The "White Brigade" in Belgium

Discussion in 'Allied Units - Others' started by ww2ni, Feb 28, 2010.

  1. ww2ni

    ww2ni Senior Member

    My Grandfather was in the Northumberland Fusiliers and a Dunkirk veteran.

    He also spent some time with the "White Brigade" in Belgium but all I know is that after the war he used to visit one of the White Brigade people called Marcel who lived in Blankenburg, Belguim.

    I think they were some sort of Resistance Group.

    Any information would be very much appreciated.
     
  2. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Here you go:

    Belgium World War II - Background History

    I would think your grandfather got to know them after D-Day unless he was a POW as I doubt there were and BEF in Belgium when resistance groups were formed in Belgium.

    Andy
     
  3. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    I mixed with the White brigade and had a drink with them in Brussels. I thought that they were..... The biggest load of cutthroats and rogues ever walked the earth,
    Sapper
     
  4. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    According to LF Ellis's Victory in the West, they were titled 1st Belgian Brigade, consisting of 1st, 2nd & 3rd Battalions.

    200 were placed under command my Dad's unit, 102 LAA Regt, RA in October 1944 when the Gunners undertook an Infantry Role in the Merxplas area of Belgium.

    [​IMG]

    This is what was put in the after action report and I quote:-

    "Belgian Allies (White Brigade).

    No mention has been made so far of our Belgian allies, of which about 200 have been placed under command. It is regrettable, but it must be admitted that they were a distinct liability. They could only move when given transport to do it. If required to move they seemed to think that they had a right to bring all their household goods including their “lady friends”. An effort was made to employ them in the first advance, but it was completely unsuccessful and they had to be returned to their concentration area. They were ultimately given a locality to hold after the advance had been completed.

    It is only fair to say that, had it been possible for someone to give them his individual attention, all might have been well; but things being what they were, this was out of the question."
     
  5. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Huge Grin.
    The Elderly Couple that took me round Brussels, Charles and Lucia, told me that those people were dreadful and untrustworthy. I think they thought them a load of rogues and worse. I do not know much about the secret armies... For we saw precious little of any of them .....And it appeared that many of them only came into being when the liberators arrived...

    Then they took their revenge on any collaborators.... But I reckon their was an awful lot of hypocrisy about some of that? :):)
    Sapper
    Sapper
     

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