I'll post in the next few days extracts from the book "The AFC: Unsungs heroes of the fight against bolshevism" by american author John LaForge.
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From the Prologue:
As the german war machine kept grinding away, more and more troops were needed to figth on the eastern front. Volunteers from occupied and collaborationist countries were still signing up but their numbers were dwindling. The failed push to the west had left a large amount of allied prisoners of war and with no end in sight to the stalemate on that front, morale amongst them was at a low. It was with this in mind that the german authorities decided to recruits from that new potential pool.
To help with the operation, sympathetic nationals were chosen as organisers, being given position of authorities they might not otherwise have had. For the american unit, the choice fell on SS-Hauptsturmführer Peter Delaney (born Pierre de La Ney du Vair in the USA of french parents) who had previously served with the Legion des Volontaires Francais.
Delaney would tour the camps with his aide-de-camps SS-Untersturmführer Martin Monti decked out in a garish uniform and throw parties were a better quality of food was served and hints of more to come for those who joined. During these events, he would give speeches that revolved around similar themes: Americans were valiants soldiers who had been betrayed by their politicians, germans were their brothers and the real enemies were the bolshevicks.
With promises of improvement of their lot and the guarantee that they would never be fielded against their fellow countrymen, the germans managed to recruit a number of americans into what came to be known as the American Free Corps which, after a short period of training, was sent to fight on the russian front.
Following the end of the war, a few officers managed to escape to neutral countries and avoid Extraditions while the majority of the corpsmen were either captured or surrendered by themselves. Although many tried to justify their actions, all known members were convicted of treasons.
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From the Prologue:
As the german war machine kept grinding away, more and more troops were needed to figth on the eastern front. Volunteers from occupied and collaborationist countries were still signing up but their numbers were dwindling. The failed push to the west had left a large amount of allied prisoners of war and with no end in sight to the stalemate on that front, morale amongst them was at a low. It was with this in mind that the german authorities decided to recruits from that new potential pool.
To help with the operation, sympathetic nationals were chosen as organisers, being given position of authorities they might not otherwise have had. For the american unit, the choice fell on SS-Hauptsturmführer Peter Delaney (born Pierre de La Ney du Vair in the USA of french parents) who had previously served with the Legion des Volontaires Francais.
Delaney would tour the camps with his aide-de-camps SS-Untersturmführer Martin Monti decked out in a garish uniform and throw parties were a better quality of food was served and hints of more to come for those who joined. During these events, he would give speeches that revolved around similar themes: Americans were valiants soldiers who had been betrayed by their politicians, germans were their brothers and the real enemies were the bolshevicks.
With promises of improvement of their lot and the guarantee that they would never be fielded against their fellow countrymen, the germans managed to recruit a number of americans into what came to be known as the American Free Corps which, after a short period of training, was sent to fight on the russian front.
Following the end of the war, a few officers managed to escape to neutral countries and avoid Extraditions while the majority of the corpsmen were either captured or surrendered by themselves. Although many tried to justify their actions, all known members were convicted of treasons.