Spanische-Freiwilligen Kompanie der SS 101

[Ricardo Silva]

This company was formed from the remnants of the Spanish Legion, also known as the Blue Legion, that was formed by volunteers from the Blue Division (250 I.D.) when this was ordered back to spain in 1943. This company was attached to the 28 SS Division (Wallonien) and later to the 11 SS Division (Nordland) and fought in the battle of berlin. Anyone has any info on them? I would be interested to know if there is any documentation available and also personal lists or other info.
I already discovered a book written by one officer, Miguel Ezquerra, and will soon have some more info from some press articles. But there is nothing as good as official documents.

[Doktor Krollspell]

Hello Ricardo!

Some names of Spanish officers in the Spanische-Freiwilligen Kompanie der SS 101, taken from Antonio J.Munoz' "Forgotten Legions - Obscure Combat Formations of the Waffen-SS" (1991)...

Waffen-Obersturmführer der SS Valdamos, acting company commander
Waffen-Untersturmführer der SS Botet
Waffen-Untersturmführer der SS LaFuente
Waffen-Untersturmführer der SS Ocaña

Waffen-Obersturmführer der SS Miguel Ezquerra took command of the company during the final battles in Berlin 1945.


Regards,

Krollspell

[Ricardo Silva]

Thank you Doktor Krollspell for the interesting information,
i'm about to get a book written by Miguel Ezquerra, and i've also read an article about the spanish SS units, they were two: Spanische-Freiwilligen Kompanie der SS 101 and 102. Unfortunately, i still haven't found the info i'm searching: a list with all the names of the men on these two SS companies. Do you have any clue to where it may be? I'm searching some NARA guides, but still haven't found nothing usefull. And since this men were there against spanish orders, it is doubtfull that the spanish archives of the blue division have any usefull info about them.

[John P. Moore]

Has anyone ever seen a period document where these units or officers are mentioned? Or a Feldpost number listing? The only Spanish officer for which there is a Personalakte from the BDC/NARA is Hstuf. Dr. Abel Olivas.

John

[Ricardo Silva]

I'm still searching, but up until now i haven't found none. I have NARA documentation for the Blue Division, and some of this men came from there, i'm in contact (recently) with the spanish archives, and i'm searching there too.
It's going to be difficult, because this issue was very sensitive for the spanish autorities. When Franco ordered the withdrawal of the Blue DIvision, a small Blue Legion was left in its place, but this men did not have the backing of the spanish autoririties, so, they were on their own. And when the legion was disbanded, a few diehards wen't to form these two companies, they also received a few volunteers that came from spain, but always without the support of the spanish government.
These two companies were integrated in bigger SS units, and ended up figthing in Berlin in the Charlemagne, but they also fought with the Wallonie,...
The only info i've got so far is a book that i haven't read yet, written by Miguel Ezquerra, their commander in the final battle in Berlin.
I'm curious to konw if there were any portuguese among them, a possibility, since there were several portuguese in the Blue Division.

[Ricardo Silva]

Do you have the Personalakte of the spanish officer you refered John?

[sebastian]

in krollspel his post is can see a Waffen-Untersturmführer der SS Botet,i think it must be the this guy on the pic,wearing an ss uniform,i also heared some spanish volunteers went to the ss-dirlewangerbrigade and 24e gebirgsdivision karstjager,but i cannot back this up with a decent source so i am not 100% sure

Seb

[Ricardo Silva]

Thanks for the input Sebastian,
there are many rumours about the spanish SS units, and this happens because there is so little information about them, thats why myth and reality are very difficult to distinguish.
I read that they fought with the french, the belgian even with italian SS units, and also that there were spanish soldiers in SS Das Reich, gebirgsjaeger units, and so forth.
The truth is likely to be more simple, and while i believe that the spanish units saw a lot of action, i also believe that they were in less units than the rumours sugest.

[Doktor Krollspell]

Antonio J.Munoz also mentions (in the same book) that some spaniards fought in the ranks of the Brandenburgers, especially in units such as Streifkorps Frankreich and it's sub-unit Einsatzgruppe Pyrenären. These units became part of SS-Jagdverband Südwest in january 1945 after the Waffen-SS and Otto Skorzeny had amalgated all Heer special forces. About 50 Spaniards and the spanish Leutnant, later Waffen-Obersturmführer der SS Demetrio were part of these units.

Munoz also names a Leutnant José Ortiz that commanded a spanish ex-Brandenburger company in the Waffen-Gebirgs(karst)jäger-Brigade der SS 24 in the latter part of 1944.


Regards,

Krollspell

[Ricardo Silva]

There were very few spanish in the SS, nonetheless they are refered as having been with so many famous units, that it is very difficult to be sure where the truth starts and the myth ends.
Unfortunately, most of what we read is personal accounts of people that usually weren't even there and have no documentation to corroborate their assumptions. I don't know one single academic piece about this issue, nor a good investigation with solid proof of what the SS spaniards did, and their path in the SS structure. The only thing known for sure, is that there were two SS companies and the name of several officers, all of the rest is speculation. And i find it very difficult for so few men to have served with so many units, and in so many famous battles.