Flemish volunteers

jan
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Re: Flemish volunteers

Post by jan »

The KGr Rehmann was under direct command of the III.(germ.)SS-PzKorps, it is however very well possible that it stood for a short period of time under tactical control of the 4.SS-Brig.Nederland during the fighting at the "Tannenberg Stellung" but it was never part of the Brigade Nederland. The KGr (including the Pak-Zuges) had a total strenght of 245 men and after nine days of fighting from 26 july 1944 on it counted only 38 men in total.
On 14 august 1944 a KGr. Wagner was formed, and the remains of the KGr Rehmann came then under direct command of the SS-Btl.Wallonie (that was part of KGr. Wagner)

On the 26 july, a day of exeptional heavy fighting, the German commander of the KGr, Hstuf Rehmann deserted from the front lines and the 21 years old Flemish Ustuf Georg D'Haese took over the command of the KGr.
(Hstuf Rehmann was never punished for this desertion because he was a close associate of Reichsführer Himmler, and commanded later on a Battalion in the 27.SS-Fr.Gr.Division Langemarck.)

The Pak-Zuges that was part of the KGr Rehmann was commanded by Ustuf Marcel Lappere,
the three Pak commanders were; first gun, Uscha Reep
second gun, Uscha Bert D'Hollander
third gun, Uscha Jozef Grootan
After the three gun commanders were killed and two Pak destroyed, Sturmman Remi Schrijnen was then Geschützführer and Richtschütze at the same time of the one remaining intact Pak.

KGr Rehmann was composed of members from the SS-Fr.Sturmbrigade Langemarck, it returned to the Brigade later in September 1944. During the time the KGr was in action at the Narwa front the remaining elements of the Sturmbrigade Langemarck were reorganised and refitted.

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Jan
Peiper

Re: Flemish volunteers

Post by Peiper »

jan wrote: Sturmman Remi Schrijnen was then Geschützführer and Richtschütze at the same time of the one remaining intact Pak.
Jan
Hi Jan :D
Never heard the SS rank Geschutzfuhrer and Richtschutze, are they SS Artillery ranks.???????????

Cheers Peiper.
Jeppsson |11.SS|
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Re: Flemish volunteers

Post by Jeppsson |11.SS| »

My question to you is, is your Unifrom Past 1943 or Before 1943 ?

Johannes
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Re: Flemish volunteers

Post by rednas »

Peiper wrote:
jan wrote: Sturmman Remi Schrijnen was then Geschützführer and Richtschütze at the same time of the one remaining intact Pak.
Jan
Hi Jan :D
Never heard the SS rank Geschutzfuhrer and Richtschutze, are they SS Artillery ranks.???????????

Cheers Peiper.
These are just the German titles of the different tasks around a AT canon, just like Zugführer or Kompanieführer isn't a rang, but the name of the job (exept in the Volkssturm). The Geschutzführer is the commander of the gun, the Richtschütze is aiming the gun. Schrijnen had to do both the command and the aiming at the same time.
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Re: Flemish volunteers

Post by Peiper »

Danke Rednas :D
That's what i thought but better to check.
Cheers Peiper :wink:
jan
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Re: Flemish volunteers

Post by jan »

Yes, Rednas is right, this are functions not ranks.

Jan
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Re: Flemish volunteers

Post by Salacious Crumb »

Jeppsson |11.SS| wrote:My question to you is, is your Unifrom Past 1943 or Before 1943 ?

Johannes
The Sturmbrigade Langemarck was erected on the 1st of june 1943
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Jeppsson |11.SS|
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Re: Flemish volunteers

Post by Jeppsson |11.SS| »

AH yes, Stupid me. Of course. Pretty Intressted insgina, do you know why they were issued Those collartabs?
jan
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Re: Flemish volunteers

Post by jan »

Jeppsson |11.SS| wrote: Pretty Intressted insgina, do you know why they were issued Those collartabs?

The insignia on the collartab is called a Trifos (or Triskel) This is an acient Celtic symbol and at the same time a overlapping symbol between the Celtic and Germanic world. In the Celtic world it stands for Earth, Fire and Water. In the Germanic or Scandinavian world for Birth, Live and Dead (or Rebirth) In both the Celtic and Germanic mythology the number three was very important. In today's Celtic Bretagne the Trifos is still the regions sign, and it is also to see in the stone ornaments in many western european churches.
The Celtic/Germanic link and the widespread use in ancient times in the low countries is also the reason that is was given to the Flemish volunteers.
The Trifos collartab became more in widespread use when the 27.SS-Freiw.Gren.Div."Langemarck" was created on 12/09/"44, but it never replaced entirely the standard SS collartabs.

Jan
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Re: Flemish volunteers

Post by Jeppsson |11.SS| »

Thank you very much for that Answer.
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Re: Flemish volunteers

Post by Salacious Crumb »

The trifo was planned for the Legion Flandern, but when they arrived at the Debica trainingcamp, in Poland, they where joined with the Flemish Waffen-SS vollunteers of the standarte Nordwest.
The two groups almost fought with eachother becouse the men of the Legion found that the Nordwesters where collaborators and they where only seving for flanders, not for Germany.
The Nordwesters found the Legion men of less standard then they where, becouse the Nordwesters where real men of the Waffen-SS. They didn't want to gave up their Waffen-SS ruhnen.

The German command made it simple: everybody is serving in a Waffen-SS unit: the Frw. legion Flandern. The collartab will be the SS ruhnen and not the trifo and wich who doesn't like it can go back to Flanders!

Only a few went back to Flanders and the trouble between the men was solved. The Dutchmen in the Nordwest went to the Frw. Legion Niederlande.

Only later when the Frw. Legion Flandern was whiped out at Krasny Bor in march 1943 and the remains of it together with new fresh recrutes would erect the Sturmbrigade Langemarck (in june 1943) the trifo was brought bach to life.
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Re: Flemish volunteers

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I talked with a Langemarck vet and he told me alot of the NCO and officers where former Luftwaffe men. (Luneburgerheide 1944) They got transfered as they wheren't needed anymore as the fuel and planes got more and more rare.
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Re: Flemish volunteers

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Cheap Flemish impressions: just buy a flemish shield

Flemish flak: in 1944 they got their uniforms in Flanders, standard Luftwaffe uniform with Yellow collartabs and Flemish shield on their arm. This way they marched to Holland, fought around arnhem and got to Germany. In Germany they got their training an switched to the red waffenfarbe. (probably the pointed lion shield)

Flemish guard june-september 1944: in june they got all Wehrmacht uniforms (mostly older models: 5% M36, 80% M40 and 15% M42/M43) with the yellow pointy shield on the lower part of the arm. Most of them got to Germany where they had to choose between labour or Waffen-SS division Langemarck. Abt.I (Gent) and Abt.III (Brugge) fought also in Arnhem. Abt.II (Antwerpen) Fought in Antwerp and there are reports that they lost 30 men. Abt. IV (Brussel) got in Germany without being into battles.
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Re: Flemish volunteers

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Re: Flemish volunteers

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my latest jacket:

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