In February 1943, Hitler ordered the creation of an Waffen-SS division which would be officered by foreign volunteers. In March 1943, the Wiking's SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment Nordland, was separated from the Wiking Division and pulled out of the line to be used as the nucleus for the new division Nordland. The 11.SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland's two Panzergrenadier regiments Norge and Danmark was made up of Scandinavian volunteers but both regiments had addition men made up of conscripts from other European countries. Dutch volunteers were planned to be a part of the Nordland division but after protests from the Dutch National Socialist Movement Party it was decided that they would form their own division. This division was formed in October 1943 and named 4.SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Brigade Nederland. After its formation in Germany, the Nordland was attached to the
III (Germanic) SS-Panzerkorps under the command of SS-Obergruppenführer
Felix Steiner.
When Nordland was sent to the Oranienbaum front near Leningrad in December 1943, its manpower strength was 11.393 officers and men. Top image: Nordic Waffen-SS recruits swearing the oath of allegiance. PD. Middle image: European foreign volunteer recruits of the newly formed Nordland on their way to the oath-swearing ceremony. The men are led by the Swede SS-Untersturmführer Hans-Gösta Pehrsson, platoon commander of the 3rd Company of Nordland's SS Reconnaissance Battalion. The photo was taken in the fall of 1943 in Sisak in Croatia. Lennart Westberg Archives. FU. Bottom image: in March 1945, the British Free Corps contingent, commanded by the South African SS-Unterscharführer Douglas Mardon, was deployed with the Nordland. The Britons were sent to the 3rd Company of SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 11 under the command of the then Swedish SS-Obersturmführer H-G Pehrsson. Note the Union Flag arm shields and the three-lion passant collar tabs on the uniforms of the British recruits, SS-Schütze Kenneth Berry and SS-Sturmmann Alfred Minchin. PD. 
The Nordland division was originally intended to receive the name Waräger, meaning Viking warriors, but that name was rejected by Hitler himself, who wanted the division to keep using the already-existing regiment’s name.
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ReplyDeleteThese British volunteers were found guilty of treason, despite never having taken up arms against their fellow countrymen. They knew Europe was in danger and did what they could.
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