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| SS-Untersturmführer Pehrsson with fellow Waffen-SS officers |
This photo, taken in late May or early June 1944, shows the company commander of SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 11 Hans-Gösta Pehrsson with fellow Swedes at his command post on the Estonian front. The volunteers, from left to right: SS-Untersturmführer Gösta Borg; served with 5.Wiking and 11.Nordland 1941-45. Ukraine 1941, Breslau and Tölz 1943-44, Ostpreußen, Viborg, Narva, Warszawa and the Ardennes 1944. Returned to Sweden 1945. SS-Standartenoberjunker Hans-Caspar Kreuger; served with 5.Wiking and 11.Nordland (33.Charlemagne not conf.) 1942-45. Klagenfurt and Tölz 1943-44. Ukraine and Narva 1944 and Pommern and Berlin 1945. Promoted SS-Untersturmführer 1944. Exiled in Argentina 1948. SS-Untersturmführer Hans-Gösta Pehrsson; served with Freikorps Danmark and 11.Nordland 1941-45. Novgorod 1941-42, Leningrad and Demyansk 1942, Tölz 1942-43, Narva and Latvia 1944 and Pommern and Berlin 1945. Promoted SS-Hauptsturmführer and appointed Generalstabsoffizier in Nordland 1945. Returned to Sweden 1945. SS-Untersturmführer Gunnar Eklöf; served with 5.Wiking, Generalkommando III.SS-Panzerkorps and 11.Nordland 1941-45. Tölz and Croatia 1943, Narva and Dünaburg 1944 and Berlin 1945. Appointed company commander with SS-Jagdverband Nordwest 1945 under the command of the Austrian daredevil SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Skorzeny. Returned to Sweden 1945. SS-Untersturmführer Carl Ferdinand Stodenberg Svensson; served with (4.Polizei not conf.), 11.Nordland and 12.Hitlerjugend 1941-45. Tölz 1942, Leningrad and Greece 1943, Narva, Normandy and Arnhem 1944 and Alsace and the Rhine front 1945. Promoted SS-Obersturmführer 1944. Emigrated to West Germany in the 1960s. SS-Sturmscharführer Thorkell Tillmann; served with 11.Nordland and 12.Hitlerjugend 1942-44. Sennheim 1942 and Tölz and Metz 1943-44. Narva and Normandy 1944. Promoted SS-Untersturmführer 1944. KIA on June 26 1944 in Normandy. Photo taken by the Swede SS-Untersturmführer Rune Ahlgren who served with 11.Nordland 1943-44. Tölz 1943, Narva and Latvia 1944. KIA as SS-Obersturmführer on October 30 1944 in Priekules Novads in Latvian Kurland. Lars T. Larsson Archives. Fair use.
Stabswache de Euros bringen bislang unbekannte Details über ein Stück schwedischer Geschichte zu Tage, das so gar nicht in die heile Pippi-Langstrumpf-Welt. Die jungen Nordländer gehörten zu den wenigen, die noch den Führerbunker in Berlin verteidigten. Sie handelt von hunderten solcher jungen Männer aus dem Land der Wikinger, blond, blauäugig und mit braunen Wurzeln. Denn ihre Vergangenheit trübt einmal mehr das sorgsam polierte Bild von Schwedens vorgeblich strikter Neutralität.
ReplyDeleteThe Swedes were attracted to the Nazi philosophy because of its inherent opposition to communism. However, it is a disconcerting thought that so many Swedes were ready to throw their lot with the Nazis even when they were in retreat; this shows a commitment that is difficult to explain now.
ReplyDeleteRemember that one quarter of all iron ore used by Germany came from Sweden on ships flying the neutral Swedish flag. Effectively, one quarter of all panzers, uboats, guns, bombs cannons and anything containing steel used by the Nazis in their war effort came thanks to the Swedes, who profited handsomely.
ReplyDeleteMen like these selflessly gave their lives trying to keep Russian Communism out of Europe. God bless them.
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ReplyDeleteCarl-Johannes Herman Torkell Tillmann joined the Waffen-SS in June 1942. He was assigned to the SS-Pionier-Abteilung 12 of 12.SS-Pz.Div. Hitlerjugend in 1944, and killed on 26th June in Normandy that year. The 26-year-old volunteer had been promoted to SS-Untersturmführer five days earlier. Tillmann rests at Saint-Manvieu War Cemetery in Cheux, 10 kilometres west of Caen.
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