Can anyone help me with any info about this unit? Supposely it wore the same collar tabs that Sonderkommando "Dirlewanger" did, but had no connection to that unit.
Thanks,
AHK
kampfgruppe Dora
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Adrian Weale
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This is the sub-unit of 'SS-Sturmbataillon 500' described by Frithjof Elmo Porsch (alias Ingo Petersson) in various books since the war. Supposedly it was a battalion of disgraced former Waffen-SS officers.
While Porsch definitely existed (and indeed still does as far as I know), doubts surround much of what he has written. Firstly, Porsch's claims to have been a recipient of the RK, the Close Combat Clasp in Gold, the General Assault Badge for 75 assaults and the German Cross in Gold cannot be documented and are disputed by the various societies which represent actual recipients of the awards. He was certainly a member of the Waffen-SS and I have a copy of his SS personal file in front of me, but unfortunately the only information it lists is his name and date of birth (19 October 1924). There is also a largely illegible entry referring to a 'W St. B' relating to 20 February 1945.
Over the years, various reasonably well known photographs of Porsch have been published in which he wears an officer's uniform and an enormous number of decorations, as well as the 'Dirlewanger' collar patches (on both collars) which he claims were worn by the unit. I am convinced that these are post war, not least because they have been largely de-Nazified by the removal of Totenkopf and Hoheitsabzeichen insignia, but also because they show a man in early middle age, and not the twenty-one year old they should depict if they were contemporary.
Secondly, in 23 years of research with original German documents in Germany, and the microfilms at College Park, I don't recall coming across a single reference to this unit and neither is it mentioned in H-P Klausch's various studies of Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS penal units. Of course, I haven't seen more than a small fraction of the documents which exist, nevertheless I do have an interest in SS disiplinary units and I have looked out for this material: my own view is that the unit did not exist in the form described by Porsch.
In essence, my opinion is that Porsch wrote heavily fictionalised accounts of his experiences (not dissimilar to Sven Hassell, for example) but that these have been wrongly taken as Gospel by researchers who should be more sceptical. One of the pitfalls for the general reader trying to find out about the Waffen-SS is that so many of the books are written by hacks prepared to regurgitate the most ridiculous drivel. Over the years, more serious researchers like George Stein, Charles Sydnor, George Browder, and indeed, Mark Yerger and George Lepre, have gone back to the original documents and written authoritative accounts of various aspects of the SS, but these are outnumbered ten to one by the rubbish.
While Porsch definitely existed (and indeed still does as far as I know), doubts surround much of what he has written. Firstly, Porsch's claims to have been a recipient of the RK, the Close Combat Clasp in Gold, the General Assault Badge for 75 assaults and the German Cross in Gold cannot be documented and are disputed by the various societies which represent actual recipients of the awards. He was certainly a member of the Waffen-SS and I have a copy of his SS personal file in front of me, but unfortunately the only information it lists is his name and date of birth (19 October 1924). There is also a largely illegible entry referring to a 'W St. B' relating to 20 February 1945.
Over the years, various reasonably well known photographs of Porsch have been published in which he wears an officer's uniform and an enormous number of decorations, as well as the 'Dirlewanger' collar patches (on both collars) which he claims were worn by the unit. I am convinced that these are post war, not least because they have been largely de-Nazified by the removal of Totenkopf and Hoheitsabzeichen insignia, but also because they show a man in early middle age, and not the twenty-one year old they should depict if they were contemporary.
Secondly, in 23 years of research with original German documents in Germany, and the microfilms at College Park, I don't recall coming across a single reference to this unit and neither is it mentioned in H-P Klausch's various studies of Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS penal units. Of course, I haven't seen more than a small fraction of the documents which exist, nevertheless I do have an interest in SS disiplinary units and I have looked out for this material: my own view is that the unit did not exist in the form described by Porsch.
In essence, my opinion is that Porsch wrote heavily fictionalised accounts of his experiences (not dissimilar to Sven Hassell, for example) but that these have been wrongly taken as Gospel by researchers who should be more sceptical. One of the pitfalls for the general reader trying to find out about the Waffen-SS is that so many of the books are written by hacks prepared to regurgitate the most ridiculous drivel. Over the years, more serious researchers like George Stein, Charles Sydnor, George Browder, and indeed, Mark Yerger and George Lepre, have gone back to the original documents and written authoritative accounts of various aspects of the SS, but these are outnumbered ten to one by the rubbish.
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Frederick L Clemens
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- Location: Sterling VA
Thanks for the informative post, Adrian. I think that the key to the exaggerated war stories has been for the writers to say they were in some kind of elite unit like Waffen-SS or Grossdeutschland - then the Wehrmacht groupies eat it up without reservation. I stopped the publication of a similar fabricator who claimed to have been at Eben Emael, Kursk, and the Bulge (FBB) through just a little bit of background research at the archives.
Many of these fabricators/exaggerators were able to succeed for years as long as no one did any fact-checking on them. Fortunately, their time of deception is passing and their stories are being replaced by more honest accounts of legitimate vets. Of course, the diehard fans will remain reluctant to let go of their false gods.
Many of these fabricators/exaggerators were able to succeed for years as long as no one did any fact-checking on them. Fortunately, their time of deception is passing and their stories are being replaced by more honest accounts of legitimate vets. Of course, the diehard fans will remain reluctant to let go of their false gods.