Welcome to the WWII Forums! Log in or Sign up to interact with the community.

Finnish Waffen-SS volunteers

Discussion in 'Uniforms, Personal Gear (Kit) and Accessories' started by Kai-Petri, Jun 3, 2009.

  1. Kai-Petri

    Kai-Petri Kenraali

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2002
    Messages:
    26,461
    Likes Received:
    2,207
    Here´s two mannequins wearing actual clothing and medals etc worn by Finnish Waffen-SS men during their battles in the Caucasus area with Wiking division. My good friend owns these and gave me the permission to share these pics with you. Hope you enjoy these pics!
     
    Skipper likes this.
  2. Skipper

    Skipper Kommodore

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2006
    Messages:
    24,984
    Likes Received:
    2,386
    Excellent Nordland looking mannequins! Is one of the insignias from a Carelia volunteer?
     
  3. Kai-Petri

    Kai-Petri Kenraali

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2002
    Messages:
    26,461
    Likes Received:
    2,207
    If you mean the insignia on the right chest of the mannequin in the second pic, unfortunately I must say I am not sure. It could be some unofficial one also.
     
  4. PzJgr

    PzJgr Drill Instructor

    Joined:
    Dec 19, 2000
    Messages:
    8,386
    Likes Received:
    890
    Location:
    Jefferson, OH
    I noticed that as well and have not seen it before. Great pics Kai.
     
  5. Kai-Petri

    Kai-Petri Kenraali

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2002
    Messages:
    26,461
    Likes Received:
    2,207
    Skipper,

    if you instead mean the ribbon bar over the left chest pocket they are two bravery medals,one winter medal and iron cross(?). Not sure about the last one.The man had taken part in the 1939-40 battle against the USSR.
     
  6. C.Evans

    C.Evans Expert

    Joined:
    Nov 28, 2000
    Messages:
    25,883
    Likes Received:
    857
    Hi Kai, your friend has two absolutely stunning uniforms. Thanks for posting these.
     
  7. AndyPants

    AndyPants Ace

    Joined:
    Feb 16, 2009
    Messages:
    1,518
    Likes Received:
    135
    yes indeed, great uniforms.....he must have some collection!

    thanks for sharing your friends pics Kai
     
  8. Heidi

    Heidi Dishonorably Discharged

    Joined:
    Mar 5, 2009
    Messages:
    609
    Likes Received:
    24
    Qestion on howe many % of nuetral soldiers thate wase fighting for waffen ss ande german army! Howe many were there,ande,if yuo took out all thee neutral soilders frome SS army,cuold this make SS weaker ande make a difference in front line fighting???
     
  9. Wolfy

    Wolfy Ace

    Joined:
    Dec 24, 2008
    Messages:
    1,900
    Likes Received:
    90
    Those uniforms look really, really new. They aren't reproductions?
     
  10. fast1

    fast1 Member

    Joined:
    Mar 21, 2009
    Messages:
    223
    Likes Received:
    5
    interesting, thanks for the pics btw[​IMG]
     
  11. Kai-Petri

    Kai-Petri Kenraali

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2002
    Messages:
    26,461
    Likes Received:
    2,207

    They are real, I know for sure as the owner is a friend of several true volunteers and these are part of an excellent collection ( donated by the volunteers ) which is also a "museum of the volunteers". Some repair and polishing is done but they are truly original clothes and medals etc.
     
  12. Skipper

    Skipper Kommodore

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2006
    Messages:
    24,984
    Likes Received:
    2,386
    No doubt about that Kai, they are certainly rare items and in perfect condition.
     
  13. C.Evans

    C.Evans Expert

    Joined:
    Nov 28, 2000
    Messages:
    25,883
    Likes Received:
    857
    Hi Heidi, there were quite a few foreign volunteers who served in the Waffen SS as well as each other branch of the military. I don't know the number of Flemings who served but-I think that could be estimated at near 40,000 and also, Remy Schrijnen-a Flemish Volunteer/RKT/very good friend of mine-served in SS Sturmbrigade Langemarck. I had the pleasure of being able to spend the day with he and his Frau at their flat in Hagen back in Sept 2000. I took tons of pics while there but have yet to uncover them from my recent move.

    Remy had quite a large library of books, and his walls were covered with fotos of his Comrades and of Leon Degrelle (another famous Fleming volunteer/RKT) and soldiers like him. One of these days ill have someone post the photos I took of our day long visit with he and his Frau ;-))
     
  14. Wolfy

    Wolfy Ace

    Joined:
    Dec 24, 2008
    Messages:
    1,900
    Likes Received:
    90
    I'm assuming that these were not worn in the field, but for dress occasions, right? Were they darker green back in the 40s?
     
  15. Heidi

    Heidi Dishonorably Discharged

    Joined:
    Mar 5, 2009
    Messages:
    609
    Likes Received:
    24
    That;s really interesting! he;s and his ladie still alive??? I woulde love to see those pics,maybe you coulde ask him on howe many % of neural SS soliders there was!
    Yuo;re so lucky,you actually know a soldier that ist still alive these days.

    Thanks!
     
  16. PzJgr

    PzJgr Drill Instructor

    Joined:
    Dec 19, 2000
    Messages:
    8,386
    Likes Received:
    890
    Location:
    Jefferson, OH
    There were over 350,000 foreign volunteers in the Waffen SS. They made up about 30% of the active fighting force at any one time. Himmler was heavily dependant on these volunteers in order to build up his Waffen SS army. As for volunteers from Neutral contries, I will have to look that up in the book I've got. Most of those were German expatriates who went back to Germany to fight but mostly were accepted in the army.
     
  17. C.Evans

    C.Evans Expert

    Joined:
    Nov 28, 2000
    Messages:
    25,883
    Likes Received:
    857
    Hi Heidi, I wish he were still living-he was a VERY nice and VERY generous gentleman to know. His Wife Joanna-was equally nice and a gifted Cook. ;-)) Susanne and I had both lunch and supper-which was Hungarian Goulash w/ baked Potatoes and bread-and was delicious. We also had water, beer and wine with supper. Supper was a nice selectin of items to make open-face sandwiches and was marvelous :-D

    I lost contact with Joanna shortly after Remy passed away. I know she moved ou of the flat-and probably in with some family members-probably one of their children?

    Ill do my best to get photos here dealing with both the U 181 crew reunion in Bad Camberg-as well as our visit with Remy. Also, I have some nice pics taken at the Mariners Memorial in Laboe-as well as U-995 (Dr. Hans Georg Hess's uboat) on Laboe Beach. A few other things of note-I have tons of pics taken at the Uboat Memorial in Moltenort, theUboat Archiv in Altenbruch, the Outdoor ships museum and U2540 in Bremerhaven, the ships museum in Wilhelmshaven, and the most difficult of all to get permission for-many photos take at the Zeppelin Museum in Meersburg. Th one in Friedrichshaven was closed the day I went there. I think I have some pics taken of a group of about 40 WWII and pst war-uboat veterans also taken @ Altenbruch at-Horst Bredows Museum-which is the uboat Archiv. One thing I actuall got to see first hand and touch-were a pair of Wolfgang Luths Oak Leaves and Swords to his Knights Cross.

    These are kept an hidden by Horst Bredow-and few people know these are in Altenbruch. Even better yet-Horst told only 3-4 people exactly where he keeps these awards-Susanne and I are two of those people :-D The other he told is an assistant of his. Sometime before Susanne and I visited the Archiv-some crooks tried to pry up the wall in the front side of the Archiv-in order to steal those Oak Leaves and Swords that Luths familie gave to the archiv for safe keeping.

    Anyway, i'l try locating my rolls of film and will eventually have them posted here ;-)) Just don't know when that wil happen?

    Take care Heidi--C.
     
  18. Kai-Petri

    Kai-Petri Kenraali

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2002
    Messages:
    26,461
    Likes Received:
    2,207
    I think these were for the battle field, just that they did have several of them, the best were used for receiving medals etc. The officers did get extra payment for getting better uniforms by tailors but not the NCO´s or recruits. And I believe the colour was darker green back then.

    More:

    SS uniform - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
     

Share This Page