Black Soldiers in Wehrmacht?
-
SchwarzeFee
- New Member
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2003 9:03 am
- Location: United States
- Contact:
Black Soldiers in Wehrmacht?
I was wondering if anyone has any proof or websites or anything basically on this topic? Just wondering
I have not heard anything of this and I HIGHLY HIGHLY doubt it. If there were any, I'm sure they only served like kitchen duty positions (not my opinion, but just conjecture about Nazi policy!). But at that time Europe was not too full of Africans, so if there were any it was only an individual here and there.
-
sid guttridge
- on "time out"
- Posts: 8055
- Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2002 4:54 am
Hi guys,
There was a documentary on British TV a year or two ago, about the few black and mixed race Germans in the Third Reich. I did not weatch it, but I think the information you want is out there somewhere.
I also seem to recall that when the Germans took over the Vichy Zone in France in November 1942 they also took over some African soldiers who the Vichy French had been unable to repatriate to colonies that had gone over to the Free French. I believe they were used by both Vichy and the Germans in labour battalions.
Cheers,
Sid.
There was a documentary on British TV a year or two ago, about the few black and mixed race Germans in the Third Reich. I did not weatch it, but I think the information you want is out there somewhere.
I also seem to recall that when the Germans took over the Vichy Zone in France in November 1942 they also took over some African soldiers who the Vichy French had been unable to repatriate to colonies that had gone over to the Free French. I believe they were used by both Vichy and the Germans in labour battalions.
Cheers,
Sid.
Hi,
Don't think there would be too many. I read a book by Hans Massaquoi some years ago called Destined to Witness. His father was an African diplomat (from Liberia, I think) and his mother was a German nurse. He never served in the Wehrmacht and was denied entry into the Hitler Youth. It's an interesting read you should check it out sometime.
I purchased another book called "Hitler's Black Victims" or something similar to that recently. It's sitting in my huge pile of books to be read "someday".
Don't think there would be too many. I read a book by Hans Massaquoi some years ago called Destined to Witness. His father was an African diplomat (from Liberia, I think) and his mother was a German nurse. He never served in the Wehrmacht and was denied entry into the Hitler Youth. It's an interesting read you should check it out sometime.
I purchased another book called "Hitler's Black Victims" or something similar to that recently. It's sitting in my huge pile of books to be read "someday".
Cheers,
Patrick
When I was single, I had three theories on raising children. Now I have three children and no theories.
Patrick
When I was single, I had three theories on raising children. Now I have three children and no theories.
I also read that book. THe Hitler Youth wanted no part of him (he was crying and couldnt understand that), the Wehrmacht didnt want him for his mandatory military service when they discovered that he was black. The even didnt want him when he tried to volunteer in 42 (he thought with more and more casulties in Russia they might take him).Patrick wrote:Hi,
Don't think there would be too many. I read a book by Hans Massaquoi some years ago called Destined to Witness. His father was an African diplomat (from Liberia, I think) and his mother was a German nurse. He never served in the Wehrmacht and was denied entry into the Hitler Youth. It's an interesting read you should check it out sometime.
BUT when the Volkssturm was created they didnt send him away no longer. He took part in a one day training but never came back to his unit. In the chaos of the last weeks it went unnoticed. He said that he knew that the Reich was lost when finally - after they have denied him entry so many times - he a black guy was acceptable as a soldier fighting for the master race.
After the war he joined a jazz band. There he met a half chinese guy who served in the Wehrmacht as a paratrooper.
Hi,
Just started reading "Hitler's Black Victims" by Clarence Lusane. I thumbed through it quickly for some highlights. According to this book, there was a differentiation between Afro-Germans (blacks born in Germany with citizenship), Africans (students), and Afro-Europeans (coming primarily from England and France). There were even some Afro-American jazz musicians and dancers traveling in Europe who got caught up in the war. They weren't treated badly (at first) because 1) Germany thought they'd get their colonies back, 2) the Nazis concentrated so much on Jews and gypsies while blacks were too few in number to warrant special action, and 3) they wanted to have favorable comparisons for propaganda purposes to how blacks were treated in America.
He cites a few examples of blacks serving in the Wehrmacht. Werner Egiomue was in a glider club in the 1930s. He was in both the HJ and the Heer but no military record is given. Another listed as "Peter K." served on the Eastern Front, was captured by the Russians, and released in 1949. A black spy trained by the Abwehr named William Baarn was apprehended in Brazil in 1943. Otherwise, towards the end blacks were employed as laborers or slave-laborers rather than as combatants.
It looks pretty interesting, so I'll keep reading.
Just started reading "Hitler's Black Victims" by Clarence Lusane. I thumbed through it quickly for some highlights. According to this book, there was a differentiation between Afro-Germans (blacks born in Germany with citizenship), Africans (students), and Afro-Europeans (coming primarily from England and France). There were even some Afro-American jazz musicians and dancers traveling in Europe who got caught up in the war. They weren't treated badly (at first) because 1) Germany thought they'd get their colonies back, 2) the Nazis concentrated so much on Jews and gypsies while blacks were too few in number to warrant special action, and 3) they wanted to have favorable comparisons for propaganda purposes to how blacks were treated in America.
He cites a few examples of blacks serving in the Wehrmacht. Werner Egiomue was in a glider club in the 1930s. He was in both the HJ and the Heer but no military record is given. Another listed as "Peter K." served on the Eastern Front, was captured by the Russians, and released in 1949. A black spy trained by the Abwehr named William Baarn was apprehended in Brazil in 1943. Otherwise, towards the end blacks were employed as laborers or slave-laborers rather than as combatants.
It looks pretty interesting, so I'll keep reading.
Cheers,
Patrick
When I was single, I had three theories on raising children. Now I have three children and no theories.
Patrick
When I was single, I had three theories on raising children. Now I have three children and no theories.
During my service in the Bundeswehr, I met two Afro-German (though we would not use that word here) soldiers. One of them, a Oberfeldwebel, had a hobby: researching (amateur level) service of black soldiers for Germany. He focused on Askari units of colonial and WW1 era, but also told about several black soldiers serving in the Wehrmacht. However, he did not leave me any sources I could contribute here, but at least I think: yes, black Landsers existed.
Pedites pugnas decernent