Some years ago I read a book called 'The Trial of William Joyce' (Lord Haw-haw). Published approx. 1950 it contained a list of other Brit 'Traitors', including a number tried for membership ot the SS Freikorps ,there were only about ten or twelve, but there must have been more, who just dissolved into the background in the chaos at war's end. I beleive they were in the Berlin area. Does anyone have any idea of the total numbers, I have seen some spurious photos, anyone seen the three lions collar patch in wear ?
The British Freikorps was made up of British Prisoners of War. It was started by John Amery who was the eldest son of Leo Amery who was Churchill's Minister for India. John Amery was in Paris when the Germans took France. His outspoken anti-semetic and anti-communist utterances became known to the Germans and he was invited to Berlin to take part in English language broadcasting like Lord Haw Haw. John Amery's ambitions were to become a leader of a military unit made up of British Prisoners of War. The Wehrmacht refused anything to do with them, but the SS as the self appointed custodian of foreign volunteers took charge of them.
Floyd
__________________
I collect German Battalion and Regimental Colors, Standartes, Pole Tops, Battalion Rings and Poles. I will trade German and American Civil War Relics for them.
The name of this unit was to be known as the Legion of St. George. The Germans were not receptive to the idea or the name of the Legion of St. George. After the fall of Stalingrad he persuaded the Germans to allow him to tour P.O.W. Camps to raise a Brigade of 1,500 men made up of British soldiers. In April 1943 he began his recruiting tour and only found one volunteer. Himself. With much propaganda the name was changed to the Britisches Freikorps and about October or November 1943 a number of British Soldiers between 40 to 50 volunteered to join the SS provided they did not have to take up arms against Britain or the British Crown which was stipulated and accepted by the Germans.
Floyd
__________________
I collect German Battalion and Regimental Colors, Standartes, Pole Tops, Battalion Rings and Poles. I will trade German and American Civil War Relics for them.
The uniform was to be the standard field grey SS uniform with mountain hat. The right collar patch was to be the three lions of England. A cuff title with Britische Freikorps and an arm badge of a union jack flag. The unit was commanded by one SS Hauuptstrumfuhrer Johannes Roggenfeld of the Wiking Division who had lived in America and spoke perfect English. The unit consited of one British Officer made a SS Hauptstrumfuhrer and one British NCO. The rest were enlisted British soldiers. They wore the SS runes on the right collar patch until the three lion insignia were issued in April 1944. They were all issued pistols without ammunition. It was the intentions of the Germans that the unit were to be trained as Assault Engineers and were sent to Dresden where two members were killed by RAF bombings.
Floyd
__________________
I collect German Battalion and Regimental Colors, Standartes, Pole Tops, Battalion Rings and Poles. I will trade German and American Civil War Relics for them.
All but eight decided to go back to being POWs. The eight were issued rifles and sent to Berlin in February 1945. Two more lost enthusiasm for the Nazi cause and went back to their POW camp. Two became medically unfit. In March the remaining members were transfered to the Nordlan Division which was in the process of refitting. Now only four remained on active duty with the Nordland Division. One was a none combatant Medically Orderly and the other three were now Infantrymen. One was killed in action in Berlin. One escaped Berlin. Two were captured by the Russians and turned over to the British. All the rest were captured by the Americans who turned them over to the British for punishment. The British have ascertained 58 names of known British members of the Britisches Freikorps so the official number of members is 58. Only a few were brought to trial as the British found it difficult to take the SS Bristisches Freikorps seriously and prison sentences were not harsh. John Amery, however was regarded as a major traitor and hanged at Wandsworth Prison in London on 19 December 1945.
Floyd
__________________
I collect German Battalion and Regimental Colors, Standartes, Pole Tops, Battalion Rings and Poles. I will trade German and American Civil War Relics for them.
I am sorry that I had to use so many messages to get the information out, but I believe the messages are limited to 1000 characters.
I am fortunate to have a set of unissued SS Britisches Freikorps Collar Tabs that were captured by a Captain Bloom U.S. Army. I would post a photograph of them but I don't think that I am allowed to do that and I sure don't know how on this forum. If interested I can send them by email.
Floyd
__________________
I collect German Battalion and Regimental Colors, Standartes, Pole Tops, Battalion Rings and Poles. I will trade German and American Civil War Relics for them.
If you would like to post them you can send them to me and I can try, as it seems sometimes I can get them to a file and sometimes I can't. But if you want me to give it a try just let me know.
__________________
Ron
An Expert is a person who has made all the mistakes in a very narrow field
Ron I tried to send the photographs to you, but you have specified in your profile not to receive email from this list so I can not send them. You must contact me direct at my email address.
Floyd
__________________
I collect German Battalion and Regimental Colors, Standartes, Pole Tops, Battalion Rings and Poles. I will trade German and American Civil War Relics for them.
M. Schroeder you are in error. Completely wrong. I have been in contact with the British War Museum and they have sent me information about the Britisches Freikorps, pictures of the three Lions of England tabs and photographs of British Soldiers in SS Uniform wearing the tabs. They are correct and match my tabs perfectly.
Also my neighbor whom I have known while I was a kid in grade school gave me my set of tabs that he captured while a Captain in Germany in WW II. I have had these tabs since 1957. I have seen his orders, photographs of him in Germany and played with his kids. He does not lie.
Not wanting to get into a pis----g contest this is all that Iwill say about this. You may believe what you want to and I know what I know. End of contest.
Floyd
__________________
I collect German Battalion and Regimental Colors, Standartes, Pole Tops, Battalion Rings and Poles. I will trade German and American Civil War Relics for them.
The well known photos of the BFC men wearing the three leopards tabs are perfectly genuine and were sourced from the UK Public Record Office in recent years after they were declassified. I believe they formed part of the documentary evidence against these men at their courts martial .
The photo of the 2 Free Korp men were indeed used in the case of Minchin, Berry and others. The photo of Hundrupa, Carl Britten was taken while he was on a mission in Norway. There were approx 47 courtmarchals and 5 civil cases against the members. I have no knoledge of any of the members being captured by the American forces. Also none of the members were killed in action.
Thanks Gordon. My information used in this thread came direct from the Imperial War Museum or what ever it is called. That also included what happened to them including the ones captured by the Americans. However, this can be misleading if not explained. I assume (here's that terrible word) that the word capture was meant to mean that they (the rest) were captured instead of being liberated when the POW Camp was liberated. I bet the rest of the British POW made sure the Americans knew what they had done, but I don't know this for sure.
Floyd
__________________
I collect German Battalion and Regimental Colors, Standartes, Pole Tops, Battalion Rings and Poles. I will trade German and American Civil War Relics for them.
British Freikorps
Britisches Freikorps
Linear Mode
