British Free Corps ?

User avatar
Schwartz Vogel
Posts: 37
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 3:49 am

Re: British Free Corps ?

Post by Schwartz Vogel »

Hi Guys,

I`ve seen a book on the internet (an old one granted) about the BFC, but am unable to find it again, and can`t remember what it was called can anyone help me out?

I can confirm its not the Adrian Weale one, the Eric Pleasants one, Jackals of the Reich, or The Traitor.

It wasn`t cheap I can remember that, and not readily available either. I`ve scoured the net but can be b*ggered if I can find the damn thing again, anyone got any ideas?

SV
"When theres blood on the streets, invest in gold"
John Wilson
Posts: 2058
Joined: Mon Jan 15, 2007 12:44 pm
Location: Britain
Contact:

Re: British Free Corps ?

Post by John Wilson »

Maybe you're thinking of Yeomen of Valhalla?
94-87 Ich bedauere nichts
57-93 Either put me in jail or kill me
User avatar
Schwartz Vogel
Posts: 37
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 3:49 am

Re: British Free Corps ?

Post by Schwartz Vogel »

Cheers John, but its not that one either.
"When theres blood on the streets, invest in gold"
John Wilson
Posts: 2058
Joined: Mon Jan 15, 2007 12:44 pm
Location: Britain
Contact:

Re: British Free Corps ?

Post by John Wilson »

Well from what I know there are no others, there are several publications which mention the BFC in their pages but there are very little that concentrate solely on the unit, the Eric Pleasants book deals with a lot of his life outwith the Corps so I would consider it more an autobiography, the Guy Walters novel is just that, a novel, there are no historical truths in it whatsoever apart from the odd mention of certain WW2 units.
94-87 Ich bedauere nichts
57-93 Either put me in jail or kill me
User avatar
Schwartz Vogel
Posts: 37
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 3:49 am

Re: British Free Corps ?

Post by Schwartz Vogel »

Thanks John, I must be mistaken, it wouldn`t be the first time... :D
Attachments
___222aaa1.gif
___222aaa1.gif (13.89 KiB) Viewed 15878 times
"When theres blood on the streets, invest in gold"
User avatar
JDR
Posts: 644
Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2007 4:11 pm
Location: Newcastle

Re: British Free Corps ?

Post by JDR »

And that boys is how you take a penalty.
Peiper

Re: British Free Corps ?

Post by Peiper »

The BFC did apparantly get sent to the front, i think there was a small squad of
about nine or ten of them and they were given an amphibious kubel and sent
to the frontline, i think all they did though was a bit of mine clearance if i can
remember correctly :?
The Hauptscharfuhrer i think was named "Rulpke" who was in charge was, as far as
i know half American half German and originally served with the "Wiking" Div before
being put in charge of this strange squad and was responsible for recruitment.

Apparantly they went round the POW camps trying to get people to sign up,
there were two other guys who were British who actually served with the SS
in Russia, one was a South African and the other a Cockney taxi-driver named
Sellars.
They had been recruited by the Leibstandarte as "Hiwi's" and were mechanics,
until one day Sepp-Dietrich found out and had them sent back to the rear.
Apparantly later they were asked to join the BFC but declined saying they
had already been to Russia and there was no women or song!

Anyway back on topic, i was putting together a BFC impression for evening
wear, i'd like to see the person tell me i couldn't wear it :lol: :lol:

Regards Peiper.
User avatar
Tychsen
Posts: 1672
Joined: Sat Mar 01, 2008 6:37 pm

Re: British Free Corps ?

Post by Tychsen »

I would not make such a big deal about them , a bunch of low life traitors and turn coats on their own country.
Some fought in Berlin it seems , I hope for them that life in the Waffen SS was all it was promised to be.
Peiper

Re: British Free Corps ?

Post by Peiper »

Tychsen wrote:I would not make such a big deal about them , a bunch of low life traitors and turn coats on their own country.
Some fought in Berlin it seems , I hope for them that life in the Waffen SS was all it was promised to be.
Hi Tychsen :D
You could say that about the "Handschar", "Charlemagne", "Skanderberg", "Langemarck"
etc :?

Regards Peiper.
User avatar
Tychsen
Posts: 1672
Joined: Sat Mar 01, 2008 6:37 pm

Re: British Free Corps ?

Post by Tychsen »

Some might feel bound by political / nationalistic leanings within their own countries.
As far as the British go they really had no excuse.
If Germany waged war on or invaded your country it is my view that joining the German Army / SS for any reason set you apart from your country when you swore an oath to serve Hitler before your own people.
Mikkel
Posts: 705
Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2006 6:52 am

Re: British Free Corps ?

Post by Mikkel »

The danish SS volunteers were sent to court after the war, trialed and judged because they had served the 'enemy'. At the time when they enlisted, most of them were younger than 21 which was the minimum voting age at that time. Young men, not deemed old enough to fully understand politics. They enlisted in the SS with both the prime minsters and the Kings good word for it. They even had the oath changed so they did not swear loyalty to Hitler but to the german armed forced. They also signed up on the terms that they were to be deployed solely on the eastern front against USSR.
But they still wore the uniform of their own countrys occupiers, and fought hitlers war.
Peiper

Re: British Free Corps ?

Post by Peiper »

Good point Tychsen :D
I was just stating that other Nationalities were recruited into the SS, although in my
opinion the guys who joined the BFC their circumstances were different, ie: most were
recruited from POW camps and originally their motives were probably more focused on
better living conditions, better food etc rather than a political ideal, but i agree with what
you are saying, there was no excuse.
As for combat, as far as i know the BFC were only used as ditch digging and mine clearence
duties, there was one man who ended up in Berlin in 45 and he was German, although a
member of the BFC he was an interpreter named Rossler.
Regards Peiper.
Last edited by Peiper on Sun Jun 14, 2009 9:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Salacious Crumb
Posts: 753
Joined: Tue Aug 15, 2006 12:30 pm
Location: Jabba's palace
Contact:

Re: British Free Corps ?

Post by Salacious Crumb »

The problem is that every vollunteer had his own reason, but saying that every vollunteer was a traitor is also far from the truth, as many went to fight against the bolsjevics and not against France, The Netherlands, belgium, Luxemburg (wich didn't exist anymore as it was a part of the reich), etc... it was AFTER the war that the gouvernements made laws that Russia was an Allied force, prior to 1940 it certainly wasn't!!!! Therefore many vollunteers where convicted for raising arms against an allie of an allied force (Russia was an allie of England and France wich where Allied forces of belgium)

A shame that the book "Niets dan de waarheid / Nothing then the truth" isn't translated in English. It's a little book with 15 interviews from former Flemish vollunteers and why they went to fight.
Member of
http://maa204.blogspot.com/
Kriegsmarine re-enactment group
User avatar
Tychsen
Posts: 1672
Joined: Sat Mar 01, 2008 6:37 pm

Re: British Free Corps ?

Post by Tychsen »

Peiper , thanks for the data on the man who fought in Berlin. :)
Sal. Crumb , it still does not change the fact that they took up arms and swore an oath of loyality to the Army which had waged war on and occupied their country.
Mikkel
They even had the oath changed so they did not swear loyalty to Hitler but to the german armed forced. They also signed up on the terms that they were to be deployed solely on the eastern front against USSR.
AS Mikkel points out an oath sworn to the German Armed forces - who occupied the posts of Head of OKW and OKH ?
( And as supreme commander of these two bodies who were they responsible to ?)
Mikkel
Posts: 705
Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2006 6:52 am

Re: British Free Corps ?

Post by Mikkel »

There is a huge difference.
Why do you think that hitler wanted to have the soldiers swear loyalty to him, and not just germany or the armed forces. He was afterall in charge of both ?

What do you think their (the foreign volunteers) motives were ?



Let it be known, that i'm not defending the choices or actions. I'm just trying to add some more angles to this.
Post Reply

Return to “Third Reich Foreign volunteers”