bigjarofwasps

SS Volunteer Grenadier Brigade Landstorm Nederland SS-Grenadier-Regiment 1 Landwacht Niederlande SS-Grenadier-Regiment 1 Landstorm Nederland SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Brigade Landstorm Nederland 34. SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Division Landstorm Nederland The SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Brigade Landstorm Nederland was a German Waffen SS volunteer brigade comprising volunteers of Dutch background. It saw action on the Western Front during World War II. In February 1945, the Grenadier-Brigade was ordered to begin reorganisation as a grenadier division, however its strength never reached more than a brigade. Concept and Formation After the successful formation of the 4.SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier Brigade Nederland, it was decided that a second Dutch SS formation should be raised. The recruits were drawn mostly from the Nationaal-Socialistische Beweging (the Dutch Nazi Party). The NSB leader, Anton Mussert encouraged his followers to join the new formation. In 1940 Artur Seyss-Inquart, the Reichskommissar for The Netherlands, had approved the creation of an NSB paramilitary police formation named Landwacht Niederlande. The Landwacht served as an auxiliary police force and was involved in the rounding up of Jews, Communists and other groups deemed undesirable by the Seyss-Inquart and the NSB. ?Artur Seyss-Inquart speaks at a recruitment rally held for the Landstorm Nederland, April 1944. On 12 March 1943, the Waffen SS ordered the formation of a Dutch volunteer regiment, the SS-Grenadier Regiment 1 Landwacht Niederlande. Unlike the Nederland brigade, the Landwacht Niederlande was to be a territorial defence unit, and so recruits did not have to fear service on the Eastern Front. Recruits for the Landwacht Niederlande flowed in. Service in the regiment meant a job, money, food and an escape from forced labour in munitions factories. Added to this, the regiment was not officially a part of the SS, and so the SS runes were not present on the volunteers uniforms, with the traditional grenade of Landwacht units being worn in its place. While many recruits were drawn from the paramilitary formation of the same name, a recruitment drive resulted in 130 Dutch veterans from the 5.SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Wiking and 11.SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland transferring to the new formation. While these veterans provided the cadre of NCOs for the new formation, the formation was officered by German SS men, and no Dutchman was ever promoted to a higher rank than company commander. On 16 October 1943 the regiment's title was changed to SS-Grenadier-Regiment 1 Landstorm Nederland. By this time, the regiment numbered 2,400 men and was still growing. Mussert was pleased, and together with the Nederland Brigade, he saw the Dutch SS as the forerunners of a new Dutch army. However, Hanns Albin Rauter, head of the SS and Police for the Netherlands planned to firmly bring the NSB under SS control, and the Nederland and Landstorm formations were steps in this direction. [edit] Battles in Belgium and The Netherlands - Market Garden After the Allied breakout from Normandy, Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery's 21st Army Group began its advance along the Channel Coast towards Germany. In early September, two battalions of the Landstorm were rushed to the front in Belgium. The formation was tasked with defending the Albert Canal around the areas of Merksem and Hasselt. Poorly armed and with minimal combat experience, the two battalions fared poorly during a battle with the Free-Dutch Koninklijke Nederlandse Brigade "Prinses Irene" and was soon forced to withdraw. On 17 September, Montgomery launched Operation Market Garden an airborne offensive aimed at securing a crossing over the Rhine at Arnhem, in the central-eastern part of The Netherlands. The Landstorm's III. Battalion was completing its training near Hoogeveen. The partially trained and equipped formation was attached to the 9.SS-Panzer-Division Hohenstaufen and sent into combat against the British 1st Airborne Division in Arnhem. Having little faith in the Dutch volunteers' combat ability, the Hohenstaufen's commander held them back from action for as long as possible. On 21 September, the III./Landstorm was committed to action near the town of Elst on the Arnhem-Nijmegen highway (known as the island). After holding the town for several days, the Landstorm was finally pushed back by the British 43rd (Wessex) Division. The battalion was pulled out of the line on 25 September. [edit] Brigade - Division - Final Battles On 1 November, the Landstorm was redesignated SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Brigade Landstorm Nederland. The existing three battalions were to form the 83.SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Regiment, and the SS-Wachbataillon Nordwest to form the 84.SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Regiment. Many of the new recruits were members of the Jeugdstorm, the NSB's youth organisation. After a brief period of refitting, the Landstorm was ordered to take up defensive positions near the Waal and Rhine rivers. On 10 February 1945, the Landstorm again had its status raised. It was now to be designated 34.SS Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Division Landstorm Nederland. Despite this fact, the unit could hardly muster the strength of a weak brigade. The Division was almost immediately ordered to relieve Fallschirmj?ger-Regiment 7, at that time defending the Rhine, in the area between Betuwe and Rhenen. Much of the area had been flooded to assist the overstretched German forces in their defence. Facing the division was the Koninklijke Nederlandse Brigade "Prinses Irene", the British 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division and several Canadian formations. The morale of the Division suffered when facing the Princess Irene, as the men were hesitant to fight their own countrymen, and several members had relatives serving with the Princess Irene. ?Cufftitle worn by members of the Landstorm Nederland. Despite this, the division fought well, capturing a British strongpoint near Zetten. However, under sustained combat, morale continued to drop and desertions increased. A plot to assassinate several officers and surrender leaked, and the responsible men were court martialed and shot. As the war drew to a close, attacks on the civilian population by the division increased, and the men of 84.SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Regiment in particular were involved in several atrocities. Forced back to the area near Oosterbeek, the remnants of the division surrendered on 5 May 1945. A small unit of fanatics held out in the village of Veenendaal, engaging in combat with the Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten until surrendering on 9 May to the 49th (West Riding) Division. As collaborators, the majority of the survivors were imprisoned, and several were murdered in acts of revenge. [edit] Commanders SS-Oberf?her Viktor Knapp (11 May 1943 - 1 April 1944) SS-Obersturmbannf?hrer Deurheit (1 April 1944 - 5 November 1944) SS-Standartenf?hrer Martin Kohlroser (5 November 1944 - 8 May 1945) [edit] Orders of Battle [edit] 34.SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Division Landstorm Nederland Division Stab SS-Feldersatz-Battalion 60 Grenadier-Regiment Nr.1 SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Regiment 83 (Niederlandische Nr.3) SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Regiment 84 (Niederlandische Nr.4) SS-Artillerie-Regiment 60 SS-Panzerj?ger-Abteilung 60 SS-Pioniere-Kompanie 60 SS-Nachrichten-Kompanie 60 SS Vet-Kompanie 60 SS Feldpostamt 60 SS Sanit?ts-Kompanie 60

Basra crash victims named by MoD Flt Lt Sarah-Jayne Mulvihill was a Flight Operations Officer The first British servicewoman to die in action in Iraq was among five military personnel killed in Saturday's helicopter crash in Basra. Flt Lt Sarah-Jayne Mulvihill, 32, died with Wing Commander John Coxen, Lt Commander Darren Chapman, Captain David Dobson, and Marine Paul Collins. Wing Commander Coxen, from RAF Benson in Oxfordshire, is the most senior British officer to be killed in Iraq. Specialists have arrived from the UK to investigate the crash. 'Totally professional' The investigators, from the Joint Helicopter Command air accident investigation unit, are examining the helicopter's wreckage to find out if reports suggesting that it was downed are accurate. It is unclear why the helicopter went down on Saturday, but if enemy fire is found to be the cause of the crash it would be the first time a British military helicopter had been shot down in southern Iraq. Senior commanders say that nothing had been ruled out, but it could have been brought down by small arms fire, rocket-propelled grenade or an anti-aircraft missile. Flt Lt Mulvihill, also of Royal Air Force Benson, served as a Flight Operations Officer. Sarah was one of the Royal Air Force's finest: courageous, upbeat and unselfish Group Captain Duncan Welham Tributes paid after Iraq crash Marine epitomised elite force Lt Cdr Chapman, of the Royal Navy, was the commanding officer of 847 Naval Air Squadron based at Yeovilton, Somerset. The 40-year-old was married with three children. Capt David Dobson, 27, of the Army Air Corps, had been serving as a pilot with 847 Naval Air Squadron, based at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton. And 21-year-old Marine Paul Collins, from Dawlish, Devon, served as an Air Door Gunner with 847 Naval Air Squadron. He was also based at Yeovilton. Tributes have been paid to the five who died. Group Captain Duncan Welham, Station Commander Royal Air Force Benson, spoke highly of Flt Lt Mulvihill. Tributes have been paid to the crash victims "Sarah was one of the Royal Air Force's finest: courageous, upbeat and unselfish," he said. "She was a dedicated officer who will be missed by us all." And Colonel John McCardle, of the Royal Marines, said Paul Collins was "the epitome of what the Royal Marines represent". "A fit, intelligent young man, he was totally professional in everything he did and enjoyed life to the full." Prime Minister Tony Blair, speaking at his monthly news conference, offered his sympathies to the families of those on board and paid tribute to the "heroism, commitment and professionalism of our armed forces". Iraqi co-operation Newly-appointed Defence Secretary Des Browne made a statement about the helicopter crash to the House of Commons in which he confirmed that an investigation in the crash was underway. Mr Browne also touched on the government's plans for an exit strategy. "We are still committed to remaining in Iraq as long as we are needed and the Iraqi government wants us to stay, and until the job is done," he said. Wing Commander John Coxen is the most senior officer killed in Iraq Its official line remains that the five are missing, presumed dead. Meanwhile, Iraqi authorities in Basra have agreed to formally resume co-operation with the British Army after relations had soured following a series of flare-ups. The governor of Basra, Mohammed al-Waeli, announced on Sunday that security co-operation with the British would resume after it had been suspended for several weeks.

Hi Guys, As I say I`ve only just become aware of this unit, but have read a few books about them. From what I can gather, none were killed in action or won any German awards. There were never in combat `parsai`, but did come under artillery & motar fire from the Russians, they also served a month at the front were it was reported they could clearly see the Russians, so that to me suggests combat experiance, but I suppose thats a topic for debate!!!!!!!!!

http://members.aol.com/sturmpnzr/BFC.html

Cheers guys, it was very interesting reading all your comments. Thanks everyone.

That a smashing website, thanks for showing it to me!!!

Britisches Freikorps was formed Jan 1943 as St. Georgs-Legion and was made up of British and Commonwealth volunteers. The forming of a British legion was first suggested by John Amery, son of Leopold Stennet Amery, Secretary of State for India in Winston Churchill's war cabinet, who also made a failed attempt to find volunteers for the unit. Himmler became interested in the concept and a renewed attempt to find volunteers were made, but only approx 30 soldiers volunteered for this unit (including 3 Canadian, 3 Australians, 3 South Africans and 1 New Zealander). It was renamed Britisches Freikorps Jan 1944 and attached to III SS Panzerkorps Feb 1945. The unit never saw any action, but a few men from this unit are believed to have fought in the battle of Berlin attached to 11. SS Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier Division Nordland. The proclamation written by John Amery when the Legion of St. George, later renamed British Free Corps, was founded. Insignia The "British Free Corps" cuff title was authorized for this unit. The collar tabs used in this unit shows three leopards. An armshield with the Union Flag was also used. Reference material on this unit Richard Landwehr - Britisches Freikorps: British volunteers of the Waffen-SS 1943-1945 Eric Pleasants - Hitler's Bastard: Through Hell and Back in Nazi Germany and Stalin's Russia Ronald Seth - Jackals of the Reich: The story of the British Free Corps Adrian Weale - Renegades: Hitler's Englishmen

Hi Guys, I recently heard about this lot, and would very much like to know more, can anyone give me any details. I see that they were SS, did they have tanks? What was the highest rank they held? Cheers Gordon.

Nazi Gold Soon after the out break of the war the German national gold reserves, already substantially increased by the acquisition of Austrian gold holdings following the Auchluss, were significantly augmented by forcible acquisitions from abroad. The Nazi’s took $2,596,608 of gold from the gold reserves of the Czech National Bank and ?32,200,000 from the National Bank of Hungary. They looted part of the gold reserves of Albania, Holland the USSR and other countries overrun of the victorious Wehrmacht, and after the conquest of France they stole $225,900,000 worth of gold, comprising part of the Belgian national gold reserves, which was deposited in the Banque de France for safekeeping, by the Belgian government. The Belgian gold was taken to the Reichsbank in Berlin and resmelted. Each bar was stamped with the letters RB for Reichsbank, the German eagle, the retrospective date 1938, and its weight to three points of the decimal. Later, when the Germans were forced to withdraw from Southern Italy in the face of the advancing Anglo-American forces, they took with them $100,000,000 in Italian gold, which also ended up in the Reichsbank`s reserves. At the height of the Nazi conquest of Europe the gold reserves held by the Reichsbank were estimated to total as much as $772,636,253. By today’s values the equivalent of $6,490,144,525 much of it looted from subject nations of Europe. Following US air raids on Berlin in early Feb 1945, over $200,000,000 worth of gold reserves, were moved from Berlin, to the Kaiseroda Mine. Weighing around 100 tons, it needed 13 railway flat cars to transport it and took 72 hours to unload and transfer them to twenty 10 ton trucks. Gold in the Kaiseroda mine 8,527 gold bars, valued at $112,000,000. Minted gold coins, valued at $126,000,000, included a million Swiss Francs, a billion French Francs and 711 bags of US $20 gold pieces. 250 tons of gold in total. Reichsbank in Berlin, liberated by the Russians. 90 gold bars worth $1,278,000 and over four and a half million gold coins (dollars, sovereigns, guilders & Francs) worth $,156,625 P31 & P51 Nazi Gold by Ian and Douglas Botting. Some gold also unexpectedly turned up in the former German embassy in Madrid Spain, in May 1945. Estimated at one ton, with a value of $1,250,000. It consisted entirely of gold coins, mostly British gold sovereigns. It was flown by plane back to Frankfurt in 1946. P112 Hitler’s Gold by Arthur L Smith.

Hi Guys, Does anyone know, how many Gold Francs, were minted by the Swiss in 1947-49? I wonder if this is where some of the Nazi Gold went?

I wonder???

The death of a British soldier in a roadside bomb attack near Ad Dayr in southern Iraq on 15 April, has brought the number of UK troops killed during operations in the country to 104. Lieutenant Richard Palmer, of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, died after the vehicle he was commanding was caught in a roadside explosion near Ad Dayr, north-west of Basra, on 15 April. Lt Palmer, 27, from Ware, Hertfordshire, was "widely regarded by soldier and officer alike as a star of the future," said his commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Ben Edwards.

byf, Is this the type of Nazi Gold bar you saw?

In a salt mine in Merkers, Germany in 1945, the 90th Division, U.S. Third Army, discovered Reichsbank wealth, SS loot, and paintings from Berlin When the Americans discovered the Merkers mine treasure in 1945, a partial inventory revealed: 8,198 bars of gold bullion 55 boxes of crated gold bullion hundreds of bags of gold items over 1,300 bags of gold Reichsmarks, British gold pounds, and French gold francs 711 bags of American twenty-dollar gold pieces hundreds of bags of gold and silver coins hundreds of bags of foreign currency 9 bags of valuable coins 2,380 bags and 1,300 boxes of Reichsmarks (2.76 billion Reichsmarks) 20 silver bars 40 bags containing silver bars 63 boxes and 55 bags of silver plate 1 bag containing six platinum bars 110 bags from various countries

The Gold Train included everything from silverware and watches to "wedding rings and gold teeth with human blood on them," Zweig writes. The material was from hundreds of thousands of Hungarian Jews rounded up by the SS and Hungarian fascists in the spring of 1944.

Nazi Gold Soon after the out break of the war the German national gold reserves, already substantially increased by the acquisition of Austrian gold holdings following the Auchluss, were significantly augmented by forcible acquisitions from abroad. The Nazi’s took $2,596,608 of gold from the gold reserves of the Czech National Bank and ?32,200,000 from the National Bank of Hungary. They looted part of the gold reserves of Albania, Holland the USSR and other countries overrun of the victorious Wehrmacht, and after the conquest of France they stole $225,900,000 worth of gold, comprising part of the Belgian national gold reserves, which was deposited in the Banque de France for safekeeping, by the Belgian government. The Belgian gold was taken to the Reichsbank in Berlin and resmelted. Each bar was stamped with the letters RB for Reichsbank, the German eagle, the retrospective date 1938, and its weight to three points of the decimal. Later, when the Germans were forced to withdraw from Southern Italy in the face of the advancing Anglo-American forces, they took with them $100,000,000 in Italian gold, which also ended up in the Reichsbank`s reserves. At the height of the Nazi conquest of Europe the gold reserves held by the Reichsbank were estimated to total as much as $772,636,253. By today’s values the equivalent of $6,490,144,525 much of it looted from subject nations of Europe. Following US air raids on Berlin in early Feb 1945, over $200,000,000 worth of gold reserves, were moved from Berlin, to the Kaiseroda Mine. Weighing around 100 tons, it needed 13 railway flat cars to transport it and took 72 hours to unload and transfer them to twenty 10 ton trucks.

http://britishsovereigns.com/SovereignPage...lf_war_set_.htm

EVC NH-39A ( Double Sided) 1ST EDITION OCTOBER 1990 / IRAQ, KUWAIT, IRAN (DISTRIBUTED LIMITED TO AGENCIES WITHIN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH) THIS MAP, UNLIKE OTHERS FROM A SERIES OF TWELVE THAT COVER DIFFERENT AREAS OF IRAQ, COVERS THE EXACT AREA OF OPERATIONS COVERED IN BRAVO TWO ZERO, SABRE SQUADRON & CLOSE QUARTER BATTLE. Survival Instructions covering every aspect of desert survival especially behind enemy lines.. Includes details on : PLANTS + NAVIGATION (Compass & Astral) + CLIMATE INFO + ENVIROMENTAL HAZARDS + COMBAT SURVIVAL METHODS + PHOTOS OF DESERT PLANTS + COMBAT FIRST AID & Much, Much More... The survival info in this document is useful in any hot climate, not just behind enemy lines trying to ESCAPE & SURVIVE !!! I saw this one on ebay, I was under the impression that the SAS maps were printed on silk (Andy Mcnab & Chris Ryan`s were in thier books) so I can`t be sure that this is a genuine period E&E map. Can anyone confirm this for me?

As issued to US forces. Printed on waxy, waterproof paper Contains valuable e&e information on edible plants, celestrial navigation, first aid, climate and terrain, evasion movement, map and compass use, water procurment and ground to air codes.

Saw this thought it might be of interest? SILK RAF MAP OF BAGHDAD & BASRA IRAQ a 1951 silk RAF map published by the War Office in 1942 of BAGHDAD and BASRA in good condition. It has Baghdad on one side and Basra on the other side both at Scale 1:1,000,000. The maps are printed with red, blue and black ink, with relief details in brown. The entire piece is approx 28” by 25”. 'Published by War Office, 1942. Eighth edition GSGS 1951.' I've just looked at the Baghdad side and noticed some of the dates are slightly different : 'Reprinted from Fourth Edition, MDR 1/1361, 1944. Reproduced by Ordnance Survey, 1951.' and 'Published by War Office, 1928. Fifth edition GSGS 1944.' and below this in red it says 'Isogonals revised to 1953.'

Saw this thought it might be of interest?

Hi Guys, I just finished reading Buzzell`s book about his time during the Iraq war during 2004, a very good read if you haven`t read it. Anyway at the end of the book he says how all his unit where awarded the ARCOM Army Commendation Medal, regardless of what they`d done in Iraq, they all got it, and that it " Was a bottom of the totem pole and doesn`t mean sh~#" (p396). I was wondering how often does this happen for a whole unit to be awarded the medal. What does the average Joe have to do to get it, and how come they gave it to everyone. Is Buzzell just bitter and twisted, or is this award really held in such low regard? Has it ever been awarded to any British Soldiers, for service in Iraq, like the Bronze Star has? If so what did they do to get it? He also makes referance to the issue of CIB & CMB, claiming that one of the young medics had an ND, treated the guy that he shot, and was thus awarded the CMB. Again whats the score here, Buzzell all bent out of shape or is this a genuine and regular thing? Finally he also states that more guys got the Purple Heart for being wounded by schrapel from mortars on the way to the Chow Hall, then they ever did out in the field, anyone like to pass comment on this or anything else he says? Anyway if you haven`t read his book its well worth the effort. antiwar

Interesting is it usual to number these medals but not name them?

Cheers Guys, well that answers that one for me. I was thinking about this thread after, I`d posted it. I have somewhere one I was given by some American Sgt Maj in Sarajevo in about 1996, I`ll see if I can dig it out. If I can find it I`ll scan it and post it on this thread. I remember all the guys throwing them on the bar and getting very drunk, funny how you forget things isn`t it, only to remeber then years later!! Anyway Someone might recognise the unit, and be able to tell us some war story or other about them . Thanks again guys