[squadleader_id]

A reenactment group in Jakarta posted some very interesting photos and a short film.

YouTube Link

Inspired by this photo of an Indonesian volunteer in the Dutch SS (Legion Nederland):



Edit: I guess this should be moved to "The Mess".

[papa_whisky]

I don't quite see how an Indonesian can fulfil the criteria of being Aryan? I would have thought what ever their political views they would be more likely to be in a concentration camp.

[squadleader_id]

After 'Aryan human resources' were used up...the Waffen-SS formed many foreign legion Divisions from the conquered lands.
The Indonesian Waffen-SS volunteer from Legion Nederland joined up in Holland...not all the way from Indonesia.

[papa_whisky]

squadleader_id, I would be really interested in a source of that info to read about it some more. I am fully aware of the many foreign SS units but just amazed that they bent their own rules so far. Thanks in advance.

[karlmortar]

Mostly they were taken from allied colonial forces who ended up in POW camps while some volunteered.

As far as I know, Indonesians were used to form the Freikorps India (Or independent India or something like that) it was a Heer formation and elements were stationed on the atlantic wall in france. Some Indonesians ended up in a FJ regiment which name I can't remember but I have seen pictures of them.
There has been some talk that they were part of the defence in the battle for Berlin.
As for the SS members I don't know very much, but I know there was Indonesians in the Waffen-SS, but not many.

[squadleader_id]

papa_whisky, Indonesians in the Waffen-SS would be very rare indeed.  I don't think there would be whole units or detachments made up of Indonesian personnel in Dutch Waffen-SS units.
AFAIK photos would be very rare too.

The story behind that rare photo of that Indonesian volunteer in the Dutch SS (Legion Nederland):
"The photo came from Mark Bando, the American researcher of American Airborne units. In the course of his research into the 101st Airborne Division, he met with Wilson Boback, who had fought in the Netherlands during Market-Garden in September 1944. Boback's unit came into contact with part of the Landstorm Nederland, and Boback killed a man from the LN and then searched his body. He took from it a photo of the man, who was obviously Indonesian (or part), which showed him in the uniform of the Legion Nederland (wolf's hook collar patch, Dutch made armshield and cufftitle), along with the flaming grenade helmet decal of the LN.

This shows there was at least one Indonesian in the Waffen-SS, and it is likely at least a few similar cases existed."
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=97482

Recommended reading material would be books by Marc J. Rikmenspoel, he wrote two impressive books about the Waffen-SS:
1) Waffen-SS: One motto, many Nations
2) Waffen-SS Encyclopedia



karlmortar: I think you're confusing Indonesians with Indians, My Friend...very different nations  

Infanterie-Regiment 950 (indische), or Legion Freies Indien, was formed 26 Aug 1942 from Indian volunteers fighting in the British 3rd (Indian) Motorised Brigade and other units captured in North Africa. It should also be noted that not all were volunteers, many were also pressured to join the unit.
The Indians were recruited with the help of Subhas Chandra Bose, ex-president of the Indian National Congress, who had escaped India despite British surveillance.

Apr 1943 it was transferred to Beverloo, Belgium, were it was attached to 16. Luftwaffe-Feld-Division. A large number of men of the 3rd company, 1st battalion, refused to follow orders and go to the Netherlands, this ended with 47 of them being court-martialled and sent back to the POW-camps.
Aug 1943 it was sent to Bordeaux, France, and was attached to 344. Infanterie-Division. When that division was sent to northern France, the Indians remained and was attached to 159. Infanterie-Division.

21 Jan 1943 it was made part of the Japanese sponsored Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army), an "army" that would grow to include 3 divisions with a total of 33.000 men. Bose had left Germany Feb 1943 on U-180 from Kiel and met up with the Japanese submarine I-29 near Madagascar, reaching Japan occupied Sumatra 6 May. He then travelled to Tokyo were he got involved with Japanese plans. He did of the wounds he suffered in a airplane crash after take-off from Taipei, Formosa (Taiwan), 18 Aug 1945.

The 9th company, the one most reliable one, was sent to Italy in the spring of 1944 where it saw action against the British 5th Corps and the Polish 2nd Corps before it was withdrawn from the front to be used in antipartisan operations. It surrendered to the Allied forces Apr 1945, still in Italy.

Following the allied landings in Normandy the activities of the partisans, Forces Françaises de l'Intérieur (FFI), began to increase and as the Allies advanced the Indians withdrew, loosing men both through combat and desertions.

It was transferred to the Waffen-SS in Aug 1944 and was redesignated Indische Freiwilligen Legion der Waffen-SS.

Italy also recruited Indians for their forces, they served in Battaglione Azad Hindostan of the Raggruppamento Centri Militari.

Area of operations Germany (Aug 1942 - Apr 1943) Holland (Apr 1943 - Sep 1943) France (Sep 1943 - Aug 1944)

Order of battle
I. Bataillon
II. Bataillon
III. Bataillon
13. Infanteriegeschütz Kompanie
14. Panzerjäger Kompanie
15. Pionier Kompanie
Sonderkompanie




http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=2157

[papa_whisky]

WoW, thanks for that info it was enlightening.

[Panzermayer]

the germans also deployed a russian army...


soldier of the freies arabien or of the handchar divizionen.SS units.

[salhexe]

Here in Italy we have 2 magazines specialized about Waffen SS, for who interested:

http://uominiearmi.blogspot.com/2009/01/nuova-rivista-ritterkreuz.html
 
http://www.marvia.it/volontari.html

[karlmortar]

Oooo...my misstake

But I'm still sure bout the Indonesian Fallschirmjägers.

[squadleader_id]

[karlmortar]

Alright, now I know there is a serious problem with my memory now!
Turned out those FJs were Arabians!

[Panzermayer]

Cool topic this one.
squadleader_id - thx for explaining the difference between the two. I wasent shure because for example the SS polizie used army style clothing for a long time.
karlmortar - it seemed that a lot of foreign units in the Heer and SS found there waterloo in and around berlin.

to add some more photo`s.

capatured after d-day


capatured after d-day


Landstorm Nederland - looks very indonesian

something about dutch indonesia.
From a dutch NSB (dutch national socialist party) leader called the black weduwe.

'Was the NSB in Dutch East Indies larger or smaller than the Netherlands?
The NSB had in the Dutch East Indies a very large following. Everyone could become a member of the NSB and the Dutch Youth Storm. The Dutch-Indian Youth Storm was 20% black, they could not speak Dutch, Mussert or Geelkerken (NSB leaders) had nothing against that'

[squadleader_id]

Nice pics, Panzermayer...you're right, that Landstorm Nederland soldier must be at least half Indonesian.

A unique photo of a youth group (Parindra Youth) greeting Indonesian dignitaries in Java with the well-known Nazi salute (January, 1941).

[salhexe]

The Landstorm soldier is decorated with k1 (not visible in this photo) and p.o.w. on the Western Front spring 1945.
(From Ritterkreuz n°3)