Posted here as it seems a little odd. Does anyone have any info on British POWs, wearing German uniforms, with a union flag on the sleeve, held by the Russians? Seems very strange to me but it arrived as a question in my email, the original comment was from a WW2 vet who seems to remember this incident in the last stages of WW2. The story further goes to say that these men were 'exchanged' for Russians previously held by Germany.
This info came in really handy, thanks Karkhov 43! Anyway the unit is probably the Britisches Freikorps, British Free Corps - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
It can't have been more than a few Geoff but the union flag suggests the British Free Corps. British Free Corps - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia It goes without saying that once the Russkies no longer felt threatened, they were keen to show that they had won despite most of the British being on the side of the Nazis.
It can't have been more than a few Geoff but the union flag suggests the British Free Corps. British Free Corps - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia It goes without saying that once the Russkies no longer felt threatened, they were keen to show that they had won despite most of the British being on the side of the Nazis. Beat ya too it Anyway I think "Russkies" is seen as a racial term now by many, along with "Tojo's" and "Kraut", by some.
Beat ya too it Anyway I think "Russkies" is seen as a racial term now by many, along with "Tojo's" and "Kraut", by some. Thank you both for the replies. Perhaps I'll try and get the vet (or 2) enlisted here. (I was once called a "pommie B*****", but that was in a Sydney pub, late at night) geoff
Posted here as it seems a little odd. Does anyone have any info on British POWs, wearing German uniforms, with a union flag on the sleeve, held by the Russians? Seems very strange to me but it arrived as a question in my email, the original comment was from a WW2 vet who seems to remember this incident in the last stages of WW2. The story further goes to say that these men were 'exchanged' for Russians previously held by Germany. It does tie in with a reply I made a couple of days ago on another thread, when I mentioned that some British POW's ended up in the SS Freikorps and the book I read said that a handful fought with the SS Nordland unit in the final days of the battle in Berlin. If what information you have received is accurate it ties in with the overall picture. Regards Tom
A little excerpt from the C. AILSBY "The Waffen-SS in Europe 1939-1945. SS: Hell on the Eastern Front": Members of the BFC Kenneth Berry (on the left) and Alfred Minchin (in center). PS: amazing that this shots made with samsung innov8 smartphone which have 8mpx camera ) well done my korean friend
DB, Thanks for the shots. I must say it is the first photo of a BFK soldier in uniform that I have seen. Regards Tom
DB, Thanks for the shots. I must say it is the first photo of a BFK soldier in uniform that I have seen.
See also http://www.geocities.com/orion47.geo/GreatBritain/BFC.html British Volunteers in the German Wehrmacht in WWII Britisches Frei-Korps / British Free Corps Axis History Factbook: Britisches Freikorps http://cfs2.tistory.com/upload_control/download.blog?fhandle=YmxvZzIwMDU3QGZzMi50aXN0b3J5LmNvbTovYXR0YWNoLzkvOTE1LmpwZw==
How bizarre, it seems weird seiing a union flag on a SS uniform and I can think of a certain political party that would use that poster Owen.
The Brits Who Fought For Hitler - showing on The History Channel A nation reviles treachery, perhaps now more than ever. But the chronicles of recent history have ignored the most shameful episode of World War Two. The Britisches Freikorps unit of the Waffen SS served alongside the Nazis on the Eastern Front. Its members wore the death’s head insignia and took German rank. They helped defend Berlin even as Hitler retreated to his bunker. But each and every member was recruited from British, Canadian, Australian and South African soldiers who volunteered to betray their country. Recognising the potential propaganda value of the unit, the Nazis ordered 800 SS uniforms with Union Jack arm badges. Most Allied prisoners of war ignored or resisted recruitment tactics ranging from leaflet bombardment to bribery and torture. But some 200 Allied prisoners answered the Nazi call. Some were motivated by greed, or by sympathies with the fascist cause. Others were simply described by intelligence files of the time as of ‘weak character’, and found the opportunities offered by the Germans to drink and womanise too tempting. The British Free Corps was itself betrayed by one of its number who joined only to feed MI5 with information. John Brown, the quartermaster of a camp at Genshagen. As Germany collapsed, Brown’s information allowed the Allies to round up the traitors who often posed as fleeing PoWs. They were prosecuted and sentenced at court martial and treason trials. The intelligence files were quietly closed and access to the devastating information within was restricted. There was no cover-up, rather a conspiracy of indifference. For the first time on British Television, the British SS soldiers speak of their treachery, and their part in a failed German propaganda coup.
