Dutch SS veterans, Korea

[monmax]

The Dutch copy of Perry Pierik's From Leningrad to Berlin mentions two newspaper articles concerning Korean war volunteers
- Trouw 26-06-1968: Leidde oud-SS'er onderofficieren op? (Did a former SS member train noncom?
- Trouw 28-06-1968: Defensie; oud SS'ers konden na de oorlog naar Korea (DoD; former SS mebers could go to Korea.
The book also mentions the radio broadcast by the VARA
The book doesn't state how many former SS members were involved, but does mention the already stated reasons for volunteering.

I myself don't live in the neighborhood of the Trouw archives, but maybe some others in this thread do?

[bregman]

you can also visit the Dutch website http://www.waffen-ss.nl
It's true Dutch former Waffe-SS soldiers fought in Korea.
Henk Jan Bregman

[haen1]

Hi Guys,

It sounds more like a suspension of some civil liberties. Loss of citizenship seems to over state the case. They appear to have remained legally Dutchmen, but without the full range of civil rights this would normally imply.

Cheers,

Sid.

I forgot to mention that we also cold no longer get a Dutch passport. We could get a "statenloos" passport, denoting that we were citizens without a country.

just a clarification.
HN

[Helmut Von Moltke]

how sad..... SS soldiers with such experience dying in a god forsaken country, far away from Europe, for the sake of some superpower, but the only consolation is that he is fighting Bolshevism in Asia, much in the same way the SS soldiers fought Bolshevism in Europe..... Just my 2 cents...

[panzermahn]

how sad..... SS soldiers with such experience dying in a god forsaken country, far away from Europe, for the sake of some superpower, but the only consolation is that he is fighting Bolshevism in Asia, much in the same way the SS soldiers fought Bolshevism in Europe..... Just my 2 cents...

Quite true.

Regards
Panzermahn

[sid guttridge]

Hi Guys,

It is only sad if you don't consider the difference in what they were fighting for.

Those fighting for the Germans were doing so for the only regime comparable in its vileness to Stalin's USSR and betrayed their country to do so.

Those serving with UN forces in Korea were fighting for Liberal Democracy and, moreover, did not have to betray their country to do so.

Cheers,

Sid.

[Kadett]

Hi Guys,

maybe interesting to tell. The brother of my grandmother was during the war enlisted in the waffen-SS. After the war he signed up for duty again as an 'oorlogsvrijwilliger' (war volunteer) but this time with the UN and was send to Korea.

Why? I have thought about several reasons but I can only think of the following ones.

- Being a soldier was the only thing he learned. It was the only thing he was good at.
- Service abroad for the UN meant, for those days, a good steady income.

I remember several sources which I cannot sadly remember were dutch veterans praised their former waffen-ss colleagues for their experience in combat.

greetings,

Kadett

[rednas]

A interesting (dutch) documentary about the Dutchmen who fought in the Korean war. After 30 minutes it is about the Dutch Waffen SS soldiers who fought with them. Very interesting imo.

http://www.hollanddoc.nl/afleveringen/30553119/

[smaug]

Thanks for the link Rednas, very impressive.

[rednas]

I heared something weird while viewing it again. After General Seyffardt has spoken to the Dutch volunteer legion a song is played (at 27/28 minutes). This sounds like the Dutch anthem (the Wilhelmus), though this would be strange (some parts are about the dutch royal family), so it must be the Treuelied. A German song (often used by the SS next to the Horst Wessel) with the tune of the Dutch national anthem. Only the lyrics are different!

[Beershark]

Foreign volunteers were generally seen as traitors after the war. Interestingly, Danes were allowed under Danish law to join the German armed forces, much in the same way that Irish citizens can serve in the British Army. But the Danish authorities conveniently forgot this after WW2 and sent Danish former Waffen-SS men to prison. One of them, Eric Brorup, who served with several Waffen-SS units including SS-Fallschirmjäger-Btl 500, consequently emigrated to Canada where he later served with the armed forces there and taught at the military academy. They valued his experience. After all, the Waffen-SS was essentially the prototype for NATO.

Paddy Keating

Christ Almighty, Paddy, just where do you get off stating that the SS was essentially the prototype for NATO ! I can think of not one iota of evidence or information that can even remotely justify this ludicrous
assertion ! Mind you, had it have been true, then we might have had a NATO that was a f--k sight better !!

[haen2]

I heared something weird while viewing it again. After General Seyffardt has spoken to the Dutch volunteer legion a song is played (at 27/28 minutes). This sounds like the Dutch anthem (the Wilhelmus), though this would be strange (some parts are about the dutch royal family), so it must be the Treuelied. A German song (often used by the SS next to the Horst Wessel) with the tune of the Dutch national anthem. Only the lyrics are different!

It was the Dutch national anthem. 2nd part.

" Mijn schildt ende betrouwen
zeit Gij Oh God mijn Heer
Op U zo wil ik bouwen
verlaat mij nimmer meer.
Dat ik zo vroom mag blijven
Uw dienaar t'allerstondt
de Tirannie verdrijven
die mij mijn hart doorwondt"

HN