (SS, Afrika Corps, etc)going into the French Foreign Legion after WWII as NCOs. According to him they were the backbone of the Legion and fought well. As conditions got better in postwar Germany many of these German veterans returned home and the Legion suffered accordingly in southeast Asia.

I have always been interested in this topic but I do not know of any good detailed references.



orivacl
Unregistered User
(10/15/00 2:13:33 pm)
Reply ex SS veterans in Vietnam
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I know anything about it. U should read the book about Hans Wagenmuller: Devils guard (or some similar name, I had it only in czech language) and I don´t know who wrote it, but I think, that it is very famous book, and you would have no problem to acquire it

Griff
Unregistered User
(10/15/00 8:31:54 pm)
Reply Waffen-SS in Viet Nam
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Not all those vets who joined the French Foreign Legion were escaping punishment. Often an SS man would join because he was more or less barred form other employment & he had a family to feed back home. These men fought with distinction & often wound up in the armies of the victors as advisers & trainers. Many strike forces can trace their roots directly to a stray SS instructor or two.

Tom
Unregistered User
(11/7/00 3:49:39 pm)
Reply Vets at Dien Bien Phu
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Hi
One of the French unit fighting at Dien... were the 13th Demi Brigade(13. Half Brig) which had many ex german soldier, mostly from the SS. But there were ex german soldiers in almost every French Foreign Legion Unit. When the Legion founded 1. Parashut regiment it consisted of many ex german paratroopers.
A good book is "Legionen, mitt fedreland" a Norwegian book,I don't know if it have been written in english.