Did any non whites in Wehrmacht/Waffen SS get Knight's Cross

[Mansal D]

Leif,

Yes, in fact there were many black men in the Wehrmacht. I have seen several photos of Africans (perhaps many French Africans) who were in the Wehrmacht during the war. Some even have special volunteer sleeve shields.

There was also an Indian regiment in the Wehrmacht (and later SS). The British used Indians in their army (they had them as a colony) and so when captured by Germans in Africa, they were put in service of the Wehrmacht in hopes of fighting British colonialism.

Hope this helps Leif!
Mansal

[Ostküste]

Regarding Gramford's post.
Several years ago a dealer at a militaria fair in the uk had several photos of a black guy in Waffen-SS uniform.
The looked genuine, but he would not sell them.
Sorry not much help, but interesting.

[ghp95134]

....He received, while being a prisoner, a KVK.

This sounds hard for me to believe simply because when a soldier was remitted to prison, his awards were revoked; I wonder how this fellah could have received an award as a prisoner. I can understand he might have received an award while in a POW camp, as I have read that awards were sometimes certified/authorized while POW. But in a KZ for stealing? I think the circumstances must have been very unique if an award was actually made while a penal prisoner.

Any clarification will be much appreciated.

Cheers!
--Guy

[Alex Dekker]

Any clarification will be much appreciated.

No name is mentioned and no other details. Also, the source is not know, so it might indeed be untrue. All I know is what posted (I can, if you want, post the title and the page).

[ghp95134]

No name is mentioned and no other details. Also, the source is not know, so it might indeed be untrue. All I know is what posted (I can, if you want, post the title and the page).

No need to post the title and page, but thanks for the offer. I will consider the story "apocryphal."

--Guy

[Paddy Keating]

It depends on how one defines whiteness. Being semitic, like levantine Arabs, or oriental, many Jews could be defined as non-white, their skin colour notwithstanding. A green-eyed, pale-skinned, fair-haired Persian may have the sort of looks that grace Ralph Lauren advertising but he's not "white", anymore than a swarthy-looking Yorkshireman is Persian. GFM u. RKT Erhard Milch is widely accepted as having been of largely Jewish descent. There were also a number of other RKT and ELT who were half-Jewish. So, yes, some non-whites held the Knight's Cross and one of them held the Oakleaves. Jews from Poland, the eastern Ukraine and other points east are as "white" as, say, Turks and given the general resistance to the idea of having Turkey in the European Union, fall rather into the category of the "Aryan Persian" I mentioned above. But again, how does one define "white" in an age where a poor little black boy called Michael Jackson can grow up and become a rich, white woman? The old barriers no longer exist and I, for one, think it's a jolly good thing!

PK

[panzermahn]

There were two Asians who were Japanese Admirals and were awarded the Knights Cross

Admiral Yamamoto (Oakleaves to the KC-posthumously)
Admiral Kongo (Knights Cross)

The only Europeans (who were non-Germans) to receive the Oakleaves to the Knights Cross were:

Leon Degrelle (Walloon)
Alfons Rebane (Estonian)

Panzermahn

[Doktor Krollspell]

There were two Asians who were Japanese Admirals and were awarded the Knights Cross

Admiral Yamamoto (Oakleaves to the KC-posthumously)
Admiral Kongo (Knights Cross)

The only Europeans (who were non-Germans) to receive the Oakleaves to the Knights Cross were:

Leon Degrelle (Walloon)
Alfons Rebane (Estonian)

Panzermahn

The japanese Admiral Yamamoto, Isoruko also received the Schwerten post-humously at the same time as the RK and the El, on 27.05.1943 as OB. d. Jap. Seestreitkräfte.

The other japanese RKT was Koga, Mineichi who received the RK post-humously on 12.05.1944 as Grossadmiral, OB d. Japanischen Seestreitkräfte.


Several non-German high ranking officers receieved the Eichenlauben...

Dumitrescu, Petre (Rumanian) receieved the EL on 04.04.1944 as General de Armata, OB 3. rum. Armee

Lascar, Mihail (Rumanian) received the EL on 27.11.1942 as a General de divizie, Kdr. Kgl. Rum. 6. Inf.Div.

Mannerheim, Carl-Gustaf Freiherr (Finnish) received the EL on 05.08.1944 as a Marschall, OB d. Finn. Streitkräfte

Munos-Grandes, Don Augustin (Spanish) received the EL on 13.12.1942 as a Generalleutnant, Kdr. 250. Inf.Div. (span.)

Teodorini, Corneliu (Rumanian) received the EL on 08.12.1943 as a General de brigada, Kdr. Kgl. Rum. 6. Kav.Div.


When it comes to the Estonian Waffen-Standartenführer Rebane, Alfons, Veit Scherzer's research have showed that his EL were not correctly awarded by any higher official with the authority to do so. Apart from the obvious fact that Fellgiebel and the OdR have given the award date as 09.05.1945, that is when Nazi Germany had unconditionally surrendered, hence no possibility for any official rewards.

Source: Veit Scherzer "Ritterkreuzträger 1939-1945" (2005).


Regards,

Krollspell

[Paddy Keating]

Official awards were made and later ratified after the surrender. The Lappland Shield is a case in point. However, there is of course a vast different between the Knight's Cross and a campaign award and several veterans who wore the Knight's Cross at reunions after WW2 had questionable title to it. However, a few were allowed in the 1950s by the German authorities.

PK

[Alex Dekker]

Conclusion: all KC-receivers were German or Germanic, according to the standards of the German authorities (till 9th May 1945)?

SOmething else, Axmann mentioned the HJ-Junge Nowack who received the KC, I've checked my Fellgiebel, didn't find this kid. It's mentioned in Das kann nicht das Ende sein written by Axmann.

[panzermahn]

There were two Asians who were Japanese Admirals and were awarded the Knights Cross

Admiral Yamamoto (Oakleaves to the KC-posthumously)
Admiral Kongo (Knights Cross)

The only Europeans (who were non-Germans) to receive the Oakleaves to the Knights Cross were:

Leon Degrelle (Walloon)
Alfons Rebane (Estonian)

Panzermahn

The japanese Admiral Yamamoto, Isoruko also received the Schwerten post-humously at the same time as the RK and the El, on 27.05.1943 as OB. d. Jap. Seestreitkräfte.

The other japanese RKT was Koga, Mineichi who received the RK post-humously on 12.05.1944 as Grossadmiral, OB d. Japanischen Seestreitkräfte.


Several non-German high ranking officers receieved the Eichenlauben...

Dumitrescu, Petre (Rumanian) receieved the EL on 04.04.1944 as General de Armata, OB 3. rum. Armee

Lascar, Mihail (Rumanian) received the EL on 27.11.1942 as a General de divizie, Kdr. Kgl. Rum. 6. Inf.Div.

Mannerheim, Carl-Gustaf Freiherr (Finnish) received the EL on 05.08.1944 as a Marschall, OB d. Finn. Streitkräfte

Munos-Grandes, Don Augustin (Spanish) received the EL on 13.12.1942 as a Generalleutnant, Kdr. 250. Inf.Div. (span.)

Teodorini, Corneliu (Rumanian) received the EL on 08.12.1943 as a General de brigada, Kdr. Kgl. Rum. 6. Kav.Div.


When it comes to the Estonian Waffen-Standartenführer Rebane, Alfons, Veit Scherzer's research have showed that his EL were not correctly awarded by any higher official with the authority to do so. Apart from the obvious fact that Fellgiebel and the OdR have given the award date as 09.05.1945, that is when Nazi Germany had unconditionally surrendered, hence no possibility for any official rewards.

Source: Veit Scherzer "Ritterkreuzträger 1939-1945" (2005).


Regards,

Krollspell

Hello Doktor Krollspell,

Many thanks again for correcting me :). As always informative as usual, Herr Doktor!!

Panzermahn

[ghp95134]

....He received, while being a prisoner, a KVK.

This sounds hard for me to believe simply because when a soldier was remitted to prison, his awards were revoked; I wonder how this fellah could have received an award as a prisoner. I can understand he might have received an award while in a POW camp, as I have read that awards were sometimes certified/authorized while POW. But in a KZ for stealing? I think the circumstances must have been very unique if an award was actually made while a penal prisoner.

Any clarification will be much appreciated.

Cheers!
--Guy

I just found an account of a Slovakian W-SS soldier in a penal unit who was awarded the EK2!

...some Greek black-marketeers persuaded them (and I suppose even paid them) to "look the other way" while they "liberated" some car tyres. They were found out and both of them ended up in a Penal unit somewhere deep in partisan-controlled territory. ...

...On this occasion Laco was wounded by a bullet through the tip of his right lung, but was also noticed by his Commanding Officer as doing some excellent work with his machinegun. As a result he was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd class and, after recovering from his wound, was returned to our company.....

Source HERE (top of page, right column, paragraphs 1~3)

--Guy Power