Gerry Villani - Voices of the Waffen SS: Volume 1

Voices of the Waffen SS

Gerry Villani 2019

"I can assure you that the Leibstandarte enjoys an outstanding reputation, not only with its own superiors but with its Army comrades also. Every division wishes it had the Leibstandarte as its neighbor. Its inner discipline, cool daredevilry, cheerful enterprise, unshakeable fortitude even when things become difficult or serious, exemplary toughness and its camaraderie, all of these are outstanding and cannot be surpassed."

General Eberhard Von Mackensen.

Contents

Acknowledgements p.5

Foreword by Gary Grindstaff p.7

Introduction p.9

Preface p.216

Engagement at the front p.18

War crimes p.28

KZ Dachau p.37

Conclusion p.41

Point of view about the Waffen SS and Germany by Degrelle p.42

Stories from the front p76

- The story of Marcel (Langemarck) p.78

- The story of Heinrich (Hohenstaufen) p.95

- The story of Hans (Totenkopf) p.105

- The story of Karl Matter (Totenkopf) p.113

- The story of Konrad (Das Reich) p.120

- The story of Horst (Hitlerjugend) p.125

- The story of Guschtie (Das Reich) p.129

- The story of Karl (Totenkopf) p.134

- The story of Steve (Maria Theresia) p.138

- The story of Joachim (Dirlewanger Brigade) p.167

- The story of SS Oberscharfhrer Kurt Schmidt (LAH) p.171

- The story of Alois (Medic) p.177

- The story of Oswald (Langemarck) p.180

- Two Fallschirmjger: Walter (SS) and Gunther (LW) p.191

- The story of Sergio (Italien) p.203

- The story of Abel Delannoy (Wallonien) p.207

- The story of Richard (LAH) p.221

- The last week of Kampfgruppe Wiking p.224

- The story of Wim (Nederland) p.236

Feldpost p.240

Waffen SS training p.244

Endnote p.257

38 Divisions of the Waffen SS p.261

Sources and reference p.264

Acknowledgements

This project couldnt have been completed without the help of some very important people. Their help, moral support, providing documentation and giving me permission to use some of their personal documentation was crucial for the accomplishment of this work. You cant build an empire on your own! A very special thank you goes to:

Nelz Nelson, who designed the cover for this book.

My friend Ray Matter for his support and providing me with the story of his grandfather Karl Matter.

Moritz Loewenstein, my German brother, for his endless support and help to find the right stories in Germany. It was nice meeting you in Nideggen and for sure well meet again!

My NY brother Michael Shatkin, for his endless support and keeping an eye on the Facebook page! A more loyal friend is hard to find!

Stefan Willms, my German brother, for his support and for keeping history alive by guiding numerous people through the Hrtgen Forest every year. If youre ever in Nordrhein Westfalen in the Hrtgen area then go on a tour with him in the Hrtgen Forest! Thx for the tour in August brother! Ill be back for sure!

Herr Steve Klesitz for his personal story from his time with the Waffen SS. A special thank you goes to Chace Anderson and the Memoir Center Tuolumne Veterans History Project for giving me permission to use the interview and for putting me in touch with Herr Klesitz!

Gunther Hornig, son of FJ Gunther A. Hornig, and the good people at Landmark Scout for their cooperation and providing me the story of Herr Hornig.

Bradley R. Hubbart from Der Erste Zug for giving me permission to use valuable information from his website. Thanks to Bradley and the good folks at Der Erste Zug history is kept alive!

Gen Baugher from Scrapbookpages.com for giving me permission to use parts of his Dachau Crimes article. Scrapbookpages.com is a valuable resource for history on WWII!

Mark Weber of the Institute for Historical Review (IHR) for his kindness and giving me permission to use the essay written by Leon Degrelle.

Tomasz Borowski, my Polish brother and author of Last Blood on Pomerania: Leon Degrelle and the Walloon Waffen SS Volunteers, February-May 1945 , for his support and providing me with an essential document for the completion of my book!

There are many more people Id like to thank but then the list of names would be a couple of pages long. My apologies if your name is not here in the list but know that Im grateful for your help and support.

Last but not least, a super special thank you goes to my wife and kids for their support and patience while I was writing this book. They are the foundation of my existence!

Foreword

SS, two crooked little letters. Who would guess that two little letters could strike fear and terror into the hearts of millions? Yet they did just that during WWII! They represented a military division so dedicated to their country and their leader like no other in history! Hitlers Waffen SS fought like no others and some of its members committed atrocities that have few equals in history! Taught and said to be Supermen, over and over again, they actually started to believe it themselves! These are the pictures painted of the Waffen SS by the events of WWII.

History is written - for the most part - by the victors. The victors have the means and the resources to write history however they see it fit, with little recourse by the defeated. Example being my ancestors: they fought for the South in the American Civil War. Portrayed as slave owners, rebels, and scum by the North, and yet in many cases they never owned slaves, never wanted to secede from Union, and were forced into the service of the Confederacy. They were said to be evil, racist, and full of hate! Yet they were just people who lived, loved, hurt, bled, and died just like the forces of the North. They had stories too, but history hid those and they were not told at the time of the victory of the North. So it was also with the Waffen SS. Portrayed as evil incarnate, devils, and scum! Yet, they also lived, loved, hurt, bled, and died just like those who fought against them. They prayed to the same God, they were Husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons. But for the most part, we see only the side of the story written by the victors! Now some of these stories we hear are true of course. There were those in the Waffen SS who committed horrible atrocities, we cant deny that fact! War crimes were committed and punishment of those involved was totally justified. But there were those who were just soldiers, fighting for their fatherland and following orders. And there were those who were pressed into service with the Waffen SS, the conscripts... What these men all have in common are stories! They all have stories and why were they not told? Not because they were shy or embarrassed about their past. No, because the world has never heard them, until now.

Gerry Villani has endeavored to write those stories so that these veterans voices could be heard. Through a labor of love and dedication, he has traveled and listened to Waffen SS veterans, and is now the mouthpiece for those who could not tell their stories! Ladies and Gentlemen, turn these pages and read and listen! Listen to the stories of the men who fought in the Waffen SS! I now give you my friend - and Im proud to call him my brother - Gerry Villani, or better said, I give you the Voices of the Waffen SS.

Gary Grindstaff, Minnesota 2015

Introduction

The SS oath of Loyalty:

Ich schwre Dir, Adolf Hitler, als Fhrer und Kanzler des Deutschen Reiches Treue und Tapferkeit. Wir geloben Dir und den von Dir bestimmten Vorgesetzten Gehorsam bis in den Tod. So wahr mir Gott helfe!"