Goralischer Waffen SS Legion - unfinished business

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mario33
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Goralischer Waffen SS Legion - unfinished business

Post by mario33 »

Goralischer Freiwilligen Waffen SS Legion - planned voluntary formation of Waffen SS of expected strength of 10 thous men, recruited from Goralenverein, being the core of Goralenvolk. Its probably unknown to most of you.

Goralenvolk - was germanization action of Gorals started in occupied Poland. During the German occupation of Poland in World War II attempts to divide the Polish nation by the new rulers led to the postulation of a separate ethnicity called "Goralenvolk". Derived from the Polish word "Górale" (the Highlanders), it designated the population of the region of Podhale in southern Poland near the Slovakian border.

Origin
The Gorals (Górale) were considered by the Nazis to be a part of the "Greater Germanic Race". Nazi ideology claimed that a significant fraction of their ancestry was descended from ethnic Germans who allegedly settled in this region during medieval times. For example, the 1885 Meyers Lexicon entry under Goralen states, that Germans (also) lived in that area in the 11th century and were slavicized.


German occupation
The region inhabited by Górale (pre-war Polish Nowy Targ County in Podhale) was annexed by Germany immediately after the Invasion of Poland in 1939. Later, attempts were made by the German authorities to assimilate the population into the body of Volksdeutsche, and to encourage collaboration with the occupying forces. Soon, a group of collaborators formed, under the leadership of Henryk Szatkowski, Witalis Wieder, Wacław Krzeptowski and Józef Cukier. The latter two proposed to establish a separate state for Goralenvolk during a visit to Governor-General Hans Frank in November 1939. Formally, Goralenverein was also established as a 'continuation' of pre-war Górale Association.

Even though the idea was met with great enthusiasm by the German authorities, a census conducted in 1940 showed that only 18% of the local population did not consider themselves to be Polish (mostly by pressure or by releasing relatives from prisons/POW camps), a result that was a great disappointment to the collaborators and the occupiers alike. After attempts to revive the idea during the following years proved unsuccessful, the project was almost entirely abandoned in 1943. With the arrival of allied troops towards the end of the war, the short-lived existence of the mostly hypothetical Goralenvolk finally became a footnote of history.

Goralischer Waffen SS Legion
Recruitment started in June 1942. 300 people were recruited by various methods (mostly by serving vodka) of which 200 were qualified to active service. Most of them deserted on the way to training camp after they got sober. under 20 reached the camp. Some 'disputes' with Ukrainians stationed there, were observed. The rest was mostly transported to the Reich for slave labour, while there are records of maybe 5-6 that were left in Waffen SS.

Pursuit for Goralenvolk/Goralenverein leaders
Górale are nature-hardened men, tradition-loving, very religious and devoted to their homeland. Just like mountaineers of the other countries, like the men that made the core of German Gebirgsjager. Its no surprise that the pursuit for Goralenvolk leaders was very intense. Most of them were either hanged still before the Germas were expelled from their land or killed soon after. With no trials, just the punishment. Sometimes the execution was quite 'severe', like hanging on a hook by 7th rib. I had the opportunity to meet someone that had known those that carried one of the executions. He said, with typical Góral's reserve and restraint: 'They deserved their fate and we did what we should. They betrayed the Górals, their brethren. They brought him to the highest pine tree behind his hut and hanged him there. Hanged him high enough to show that to every mountain peak around. People later talked that the mountains themselves punished him.' Noone was ever formally found quilty of those executions. Górals know how to keep their mouths shut...

Some leaders escaped their fate either by retreating together with Germans or giving up to the new Polish authorities. The latter served between 3-15 years in prison.
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Re: Goralischer Waffen SS Legion - unfinished business

Post by Peiper »

Intresting post :D
I happen to be viewing some old posts and happen to come accross this one.
Was this Unit actually formed or was it one of those Units where the High
Command planned to do so but never got around to it, only i haven't seen anything
about it, what was its SS Unit number.??? :?
As far as i can see unless this Unit/Div was attached to another one, there were only
39 SS-Divisions, these include:

1. Leibstandarte
2. Das Reich
3. Totenkopf
4. Polizei Division
5. Wiking
6. Nord
7. Prinz Eugen
8. Florian Geyer
9. Hohenstaufen
10. Frundsberg
11. Nordland
12. Hitlerjugend
13. Handschar
14. Galizische No1
15. Latvian No.1
16. Reichsfuhrer SS
17. Gotz von Berlichingen
18. Horst Wessel.
19. Latvian No.2
20. Estonian No.1
21. Skanderbeg.
22. Maria Theresa.
23. Nederland.
24. Karstjager.
25. Hungarian No.2.
26. Hungarian No.3.
27. Flemish No.1
28. Langemarck
29. Italian No.1
30. Russian No.2
31. XXX1 SS Frw Gren Div.
32. Bohmen Mahren.
33. Januar 30.
34. Charlemagne.
35. Landstorm Nederland.
36. Polizei Gren Div.
37. Dirlewanger.
38. Lutzow.
39. Nibelungen.

These SS-Divisions (above) are the only ones i have located, any further names/numbers
would be appreciated.

Regards Peiper.
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Re: Goralischer Waffen SS Legion - unfinished business

Post by Chorlitz|12.SS| »

Yes there is around 38 Divisions, full strength and numbers is another thing.
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Re: Goralischer Waffen SS Legion - unfinished business

Post by John Wilson »

According to Bruce Quarries book Hitlers Samurai, the SS divisions numbered 45, however not all of these have been confirmed as being anything else other than paperwork, plus there were two each of 23rd,29th and 33rd plus the whole saga about the two FJ battallions 500 and 600, watch out! it really is a minefield :lol:

From Quarries book,

39-Gebirgs Division der SS Andreas Höfer
40-SS-Freiwilligen Panzergrenadier Division Feldherrnhalle
41-Waffen Grenadier Division der SS Kalevala (Finnische Nr 1)
42-? SS Division Niederschsen
43-? SS Division Reichsmarschall
44-? SS Panzergrenadier Division Wallenstein
45-? Germanische? SS Division Warager

A point of note is the use of, der SS other than SS- followed by...
I take it to mean the use of these units by the SS rather than them being a full part of it? I would assume that an example would be Azad Hind der SS? correct me if I'm wrong.

And apparently, Warager was the original name for what would become Nordland which Himmler had thought of before.
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Re: Goralischer Waffen SS Legion - unfinished business

Post by Peiper »

John Wilson wrote:
A point of note is the use of, der SS other than SS- followed by...
I take it to mean the use of these units by the SS rather than them being a full part of it? I would assume that an example would be Azad Hind der SS? correct me if I'm wrong.
"Der-SS" usually (as far as i know) referred to "Foreign SS Units", similar to these mens rank
which started with "Waffen" such as "Waffen-Obersturmfuhrer" for example, which apparantly
the idea was started by Himmler.
Based on a racial contex that these were not "Aryan-Germans" so cannot be called or titled
"SS", this complicated manner i think was disregarded later.

Regards Peiper
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Re: Goralischer Waffen SS Legion - unfinished business

Post by John Wilson »

It was disregarded quite early on Mr. P, but it is a fairly confusing subject, anyway hope you're happy enough with the other divisions numbers up to 45. I wonder how many fliegerfausts would have been made for these new recruits :? :? Enough to change a war maybe?...... We'll never know.
94-87 Ich bedauere nichts
57-93 Either put me in jail or kill me
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Re: Goralischer Waffen SS Legion - unfinished business

Post by Peiper »

John Wilson wrote:It was disregarded quite early on Mr. P, but it is a fairly confusing subject, anyway hope you're happy enough with the other divisions numbers up to 45. I wonder how many fliegerfausts would have been made for these new recruits :? :? Enough to change a war maybe?...... We'll never know.
Thanks John. :D
Im sure you are probably right about numbers, however these later Divisions
probably didn't get up to Battalion strength in some cases, except on paper.

I'll have to dig out "Quarries-Samurai's" again and do some revision :lol:

Regards P.
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Re: Goralischer Waffen SS Legion - unfinished business

Post by Salacious Crumb »

Peiper wrote:Intresting post :D
As far as i can see unless this Unit/Div was attached to another one, there were only
39 SS-Divisions, these include:

27. Flemish No.1
28. Langemarck

These SS-Divisions (above) are the only ones i have located, any further names/numbers
would be appreciated.

Regards Peiper.

You made a little mistake: #27: Legion Flandern wasn't a division (max 1200 men and about 200-300 after the heavy battles in the winter of 1941-42, only one year after the Langemarck was created in 1943, it was a Division (on paper).
The 28th was the Legion Wallonie
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Re: Goralischer Waffen SS Legion - unfinished business

Post by Peiper »

Salacious Crumb wrote:
Peiper wrote:Intresting post :D
As far as i can see unless this Unit/Div was attached to another one, there were only
39 SS-Divisions, these include:

27. Flemish No.1
28. Langemarck

These SS-Divisions (above) are the only ones i have located, any further names/numbers
would be appreciated.

Regards Peiper.

You made a little mistake: #27: Legion Flandern wasn't a division (max 1200 men and about 200-300 after the heavy battles in the winter of 1941-42, only one year after the Langemarck was created in 1943, it was a Division (on paper).
The 28th was the Legion Wallonie
Thanks Salacious :wink:

The 28th were known as the "Walloon Div" because of Walloon speaking
Belgians that had enlisted, but on their cufftitle were called "Langemarck.!"

Correct me if im wrong, was there no cufftitle bearing the words "Wallonie,?"
ive never seen one. :roll:

Regards Peiper.
Last edited by Peiper on Thu Jun 18, 2009 1:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Goralischer Waffen SS Legion - unfinished business

Post by Salacious Crumb »

I don't want to offend you, but your last post doesn't make any sense.

Belgium was occupied in 1940, as you know the Flemish live in the North and speak Dutch and the Walloons live in the South and speak French.

The Germans found that the Flemish where of Arian origin and they desided to let the vollunteers enlist in the Waffen-SS. The Westland regiment of the Wiking was created (1940) and a few months later the Flemish Legion: Freiwillige Legion Flandern (1941)
in 1943 the Sturmbrigade Langemarck was formed out of the veterans and new enlisted vollunteers. In 1944 every collaborator had to leave Flanders and the Allied forces liberated Flanders, so they had the choise do volluntary labor service in Germany or enlist the new Flemish Waffen-SS Division Langemarck (the 27th SS Div.)

The Walloons wheren't considered as Arians in 1940 so they could join the Wehrmacht into the Legion Wallonie (Inf. Btl. 373). In juli 1943 the 5. Freiwilligen Sturmbrigade Wallonien became a Waffen-SS unit. In 1944 it was upgraded as the 28. SS Frw. Gren Division Wallonien.

the Flemish vollunteers wore all the time cuffbands: Nordwest / Westland / Frw. Legion Flandern / Langemarck
their shield was a rampant black lion on a yellow field

The Walloons wore only a cuffband when they enlisted the Waffen-SS: Wallonien
Their shield was a belgian flag with the words Wallonie on top of it.
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Re: Goralischer Waffen SS Legion - unfinished business

Post by Peiper »

Hi Kamerad :D
What im saying is the "Walloon" or French speaking Dutch wore the Langemarck cufftitle (28th)
even though they were known as "28th SS Frewilligen Grenadierdivision Wallonien" they didn't
wear a "Wallonien" cufftitle it bore the word "Langemarck"

Where as the 27th were "Flemish" speaking dutch, but both Units were not classed as
racial German but as "Walloon" and "Flemish" respectively.

Cheers now!
Peiper :wink:
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Re: Goralischer Waffen SS Legion - unfinished business

Post by Salacious Crumb »

no, the Walloons wore the Wollonien cuffband, trust me I've got plenty books about Flemish and Walloon collaboration (hey I'm Flemish, why would I buy other?) There are many pictures of Walloons wearing the Wallonien band.

Walloons speak French and didn't join Langemarck.
Flemish speak Flemish, wich is a Dutch dialect and didn't join Wallonie.

Where do you have your information from, if I may ask, because it doesn't make any sense?

The Flemish, where considered Germanic like the Dutch (The Netherlands) that's why they could join the SS-Standarte Nordwest (soon renamed in Westland) of the Wiking division. This was in 1940!
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Re: Goralischer Waffen SS Legion - unfinished business

Post by Peiper »

Salacious Crumb wrote:

Flemish speak Flemish, wich is a Dutch dialect and didn't join Wallonie.
Hi Salacious, i think we may have crossed wires?
This is more or less what i have said, except i read the 28th were known
as "Walloon speakers" but wore the Langemarck cufftitle, this was going from the SS Div
lists from the "SS-Regalia" book by Jack Pia, and lists the 28th Frewilligen Grenadierdivision
as being called "Langemarck" and consisting of "Walloon" speaking Dutchmen, the "SS-Regalia"
book i admit is an outdated book.

Also the explanation of the Walloon/French speakers and the seperate
Flemish/Dutch dialect was mentioned in the "Peiper" book by Charles Whiting.
It also gives a list of SS Divisions in Bruce Quarries "Hitlers Samurai" book, as
i say this is going from memory as iam at work at the time of writing.

I also mentioned the "Walloon" cufftitle as well because i have never seen an original example
in books or otherwise, except reproduction examples, was this an "unofficial-cuffband" ??,
because other sources i have read list the "Wallonien" as an SS-Sturmbrigade not a Division,
also even though they were called "Germanic-volunteers" they were not classed as "Ayrans"
like the Premier Division members.

As i say i have just started to look at the "Foreign" SS Divisons/Units so any further information
is appreciated as at the moment my "sources" are limited.

Thanks for your comments
Regards Peiper
Peiper

Re: Goralischer Waffen SS Legion - unfinished business

Post by Peiper »

Greetings Salacious :D

I have now checked the "Hitler's Samurai" book and it appears there is some conflicting
information, the "Wallonien" is listed as a Division but originally was called the "Wallonische-
Legion" and was part of the Wehrmacht and this was originally the size of a Brigade, so i can
see where the confusion comes from, also the "Langemarck" was also originally called
the "Flandern-Legion" and this was only Brigade size too!.

Because of the title/name changes, according to this ref book "Samurai" it appears some
other ref books have conflicting information.

Thanks for your advice and helping me get what appears to be the correct information,
as i said i had glanced at this before but not fully read about "Foreign SS Units" until now!.

Regards Peiper :wink:
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Re: Goralischer Waffen SS Legion - unfinished business

Post by Salacious Crumb »

Image
I've got is from Wehrmacht-Awards.com I don't know from who it is but if the rightfull owner want it removed just say so.

Cuffband of the 28th grenadier Division Wallonien and the Armshield they wore. The White shield is something I don't know what it is.
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