The air battle over Britain was not decided with bombs, but with dog-fight duels between the fighters. In this, the British had a clear advantage. Although the German planes were quicker, they suffered from the handicap of only being able to operate for no longer than 75 minutes. As accompanying support, they could only operate for between five and fifteen minutes, even when over London, their primary target. This amount of time was definitely too short. There was no absence of death-defying courage on either side, the opponents proving to be equally matched in their mercilessness. Without doubt the brave Royal Air Force pilots in their Hurricanes and Spitfires were the saviours of their country. Churchill said, “Never in the field of human conflict, was so much owed by so many, to so few”.
CHAPTER 7
The European Volunteers
Very many Europeans, at the beginning of 1940, began to see a new National Socialist Europe, through Germany’s successes. It was an opinion being broadcast without restraint. The Bolshevik world revolution, but for some had been a binding element, had been suppressed. It corresponded with some people’s opinions and feelings. Such people hoped for, and imagined, a new Europe as another Commonwealth of equal partners, the most competent on the continent being the leader. It could just have easily been France or Britain but at that time it was Germany.
France had been beaten. The British had retreated to their island and now seemingly cared only for their own welfare. Apart from that, how should sovereignty be reinstated for those defeated lands, other than by a reconciliation with the Third Reich, and with those who were willing? The idea of a new Europe provided many alternatives and solutions at the same time, or so it seemed, and the younger generation was in agreement. The shock over the surprisingly quick defeat of their lands left them comparing one with another, producing a plus for Germany. The enduring chaotic political relations, unemployment and commercial misery in their homelands could not be ignored. They had been witness to it long enough and saw with jealousy the German State’s interest in the promotion of its own country’s youth. Meanwhile, other countries were showing only the slightest interest in the stimulation of their younger generation.
It was certainly not just a few who were gripped by Hitler’s eloquence and dynamism, many believed his frequent pledges for peace. Then there was also the personal experience with the German soldiers, with their correct behaviour in their occupied lands, which made an impression. “The perfect military machinery not only shocked but had fascinated many youths and adolescents in the German ruling sphere”. (Hans Werner Neulen, Europas Verratene Söhne).
For the majority of German soldiers, with their march into the western and north European lands, a new world had opened up. They found no hate from the Danes, Norwegians, Dutch, Belgian or French. They regretted their show of arms, deep in their hearts, which they saw more or less as a war between brothers. As the relationship deepened between each land, the populations were astounded to find that the customs, style of living and feelings even, were very similar to those of the ‘victors’. The German soldier made efforts to give consideration to those who suffered from a damaged national pride, and in general wherever they could. The war with Britain was an unpopular theme with the majority.
It was with the formation in the summer of 1940, of the Waffen SS Standarte ‘Westland’, ordered by Hider, that young Dutch and Flemish men had the chance to volunteer and show their willingness, by their actions, to fight for the new Europe. The call of the Waffen SS was not without an echo for Europe’s youth. I will now take this opportunity to explain to the reader a little more about the term ‘SS’, without the usual defamatory polemic. Today, decades after their disappearance, this ancient Germanic letter of the alphabet, this mysterious symbol is representative of everything evil and wicked. I will permit myself to give an even more objective explanation to this ‘myth’. For better or worse, the term ‘Waffen SS’ was, especially after the war, used as the slogan. Similarly, the title ‘Criminal Organisation’, was used to force into oblivion the enthusiasm with which Germany’s youth, in fact Europe’s youth, had ‘hurried to the flag’, to quote the résumé from an expert, Günter Drescher.
In the turbulent, political struggles of the 1920s and ‘30s, in which bloody terror ruled, the ‘Schutzstaffeln, i.e. SS, was formed. Joseph ‘Sepp’ Dietrich, Hitler’s personal bodyguard, became its commander. At the beginning, this small troop wore no uniform. Their highest military leader was none other than Hein rich Himmler. After the NSDAP came into power, this small troop was the ‘Elite of the Nation’. They enjoyed the title of ‘SS Honorary Leader’ this being the visiting card to High Society, such as ministers, high officials, managers of industry, and leading athletes of the time. Membership was on a par with a state award or medal.
To quote Helmut Treffner, from his book Geschichte der Waffen-SS:
In comparison with the SA, i.e. Sturm Abteilung, the Waffen SS impressed at first sight, in their black uniforms in sharp contrast to the unattractive brown garb of the SA. Far more important was their reputation, which appeared to be as an unquestioning, obedient élite of fanatics who, to Hitler’s admirers, also appeared to be a mysterious and terrifying band. The SS commanders in contrast, appeared to be of a superior intellectual class to their heavily-built and hooligan-like SA brethren. The SS were the ‘finer’ troop, their size denoting quality and not quantity, boasting only 50,000 men at the beginning of 1933, the SA having 3,000,000.
The troop budded and grew very quickly from this offshoot. They and the ‘Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler’ were joined by three regiments for special duties to the Reich, being known as the VT, i.e. Verfugungs Truppe, a troop de tailed for special assignments, namely the ‘Deutschland’, ‘Germania’, and ‘Der Führer’.
In 1940, non-German nationals were also allowed to join the Waffen SS, by which time the ‘Black Guard’ had changed the colour of their uniform to field-grey. Reputable Prussian officers, with a steel-hard apprenticeship behind them, had produced the former General Staff Officer from First World War and later General, Paul Hausser. In its formative stages, the military reformer and former Reichswehr officer, Major Felix Steiner, was also involved, training his soldiers almost to the level of top athletes, to think for themselves, to take decisions, and to be individual fighters with initiative. The very sharp cleft between soldier, non-commissioned officers, and officers, was evened out and with it a solid fighting unit was achieved.
In the first years of the war, the Waffen SS recruited only young men giving at first sight a good impression. If found to possess a first-class character, mental flexibility and very good physical condition then they were accepted. Those with a criminal record and hoping to avoid their sentences by joining the organisation were rejected, as were those with financial problems, unless they had been resolved. One’s ‘confession’ did not play a role, nor were political convictions explored, even the sons of former Social Democrats being accepted. The field-grey clad men of the SS did not want a political army and, for that reason, removed themselves from Himmler.
“They wanted professional soldiers and not those who viewed world politics”, according to Helmut Treffner. However, at the same time some traditional Germanic convictions were present and approved, not only by Himmler but also by ‘Berlin dogmatism’. It was acceptable when being a cultural bridge from man to man, but it had to stay within certain limits. Hitler also rejected Himmler’s religious zealousness. He commented to Speer, his personal architect, on one occasion, “when we have almost achieved a day and age without mysticism, he, Himmler, starts it all over again!” (Quote from the French historian Jacques de Launay)