British Free Corps

I suppose they were desperate. The corps was mainly made up of the dregs, with a few exspections. Thomas Cooper, Eric Pleasants? But you only have to look at Kenneth Berry, described by the judge at his court case as a half wit & a simpleton!

 

you know alot about these guys, is there a personal attachment here, i'm just curious.

 

Bigfun, no personal attachment, I just find the subject really interesting, I could drone on for hours about them!! So if you ever have problems sleeping drop me a line ho,ho,ho,ho.

 

First thing I read abou them. I sdid know off English men recruiting for the German army because the parents were born in the "Reich". Didn't know there was any ss-unit.

Makes me wonder if Americans had a unit?

Thanks for this fantastic thread !

Arneken

 

good one!!

by the way is that you in your avatar pic?

 

I corresponded briefly with the daughter of Berneville-Clay. Her feeling on these men, including her own father, was that they were of such dubious character and lied about most everything else in their past that it was impossible to research them properly or draw any conclusions from history based on their testimony.
I'll see if I've still got the emails.



Nice page from the BBC on him & her:
BBC NEWS | UK | 'My father the war traitor'

Cheers,
Adam.

 

Hi Arneken, the Americans did not have their own Waffen SS unit, however, I was told by SS Sturmbrigade Langemarcks only Knights Cross Recipient, and a personal friend of mine: Herrn Remy Schrijnen, that he knew of at least three men serving in his battalion; that were American. I do not recall if this is mentioned in a book written about him and his experiances. The excellent book is: The Last Knight of Flanders by: Allen Brandt.

How I know this info is because my friend Susanne and I, went and spent twelve hours at his flat in Hagen, Germany. That day, I also got to know his wife (Johanna) well. My time with Remy Schrijnen, is time I will always cherish and will never forget. One of these coming moons, I might be persuaded to post photos of our visit with these two fine people.

 

Evans,

Thanks for answering my question. I will look for the book. Hoping to find some there. Must been a great experience with Mister Schrijnen.

 

I don't know whether you need to see an optician but to me she looks to be Alexandra Maria Lara playing Traudl Junge in the "Downfall" movie !

 

hmmmmm..could be, but i've never heard of that person or movie before, so I wouldn't know.

 

Yes they did it was called the George Washington Brigade, or something like that, think it was even less effective than the English one to be honest, theres a link about them somewhere, I`ll see if I can dig it out for you.

 

That would be great.

 

Sorry, but no its not me, is her off Downfall! Foxey little minx in a German helmet what more could you ask for? Unless a Ruskie, is more up your street ho,ho,ho.

 

Hi Schwartzvogel, your probably thinking of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade and they fought in the Spanish Civil War. There was no large or even small-sized unit of Americans serving in the Waffen SS ;-))

Take care and best regards--Carl.

PS, I don't know where I saw it but, there was supposedly even a ""patch"" that was made for the Americans serving in SS Sturmbrigade Langemarck which was of the bust of George Washington facing to his right-the bust was black over a red-white & blue shield-shaped flag. There never was any "official" symbol ever made for these guys.

 

Adam would very much like to read those!!! Gordon.

 

"US volunteers in the Waffen-SS ​

There were some US citizens who were members of the Waffen-SS, but no unit made up of American volunteers were ever raised (despite some claims about an "American Free Corps" or "George Washington Brigade"). According to figures from the SS five US citizens served in the Waffen-SS in May 1940, but after that date no numbers are available. ​

Second Lieutenant Martin James Monti (born 1910 in St Louis of an Italian-Swiss father and German mother) went awol Oct 1944, travelled from Karachi to Naples (through Cairo and Tripoli) where to stole a F-4 or F-5 photographic reconnaissance aircraft (photo recon version of the P-38) and flew to Milan. There he surrendered, or rather defected, to the Germans and worked as a propaganda broadcaster (as Martin Wiethaupt) before entering the Waffen-SS as a SS-Untersturmführer in SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers. At the end of the war he went south to Italy where surrendered to US forces (still wearing his SS uniform) claiming that he had been given the uniform by partisans. He was charged with desertion and sentenced to 15 years hard labour. This sentence was soon commuted and Monti rejoined the US Air Corps, but in 1948 he was discharged and picked up by the FBI. He was now charged with treason and sentenced to 25 years the following year. He was paroled in 1960. ​

Peter Delaney (aka Pierre de la Ney du Vair), a Louisiana born SS-Haupsturmführer in SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers who is believed to have served in Légion des Volontaires Français (LVF). He met Monti and probably arranged for him to enter the Waffen-SS. Delaney was killed in 1945. ​

At least eight American volunteers are known to have been killed during their service. ​

No real attempt by the US authorities to investigate the matter and trace the volunteers was made after the war, as opposed to for example the efforts by the British."

Axis History Factbook: US volunteers in the Waffen-SS
​

 

American Free Corps

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The American Free Corps, also called the "George Washington Brigade", was a unit of the Waffen-SS which was created for the purpose of propaganda. It was to be composed of recruits, mostly United States prisoners of war.
In reality, the German authorities made no effort to create an exclusive unit of US volunteers. Nevertheless, it is certainly the case that a small number of United States nationals did serve in the German Armed Forces in various units, including the Waffen-SS. Information about them remains fragmentary and no real effort was made by the US authorities to investigate the matter and trace the volunteers after the war, as opposed to the efforts by other countries like Britain. It is believed that at least eight Americans serving in the German armed forces were killed during their service.
The most famous propagandist associated with this pseudo-unit was Second Lieutenant Martin James Monti, who defected from the US Army Air Corps, and worked as a propaganda broadcaster under the pseudonym Martin Wiethaupt. After the war he was sentenced to 25 years for treason but was released in 1960.
Peter Delaney (aka Pierre de la Ney du Vair), a Louisiana-born SS-Haupsturmführer in SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers who is believed to have served in Légion des Volontaires Français. He met Monti and probably arranged for him to enter the Waffen-SS. Delaney was killed in 1945.
This unit was cited by the author Kurt Vonnegut in his novel Slaughterhouse Five and perpetuated by fantasists ever since[citation needed]. In reality, Vonnegut had been a prisoner of war in Dresden and had seen, or heard of, recruiting efforts by members of the British Free Corps who were based in the town at the time[citation needed]. The unit is also mentioned in the novel The Eagle Has Landed by Jack Higgins.

American Free Corps - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

US volunteers in the Waffen-SS

There were some US citizens who were members of the Waffen-SS, but no unit made up of American volunteers was ever raised (despite some claims about an "American Free Corps" or "George Washington Brigade"). According to figures from the SS five US citizens served in the Waffen-SS in May 1940, but after that date no numbers are available.

Second Lieutenant Martin James Monti (born 1910 in St Louis of an Italian-Swiss father and German mother) went AWOL Oct 1944, travelled from Karachi to Naples (through Cairo and Tripoli) where he stole a F-4 or F-5 photographic reconnaissance aircraft (photo recon version of the P-38) and flew to Milan. There he surrendered, or rather defected, to the Germans and worked as a propaganda broadcaster (as Martin Wiethaupt) before entering the Waffen-SS as a SS-Untersturmführer in SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers. At the end of the war he went south to Italy where he surrendered to US forces (still wearing his SS uniform) claiming that he had been given the uniform by partisans. He was charged with desertion and sentenced to 15 years hard labour. This sentence was soon commuted and Monti rejoined the US Air Corps, but in 1948 he was discharged and picked up by the FBI. He was now charged with treason and sentenced to 25 years the following year. He was paroled in 1960.

Peter Delaney (aka Pierre de la Ney du Vair), a Louisiana born SS-Haupsturmführer in SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers who is believed to have served in Légion des Volontaires Français (LVF). He met Monti and probably arranged for him to enter the Waffen-SS. Delaney was killed in 1945.

At least eight American volunteers are known to have been killed during their service.

No real attempt by the US authorities to investigate the matter and trace the volunteers was made after the war, as opposed to for example the efforts by the British.

Axis History Factbook: US volunteers in the Waffen-SS

 

Hi Arenken, quite welcome and glad to try helping. As for the book, it is an excellent book and one that is well worth spending the money on. When I went to go visit Remy and his wife, I took my copy with me for him to sign. Remy not only signed the cover of the book, but every photo in the book as well as dedicating a full page to me and signing that as well. ;-))

Several collectors have approached me asking if I would sell that book to them--to which I had to say no-not for any price. The highest I was bid on it so far, was in excess of $3,000.00 and that was about 5 years ago. At the time Remy signed my book, he told me (through translation by my friend Susanne) that my book was the only copy that he signed every photo, cover, and dedication; that he ever signed to that date. Usually he would sign the cover and a photo or two and even rarer, would write a page long dedication and sign that as well. I cannot say for fact if he ever signed any other copies of this book for anyone-in signing everything in it-like he did mine. Oh and, I almost forgot, mine is the only copy that he signed all of the pictures and cover-in gold and silver ink. The only things in my copy signed in black ink, was the cover of the book and the page long dedication. Reason being, is that the gold and or silver ink did not work well on the glossy paper cover, and is not good for writing long dedications. ;-))

 

An interesting point about the BFC is that prior to being deployed to the front, they were issued with MP44, and not the box standard K98, so the Germans must have had some faith in them even if they didn`t issue them with any ammo!!!!!

 

That doesn't necesarily imply faith though does it.
I'm sure Dr. Goebbels would ensure a unit that, if they ever were used, would be exceptionally heavily photographed for their number one purpose; namely propaganda, would carry the 'latest examples of reich technology', or so the captions in Signal would likely read.

Cheers,
Adam.