Hey guys,
just saw "The Brits who fought for Hitler" documentary by Adrian
Weale, and it showed a picture of Robert Chipchase, an Australian member of the British Free Corps. Is there an ozzie out there that can help me get a copy of that pic? Is there an Australian gov't agency that may have it on file? I've tried to access Australian newpaper archives, but with no luck. Thought I'd try here.... thanks for any ideas.
Rand.
Australian Waffen SS.
Hey, solved my own question. Also thank you to forum member "Anzac" for added info on these two and the related website.
Smaller pic is British Free Corps member Robert Chipchase. He joined the BFC as a way to try to escape to Russian lines. Was only with the unit for a few days before he demanded to leave. As of 2001, is believed to be the only living commonwealth member of the BFC. He was interviewed for the documentary "The Brits Who Fought for Hitler".
Larger pic is that of Albert Stokes, he joined the BFC under the alias "Flash Gordon". Amazes me that the Germans never figured out that hardly any of the BFC men were serious about fighting the Russians. Still, Stokes would serve on the Russian Front, saw no action, and later served a year in prison for his trouble.
Again thanks to Anzac.
Rand.
Smaller pic is British Free Corps member Robert Chipchase. He joined the BFC as a way to try to escape to Russian lines. Was only with the unit for a few days before he demanded to leave. As of 2001, is believed to be the only living commonwealth member of the BFC. He was interviewed for the documentary "The Brits Who Fought for Hitler".
Larger pic is that of Albert Stokes, he joined the BFC under the alias "Flash Gordon". Amazes me that the Germans never figured out that hardly any of the BFC men were serious about fighting the Russians. Still, Stokes would serve on the Russian Front, saw no action, and later served a year in prison for his trouble.
Again thanks to Anzac.
Rand.
Last edited by Rand on 29 Sep 2004, 07:43, edited 2 times in total.
Here's info on another Australian BFC/W-SS member.
Ronald David Barker was from Goulburn NSW and was a member of the merchant navy, and was captured by the German ship ‘Admiral von Scheer’ in the Indian Ocean in 1941. Barker's ship at the time of his capture was the MV British Advocate. Barker was recruited along with Herbert Rowlands by the BFC recruiting team of Kenneth Berry and Alfred Minchin at Marlag/Milag Nord, a special camp for saliors near Bremen, at the beginning of May 1944. Barker had decided to join the BFC for more alcohol, food, tobacco, and the possibility of women.
During his time with the unit he was disciplined for attacking a sentry when returning to the barracks drunk, and later undertook training at the Waffen-SS Pioneer school in Dresden. He would also take part in stealing many of the Red Cross parcels from his fellow BFC members. The BFC men were still considered to be POWs, and thus recieved the parcels. Barker and three Germans were sent at one point to escort a group of BFC deserters and to take them back to the BFC barracks. During the journey home, Barker tied their hands together and issued threats of beatings. As they reached Dresden, Alexander (one of the deserters) turned on Barker and called him a ‘Dirty German’. Barker response was quick: “I know I’m a German, I’m going to volunteer for the Front.”
But before the BFC was to be sent to the Eastern Front, Barker changed his mind, smoked aspirins to make himself ill and was removed from the unit. He would later desert from the hostpital in Berlin, and head for the port of Bremen, where he was arrested by Allied forces. Barker was tried at the end of the war in England, along with Alfred Minchin, Herbert Rowlands, Kenneth Berry, and Dennis Leister (See Crim 1/485 in the PRO). Barker was sentenced to two years hard labour for his service with the BFC. Barker has been described as a 'particularly crude and brutal character' of 'very inferior intellegence.'
There is no record of what happened to him after he served his time in prison.
The Rand Corp.
Ronald David Barker was from Goulburn NSW and was a member of the merchant navy, and was captured by the German ship ‘Admiral von Scheer’ in the Indian Ocean in 1941. Barker's ship at the time of his capture was the MV British Advocate. Barker was recruited along with Herbert Rowlands by the BFC recruiting team of Kenneth Berry and Alfred Minchin at Marlag/Milag Nord, a special camp for saliors near Bremen, at the beginning of May 1944. Barker had decided to join the BFC for more alcohol, food, tobacco, and the possibility of women.
During his time with the unit he was disciplined for attacking a sentry when returning to the barracks drunk, and later undertook training at the Waffen-SS Pioneer school in Dresden. He would also take part in stealing many of the Red Cross parcels from his fellow BFC members. The BFC men were still considered to be POWs, and thus recieved the parcels. Barker and three Germans were sent at one point to escort a group of BFC deserters and to take them back to the BFC barracks. During the journey home, Barker tied their hands together and issued threats of beatings. As they reached Dresden, Alexander (one of the deserters) turned on Barker and called him a ‘Dirty German’. Barker response was quick: “I know I’m a German, I’m going to volunteer for the Front.”
But before the BFC was to be sent to the Eastern Front, Barker changed his mind, smoked aspirins to make himself ill and was removed from the unit. He would later desert from the hostpital in Berlin, and head for the port of Bremen, where he was arrested by Allied forces. Barker was tried at the end of the war in England, along with Alfred Minchin, Herbert Rowlands, Kenneth Berry, and Dennis Leister (See Crim 1/485 in the PRO). Barker was sentenced to two years hard labour for his service with the BFC. Barker has been described as a 'particularly crude and brutal character' of 'very inferior intellegence.'
There is no record of what happened to him after he served his time in prison.
The Rand Corp.