British Free Corps/Freikorps

Did anyone join from hope of a chance to escape or to make a nuisance to the Germans? Obviously they would say that after words, but was there anyone who clearly did so.

An MI5 report in March 1945 listed 39 participants which is quoted in the back of Adrian Weale's book Hitler's Englishmen. They included a few ex-BUF members and other fascist sympathisers but also a number who joined to escape other punishments, usually for extra curricular activities with German women. A number did indeed join in order to disrupt the corps or try to escape and would be exonerated after the war by the British government.

 

This isn't the thread I was looking (There is one with pictures) for but the links fits here:

Britisches Freikorps: Amazon.co.uk: Richard Landwehr: Books

 

I read that there were between 50 and 60 British POW's that volunteered for the SS British Free Corps.

A handfull fought with the SS Division Nordland in the final fight for Berlin.

There is mention of severe discipline problems and the military impact of the unit was zero.

Regards
Tom

 

I read that there were between 50 and 60 British POW's that volunteered for the SS British Free Corps.

A handfull fought with the SS Division Nordland in the final fight for Berlin.

There is mention of severe discipline problems and the military impact of the unit was zero.

Regards
Tom

I have read in some of my 1940 books of PW's being seduced by German females then claiming rape (a German trick)-Rather than being shot for rape they took their chances by joining the unit. Sean Longdens book The men they left behind touches on this in some detail. I don't believe the chap actually fought though, he was used to try and convert others. I think he was from a Scottish Regiment.

Ref the book I just read the title: I was no interest to me but I remember a thread running sometime ago about British in the SS. The thread I was thinking of had some pictures in it but I couldn't find it. Apologies if the author is a dodgy bas***d

 

The files of two of the Aussies in the BFC (Stokes & Chipchase) have had their service files digitally loaded on the NAA website. Interesting reading, especially the court-martial file of Stokes with the member being docked his pay for the time he was in the BFC. This is explained as he was drawing German pay at the time and it wasn't right to be paid twice.

There is another file with a ministerial submission he submitted in the 1970s but it isn't open yet, similarly the service files have a closed part as the time for clearance hasn't passed yet.



VOYSEY, RONALD D (Merchant Navy) - not on NAA? - court-martialled in the UK post-war

Private Albert James Stokes WX1839 - 2/32 AUSTRALIAN INFANTRY BATTALION
(discharged 22 Nov 1945)

Private Robert Chipchase WX1755 - 2/32 AUSTRALIAN INFANTRY BATTALION
(discharged 20 Feb 1946)

Private Lionel Herbert Battinson Wood VX13097 - 2/32 AUSTRALIAN INFANTRY BATTALION
(discharged 22 Jan 1946)

 

Four British Merchant Seamen volunteered for the British Free Corps. Three were from Milag Nord camp. The other, Kenneth Berry was only 14 when captured and because of his age he was placed in the care of paroled English woman in Paris. Once he reached the age of 17 he was arrested and sent to prison at Saint Denis. He escaped, but found he could not get out of Paris so gave himself up. After being fed German propaganda he joined BFC.

Kenneth Berry (SS Cymberline)
Alfred Minchin(SS Empire Ranger)
Ronald Vosey (SS British Advocate)
Herbert George Rowlands (SS Orama)

Another two civilians held at Milag who were not in the Merchant Navy also joined the BFC. Eric Reginald Pleasants & Denis Leister. Pleasants had been a member of Mosely's Fascist Blackshirts and joined the Peace Pledge Union where he ended up in Jersey to avoid conscription. Here he met up with Leister who between them and two other unsavory characters they set up a black market enterprise after the German occupation. After some trouble with the police Pleasants & Leister tried to return to England after trying to steel a motor boat. Captured by the Germans and charged with stealing German petrol they both received two year prison sentences and were moved to Romanville prison near Paris. After being transferred to Kreuzberg, Upper Silesia, they pretended to be captured Merchant Seamen and were eventually transferred to Milag early 1944.

 

This document may interest some, the treatment of the Jews in the Channel Islands. It's something of an eye opener and shows the local authorities in two different lights.

http://www.jerseyheritagetrust.org/o...hresidents.pdf


I'm gutted that the PDF Spidge pointed out to us, back then, is no longer available on that link. I'd like to have seen that.

Anyone got a copy, or know where else I might view it, please?

 

I'm gutted that the PDF Spidge pointed out to us, back then, is no longer available on that link. I'd like to have seen that.

Anyone got a copy, or know where else I might view it, please?
Steve, I think chrisharley9 might be the guy to help drop him a Pm

 

Is this the same one with a different filename, or a different article?

 

Cheers, guys. It looks like Idler's found the stuff I was interested in ~ and it looks like the thing Spidge was pointing at.

Either way, it's a veritable Book, and I'm about to get stuck in! (I've read Google and could do with something else to keep me occupied )

This whole angle of interest was actually sparked by the superb BBC DVD, " Auschwitz; The Nazis & The Final Solution ". It was horrific, almost beyond belief, to realise that they ferreted out the few Jews even on Jersey and shipped them off to Auschwitz. Such determination!

Anyway, sorry; I'm bending this whole thread all out of shape here.

I'm off to get engrossed.

Thanks!

 

Four British Merchant Seamen volunteered for the British Free Corps. Three were from Milag Nord camp. The other, Kenneth Berry was only 14 when captured and because of his age he was placed in the care of paroled English woman in Paris. Once he reached the age of 17 he was arrested and sent to prison at Saint Denis. He escaped, but found he could not get out of Paris so gave himself up. After being fed German propaganda he joined BFC.

Kenneth Berry (SS Cymberline)
Alfred Minchin(SS Empire Ranger)
Ronald Vosey (SS British Advocate)
Herbert George Rowlands (SS Orama)

Another two civilians held at Milag who were not in the Merchant Navy also joined the BFC. Eric Reginald Pleasants & Denis Leister. Pleasants had been a member of Mosely's Fascist Blackshirts and joined the Peace Pledge Union where he ended up in Jersey to avoid conscription. Here he met up with Leister who between them and two other unsavory characters they set up a black market enterprise after the German occupation. After some trouble with the police Pleasants & Leister tried to return to England after trying to steel a motor boat. Captured by the Germans and charged with stealing German petrol they both received two year prison sentences and were moved to Romanville prison near Paris. After being transferred to Kreuzberg, Upper Silesia, they pretended to be captured Merchant Seamen and were eventually transferred to Milag early 1944.

My Great Uncle was in Milag Nord & I was going through his stuff at the weekend and among his papers was part of the FrieKorps recruitment leaflet!! A book was written about Milag and the traitors got short shrift in it!!

 

One of those recruited was Eric Pleasants, who released an autiobiography before his recent death. His is a fascinating story told fully in Weale's book. Initially a conscientious objector, he was sent to Jersey to work as an agricultural labourer. When the Germans occupied the island, an attempted escape back to Britain resulted in his capture and transfer to a German internment camp, where he decided to join the BFC. Towards the end of the war he tried to lie low and live with his German wife in the Soviet sector before he was rounded up and sent to the Gulag. He was later released back to Britain.



Almost the only thing certain about Eric Pleasants is that he was a shyster and a liar. He was neither a conscientious objector nor a pacifist, and there is no evidence that he was "sent" to Jersey. What is known is that he turned up in Jesey in May 1940 at about the same time as some 200 COs whose placement had been arranged by the Peace Pledge Union, but he was not one of that party. When trouble arose after the occupation of Jesey by the Germans, he tried to shelter under the CO arrangements, but no-one, not even he himself, took this claim seriously. His later dalliance with the Britische Freikorps came as no surprise to anyone who had ever met him.

 

There were some who British servicemen who served on the German Side who saw a lot of action, I seem to recall one was an SAS officer called Berneville-Clay (who did not see much action with the Germans), two others Fusilier James Brady and Frank Stringer who were captured in the Channel Islands while serving a sentence for an assault on a policeman, they were trained by the Abwehr and were later earmarked for Operation Osprey later they served with Skorzeny's Jagd Kommandos and saw action in Roumania and Hungary, and possibly elsewhere. Brady and Stringer were court martialled after WWII and sentenced to 15 years penal servitude after serving four Brady returned to Ireland.

 

Unterscharfuhrer James Brady member of SS Jagdverband served in Hungary with Skorzeny and at Schwedt.
Sentenced to 15 years imprisonment at Court Martial in 1946 Dec 19th sentence promulgated by GOC London District with remission of three years.
Born in Roscommon in 1920, 20/5/20.
Enlisted in British Army at Liverpool 1938, May '39 Royal Irish Fusiliers based on Guernsey.
In Prison on Guernsey when Germans occupied.
Trained by Abwehr at Quenzee as a V Man, Sabotage, explosives, W/T(Morse)
Further radio course at Lehnitz.
Trained by Waffen SS at Sennheim in Alsace to March 44 then posted to Friedenthal JG Bn 502 given three months trg and posted to Jvb Mitte 2 Co. (Frank Skinner also)
Operated with Walter Girgs unit in Roumania. Next went on Operation Panzerfaust to Hungary in October 1944. After being wounded after Schwedt Brady taught Anti Tank warfare to German police. Wounded in the head evacuated to Grunau. Fought in Berlin against Russians. Escaped from Russians lived on run for a year with help of SS veterens and surrendered to British in Sept'46.

Frank Stringer was in Guernsey Jail with Brady and also served with him in Jvb Mitte his final disposition at end of war is not known. Though it is known he was interrogated and made a statement in 1945.

 

Lt Douglas Berneville-Claye, member of B Sqn 1 SAS in 1942, captured in North Africa
Commissioned into West Yorkshire Regt,
Captured in Dec 1942. Sent to Italy then to Oflag 79 near Brunswick.
In SS in late 44 early 45. As a Captain- Hauptsturmfuhrer
Known as Archibald Webster in Seths Book Jackals of the Reich.


see also
RootsWeb: YORKSGEN-L Berneville-Claye saga - the last one

Douglas Berneville-Claye - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Steven,

I recall reading a book that touched on the British SS Friekorps.

Not much written except to say that discipline was a problem and that a handful fought in Battle for Berlin against the Russians due to their anti comminist persuassion.

Regards
Tom

 

Thanks to Brian.

Extracts taken from WO 204/12699