The Fate of Dutch Waffen-SS Volunteers After the War - Punishment of Collaborators
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- Опубликовано: 24 ноя 2024
- What happened with the Dutch Waffen-SS volunteers after the war was over? When World War II ended in Europe many Dutch Waffen-SS volunteers were captured by the western Allies. Those already in the Netherlands were soon captured also. In camps such as De Harskamp they were interned by members of the Domestic Forces (Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten). Later they were tried and sentenced to prison sentences ranging from three tot fifteen years. Some were executed; others ended up in the Gulag in Siberia. Learn more about the aftermath of Dutch collaboration in World War II.
History Hustle presents: The Fate of Dutch Waffen-SS Volunteers After the War - Punishment of Collaborators.
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SOURCES
- Veldgrauw. Nederlanders in de Waffen-SS (Evertjan van Roekel).
- www.groene.nl/... (19-12-2021).
IMAGES
Images from commons.wikimedia.org.
VIDEO
Video material from: openbeelden.nl/
Beeld van Nederland - De oorlogsjaren 1940 - 1945
• Beeld van Nederland - ...
MUSIC
"Road to Hell" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
creativecommons...
SOUNDS
Freesound.org.
Wanna ask some something? Send me an email at: historyhustle@gmail.com
Learn about:
GERMAN INVASION OF THE NETHERLANDS: ruclips.net/video/_IIsY664tE4/видео.html
DUTCH RESISTANCE: ruclips.net/video/u9DWNOhHK_g/видео.html
DUTCH WAFFEN-SS VOLUNTEERS: ruclips.net/video/bQlF0ia-ABA/видео.html
"A number also served in Indonesia and Korea".
Yeah, the first group, to help hold what was left of the crumbling Dutch Empire, which was rapidly succumbing to the "radical left wing idea" that they may just have the right to run their own affairs (I know, obviously Communist Scum, eh?) and "service in Korea"? ... Well, these guys did have "proven Anti- Communist track records", didn't they?
@@salt27dogg don't forget the Indian Legion!
@@salt27dogg Most people refuse to believe that. It is true though. Hitler despised all Abrahamic religions with the exception of Islam.
@@salt27dogg An entire division of anti-communist Muslims...
@@salt27dogg They were volunteers...
Many years ago I went for an evening ride in Wales on my Royal Enfield 350cc motorcycle. A friend was with me riding his rare and valuable ex-works racing 500cc1935 Norton machine. When we left a small country public house where we had stopped for refreshment we found a family of Dutch tourists gathered around my humble Royal Enfield and completely ignoring the beautiful Norton. The Dutch lady explained that when her village in Holland had been liberated by Canadian forces the first Allied soldier she saw at the head of the column was riding a military Royal Enfield 350cc motorcycle. She had never forgotten the name on the petrol tank because it always represented freedom for her afterwards and she was thrilled to explain this to her children and husband assembled around my bike. It was a very touching and moving experience and I shall never forget it.
Thanks for sharing this.
Awesome Keith, a cherished memory.
Bike's bring people together
@@georgepantazis141 Riders and transplant surgeons
Thank you kindly for sharing thie experience. Really interesting!
In 1995 I met a former Waffen SS officer in a retirement home in Gronau. He was Dutch and stayed in Gronau, near the Dutch border, after the war. He told me he would never have gone to Holland again.
Thanks for sharing this.
42.000Dutch Waffen SS you tend to ignore that huge numerous fact@@HistoryHustle
I was stationed (civilian) in Germany in the mid 70s and as often as we could we traveled to the Netherlands.
The Dutch were always friendly open and generous. Very fond memories of your wonderful country and its people.
Thanks for sharing this.
Thank you for the kind words friend. :)
I was the same,stationed in Osnabruck,we would travel to Holland for weekends,lovely people.Osnabruckers were ok with us considering it was a Squaddy town with all the trouble that goes with it
As a 17-year old American student in Europe for the first time also in the very early 1970's, I was in the Netherlands along with some other American students. While eating dinner in an Amsterdam restaurant, we decided to practice German because we were going to cross into Germany two days later. Less than a minute passed when our Dutch waiter came over to the table and politely but firmly asked us in English not to speak in that language. At that moment, what was abstract history to a 17-year old suddenly became very real.
@@jody6851 interesting story! Today (2022) i don't think that would happen anymore.
I hadn't known about this before, so thank you for enlightening me about that. I have neither sympathy nor empathy for the traitors.
Thanks for replying.
My father was one of the Canadian soldiers chosen to guard Dutch Collaborators before Germany surrendered. He spent the remainder of the war living in a hotel in Rotterdam, the collaborators were housed on the top floor of the hotel.
Thanks for sharing.
They were patriots. Not collaborators.
Netherlands is part of Germania and they are one.
@@HistoryHustle my grandfather was released from Soviet captivity in the mid 1950s.I have a few questions and I’d like to share his history is the SS
Many of the Dutch Waffen SS volunteers were 'allowed' to join and serve with the Dutch UN Battalion sent to fight in Korea. The Dutch UN Battalion went straight into heavy combat at Hoengsong and later at Hill 325 against PRC Chinese forces and suffered heavy losses until they returned to the Netherlands in 1954. Quite a number of former Dutch Waffen SS soldiers were killed fighting in Korea, and many others were able to escape the Netherlands and join the French Foreign Legion to fight in Indochina.
Again here is a splendid example of why many of the original dutch volunteered into the German army and it was to fight Communism.
No, because in Indonesia they fought against nationalists and Landstorm units fought against the Western Allies which weren't communists.
Thanks for sharing, Henry.
@@ptauagpt well I suppose killing innocent Russian civilians & Jewish people is fighting communism.
@@ptauagpt Or maybe they just like Naziism, and hated jews. The bottom line is that they were traitors to their own country, and complicit in their nation's occupation & subjugation.
From 1950 the USA, UK, France and the Netherlands needed the German and Netherland former SS-soldiers for their war against the communists in Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, etc., because they were noch longer allies of the Soviet union and had weak armies. Therefore a lot of condemned killers of the SS were pardonned and released.
This is a very relevant topic Stefan - thanks for having the guts to tackle it. It is important history that needs to be understood.
Thanks for commenting.
It’s important only, if you learn from history. Davos criminals / traitors to democracy like Rutte, and much of the vile Dutch police, have learned obviously nothing!
@@johnhanson5943 Agreed.
@@johnhanson5943 you're proof that nazis got off too easy and survived
When I lived in Belgium I had a gf who's Dad was in the Flemish Volunteer Regiment "Langemark". He was Wounded and in a German Army Hospital in Würzburg in 45'. Captured by US forces he was transferred to the Belgian Army base of Beverloo (where ironically the SS insignia for the Dutch/Belgian SS volunteers was produced) then by the end of 45 to a Belgian Napolean era fortress that had been used by the SD as a torture and confinement camp. Released after a year he was told he had Bern stripped of all citizens rights. He went to Portugal then Spain, but returned to Antwerpen in 1951 under an assumed name. He went on to be a respected cartoonist and illustrator until his death in 2002.
Thanks for sharing this. I did cover the Flemish Legion here
ruclips.net/video/wA5NbiD-wVQ/видео.html
... whose* dad (who's = who is) ...
I've seen my grandfather's journal on his return from Landwacht /landstorm. He ended up in internation in Vught. He received 3 years imprisonment.
Interesting. Did you ever meet him? How did he reflect on the war and his experiences?
@@HistoryHustle I never did. He died when I on was 4, age 60. Probably due to a long decease since he had tuberculosis coming from Vught.
I have his journal and CABR file. And my father's stories on him.
He was still convinced they made their effort to ensure the Dutch would be a self ruling province to the third Reich. Similar as the current German States.
@@maartenja7292 Ik denk dat je dit bericht beter als commentaar op dit filmpje kunt plaatsen ipv als antwoord op Jeff. Dan heb je denk ik meer kans dat het (sneller) door de maker gelezen wordt. Succes, klinkt heel interessant!
Much respect for these heroes who confronted 20% of nazi power with fury! Also glory to comrades under Stalin who fought the bulk 80% of wehrmacht over the Eastern front. They pulverized nazis until Berlin.
@@RedBatteryHead Why on earth would the Dutch want to be part of Germany ? Fortunately, they're a totally separate folk to the Krauts !!
Heard of one dutch who ended up in Switzerland after fighting soviets. My father served in Netherlands, CDN army. He talked very little of WW2.
Not something the Dutch like to talk about - a bit like the French once liberation came it was amazing how many claimed to members of the Resistance
Correct! If I remember the numbers correctly: During the occupation there were 6000 resistance fighters active. Of those, 1,500 have died. Immediately (!) after the occupation there were...... 200,000 men and women who claimed to have been part of the resistance! Ridiculous. A well-known story is that a Dutch civilian had sent the retreating Germans in the wrong direction! Left instead of right 😁. With this story he was recognized as a resistance fighter.
True, many all of a sudden were in the resistance.
@@koosmotormuis Lots where Resistance Sympathizers, or "Contractors". many Sympathizers wanted to big note themselves or wanted some kind of recognition for minor but still risky favors they did for the Resistance. for the Contractors (those who worked for the resistance for Profit) after the War some folks took it poorly that people where profiting off the struggle to force out the Germans, they took to shooting the Profiteers along side the Germans and Collaborators, so the Contractors claimed they where mainstream Resistance to save themselves from a Bullet or the Rope.
@@glenmcinnes4824
Good morning Glen. Thanks for the clear-cut explanation! I didn't know this. Well, I always ask myself, what would I have done in that time!? But then with the knowledge I have now, I'll be nice and warm on my couch in the safe Netherlands. I'm 63 years old and the answer is, I don't know. I wish you a good weekend!
@@koosmotormuis Also some times the Resistance had to run shake downs for Bribe Money or just to get the supplies to survive, some of their sometimes reluctant patrons would also claim membership after the war since they saw there sacrifice as them doing their part for the resistance.
Thank you for another impartial look at often overlooked subject of the war!! Well done, sir!!
Agreed. Excellent pictorial
arrative Stefan, well done.
Thanks!!
Stefan: Thank you for this little known piece of history. Your presentations are always interesting and well done. I was in Eindhoven (2004) for the 60 year celebration of the allied invasion in October of 1944. I met two older ladies who were children under the German occupation. They were quite gracious and eternally grateful for the US troops and others that freed them. Their testimony was unforgettable. They had no love lost for the Germans who are very close to their border. It was an amazing experience for me.
Hi Curtis, thanks for your reply.
Interesting as my Dutch neighbour said that whilst there was an SS Division based near his village they had few problems and those they had were quickly sorted. When the Americans turned up there was widespread looting and abuse of the women; when complaints were made nothing happened so he preferred the German occupation to the American one, especially as the Americans commandeered the taxi he had dismantled on outbreak of war and then had reassembled after the Germans left and the Americans never paid him compensation for it..
Interesting, however was not alive during that bleak period of history. My Father, Uncle and Father-In-Law all served in WWII.
❤️🇺🇲❤️
@@geoffboxell9301 My boss was in the Danish underground as a teenager. He traveled the sewers of Copenhagen. He hated the Germans and the fact that they overran their country. Tell your bullshit to someone else... By the way, did the Germans pay for this guy's taxi? Sure they were quite generous!!!
@@curtgomes The Germans never knew it existed. It was dismantled and hidden during the German occupation. It was re-assembled once they left and the Americans came in and it was they who requisitioned it with out recompense. He was not pro-German but very anti-American as it seemed their troops had no discipline and were steeling food and livestock and then they took away his livelihood. can I question him about it again? Sorry: he died some 15 years ago. This was his story, and not mine and as for it being BS, well that was how he told it to me - use a Ouija board to tell him he had it wrong.
I just got done watching the movie "The Forgotten Battle" which covered several Dutch individuals soldiers, resistance, etc. During WWII. It was an excellent movie.
Agree!
My parents hated these traitors and talked about it regularly until I was a teenager in the mid 1960s. They lived under the iron hand of the Germans particularly in 1943 to 1945, when things started to become very strict. They had no use for the NSB and the men and women that would work with the "Moffen" ( sorry - but their term of hate, not mine). Dad was captured twice to serve in work camps in Germany but escaped both time. The last time he came home with a kidney disease and almost died. You could trust no one. Two of my uncles were tortured in jail where they ended up after being fingered by someone. My mother's cousin was out after a curfew by 10 minutes and was picked up, had to dig his own grave and was then shot at Hoog Soeren. As a family of seven we immigrated to Canada in 1962 with these background stories in our heads. Canada - what a great and beautiful country. My adopted land, of which I am very proud and thankful. But now we have freedom convoys and people protesting on bridges because they no longer see this country as being free because certain things they want to do are not permitted. The utter degree of naivity astounds me. The utter degree of innocence is mind boggling. The lack of recognition of a fair and open society with rules based upon the greater good as a key principle of an open democracy never fails to amaze me. Maybe they would rather live where they could belong to a ruling group that will strictly and brutally enforce to protect its power. Where you are a member of that group until your brother or friend or neighbour fingers you and you may have to dig your own grave because they can't trust you. Canadians have not seen war on their land, have not experienced extreme hunger or acquaintances turning them in to save their own skin, never been seriously deprived of anything and most of all lived in a stable political environment. Less than 40% vote and then complain because they don't agree. That is how extremists get into power. Apathy of the majority until it is too late.Canadians are extremely naive and need to wake up.
The only person I ever met that fought on the Axis side during the war was former Waffen SS, he was originally from the Ukraine and had grown up in a small farming community during the Holodomor and had lost much of his family to that tragedy. So after the Wehrmacht rolled in and occupied the area it started looking for volunteers and he was more than glad to have an opportunity, as he said; the only thing better than getting to kill Communists was to get paid killing Communists. After the war he ended up in New York and settled down to a quiet life and raising a family. That's when I met him (probably 12-15 years ago) at the annual Oktoberfest they hold at Hunter Mountain up in the Catskills. I have to say, I'm glad to have met him, he was a genuinely nice person and very interesting to talk to.
Thanks for sharing this. I covered Ukrainian collaboration on the channel as well.
@@HistoryHustle Then call it Ukrainian RETRIBUTION, not collaboration.
You have to remember that the Ukrainians Hated the Russians because of Stalin's starvation of the Ukrainian in the 1930. The Germans were welcomed as liberators and it wasn't until the followup troops arrived that the welcome turned to hatred. If the Germans had adopted a better treatment of them they would have had an additional couple of armies and Russia would not have had the success they achieved. The Ukrainians became a vicious fighting force because of the treatment they receives after welcoming the Germans as liberators
@@barrettcarr1413 Still many Ukrainians participated in the Holocaust after 1941, I'm not saying the Holodomor wasn't bad, but if you join the devil to fight a demon... In the end you end up becoming more evil than the evil you wanted to destroy.
Thank you for sharing your story,
Gelukkig nieuwjaar. Dank voor al je werk.
🎆👍
Brilliant, if only more people would take an interest in the past then maybe someday they'll understand the present.
Keep up the great work 👍
Thanks for commenting 👍
Yes, understanding the past is key to understanding why communism was the real winner of WW2.
They won't understand anything if they listen to this guy. This guy has a healthy desire for information, which is good, and he presents good information, but his conclusions are bad. He is a Socialist, hates Germans.
@@johnhenni5680
I've only recently found the HH channel. Explain please what you mean. Thank you
@@johnusa3150 Stefan has a way of presenting interesting information about WW2, particularly about SS Divisions from European countries that were occupied by German forces during WW2 and from some that were not... He tweekd my interest because I'm not sold on most WW2 histories nor their sources. Personally , I am a what most conventional WW2 writers call a "Revisionist''. That's a dangerous point of view for the William Safire, Mark Felton type, who take great pains to present Germany of Third Reich era as unprecedentedly evil, destructive, ruthless etc. I don't subscribe to that point of view. Many would and do call me a "Nazi sympathizer". History Hustle presents itself differently than Safire and most other WW2 buffs and historiand do. But he always gets back to how Germany was a force for great evil, great destructiveness etc., to the same assessments and conclusions as the traditional anti- Nazi, Anti-German ( IMO) authors and historians. That's it, really.
This video is a valuable contribution to WWII history.
I found the Comments & Reply section to be replete with important references to heretofore unreported local history and anecdotal lore. Thank you Host, from west coast Ireland.
Many thanks for your kind words.
Stefan I am Peruvian fond of History and just discovered your Channel and discovered the quality of your videos! I am a new member of your Community and will be waiting for your next videos and will try to catch Up with some of the previous ones...regarding this video of the Dutch Waffen SS volunteers I have to say that I Understand the natural hatred to Dutch fighters helping the cause of their German invaders but in some cases it is not so simple since most volunteers, as you said, fought and the eastern front and not against their own people and could argue that there were fighting for a just cause such as Communism (no polítical comment just rehearsing an argument). Anyway it is a very sensible and arguable matter! Thank you again and will be in touch...Cheers from Peru!
Warm welcome to the channel. Glad you enjoyed the video. Great to read your comment!
I really had a tremendous amount of mixed feelings as I watched this video. I lived in Holland from 1990 to 1995 (in Utrecht) as I was married to a Dutch lady named Jola. I'm a documentary film maker and that's what originally brought me to Holland because one of my films was shown at IDFA and called THE CU CHI TUNNELS. It was the story of America's former enemy and told by them. Most American vets found my film to be healing for the most part. During my 5 year life in Holland, for the first time I found that I was highly discriminated by so many Dutch people. I'll try to tie this to the above video in a moment, so I appreciate you being patient. During that 5 year period of time, I met many wonderful Dutch people but I also found an undercurrent of what I found to be unfounded hate toward me, simply for my being an American. My sister in-law point blank hated me and did everything possible to distroy my marriage and one day I asked her why she hated me from the day I met her. She simply replied that it was because I was an American. I point this out as I felt my greatest mentor in my life was the Dutch documentary film maker Joris Ivens. Joris had his Dutch citizenship stripped from him when he showed in one of his films how horrific and racist the Dutch were to the Indonesians. Yes, they were like the "Nazi's" in terms of their relationship as the superior race to their former colonies including Surinam (I love their food) and Indonisia. I most often found that Dutch really didn't like to talk about the aspect of their society as it had been of the largest slave traders in history. One of my favorite books about this subject was called The Embarrassment of Riches : An Interpretation of Dutch Culture in the Golden Age by Simon Schama. Well, to try to make my comments shorter, for Dutch to try to criticize or even hang these Nazi Collaborators is in effect really ironic and contradictory.. Historically, the Dutch were as racist as the Nazi's, particularly toward slaves and in effect enslaving Indonesia as Joris presented in films infuriating the Dutch goverment so much that he was exiled to France (one night at IDFA I got to meet his 2 ex-wifes). Well, I guess my point is that for the Dutch to hang collaborators, I find that to be absurd and the ideas of Hitler are so inherent deep down in Dutch Society. I sure felt them toward me as my life in Holland was such a challenge, simply because I was an American. I hope I never set foot on Dutch society the rest of my life.
We often hate most those who reflect the darkest sides of ourselves as that hatred seeks to deny the reality within ourselves.
Note that in this I do not seek to stereotype any nation, be it Dutch, German, or any other; but merely those individuals who seek to hate with a sense of righteousness in their hatred.
Thanks for sharing your insights, Mickey.
Mick- as the human race has a dark history it still hoovers around. Know a lad whos ancestors were from Germany - Beck. First day he stepped on too German soil he got such a bad vibe and dark reaction he flew back too new Zealand as soon as he could,.''
Whelp, another country that hates US
Mickey great comment, it takes a man of honor and a moral compass to remind the masses that they to are human and human nature has a dark, terribly cruel sense of who is right and wrong. Short and selective memories create dictators, war and heartache. BTW, marry a Thai, no hang ups just great women
My wife’s uncle in law Albert W. Jones served in the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry. He was killed in action on March 2, 1945 and is buried in the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery. My uncle Walter served in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada which liberated the Westerbork Transit Camp on April 12, 1945. My uncle survived the war and I got to meet him but only learned of his WW2 service a few years ago.
Thanks for sharing this.
🙂my father was in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, was badly injured never said anything about westerbork or mutch about combat. He did say the only stupid and cowardly Germans he saw were in USA movies.
@@ricgunn1439 That's because the Kamp was liberated by the South Saskatchewan Regiment.
This is the first time I've heard this story. Thank you for your contribution.
Thanks for watching.
Many Dutch were involuntarily inducted. A friend of mine was one such person. He was a tall 13 year old and he was given no choice by the Germans. He served on the Eastern Front. Was captured by the Russians, served 5 years in the Gulag. If it wasn't for a caring Russian guard who gave him an extra ration he would never had survived. When he got back to Amsterdam he found his family dead. He came to America afterwards. He was no Nazi. He was just a too tall kid that was forced to do what he was told.
My grandpa was in the same situation. He was in Latvia. He was given 2 choices; he could serve in SS or go with his family to a concentration camp.
Involuntary induction, what most would claim after they lost. Any cooperation should have been severely punished.
I do not think that this is true. There were special Trains of Volunteers from Holland, either to Work or serve in the Military.
As far as I know the German didn't force Dutch men in the Waffen-SS but did create favorable conditions. There is a change former volunteers said they were forced to.
Then he chose dishonour …
Thank you for this video. Many young men from my home village volunteered for the Wiking division early in the war, as the place was very rustic and plagued by extreme poverty (which was only alleviated by an economic boom in the 60's) and Catholic rather than Protestant. I neither defend nor judge their choice; in their minds, they had no prospects for a better future in the Dutch state, except to ride the tides of change. A couple dozen left for the eastern front; less than a handful returned alive. You reap what you sow.
Great point, you do reap what you sow. On that point, religious persecution of Catholics since the late 1500s by the Protestant Reformation sowed those seeds. Albeit, the Dutch were relatively tolerant prior to WWII, but very much segregated (Socialist, Liberals, Protestant, Catholic with their own pubs, schools, sports teams etc). Many of these young men were driven to the Nazi cause by the isolation imposed by the Dutch government. Much like the Menia Muria terrorist campaign in Holland of the 1970s, children of Moluccan soldiers who fought for the Dutch in the 1950s in the East, who had emigrated to Holland with the promise of regaining their homeland were force to exist on the fringe of Dutch society. Their cause had the desired effect, which manifested in reform in education and benefits. Yes sir, we can find these kinds of examples through out history where religion has been used as a tool to manage the populace ... Ireland and Pakistan for example. Begs the question ... Why can't we all get along?
@@boomer6611 I'm well aware of the segregation as you might expect, but I suppose any foreigners crazy enough to watch this video, let alone read this comment, aren't. You draw a good parallel between the pre-war "verzuiling" (loosely translated: segregation) and the post-war Moluccan issue. As for getting along, it's easier than you might think. People from countries who are enemies with each other often have more in common with "the enemy" than with the people in their own governments. People with large amounts of wealth and power tend to love it when "simpler" individuals are at each other's throats. Divide and rule, and the world is your oyster.
@@SlayerRiley Yep, Spain and the New World says out all.
@Bella Adamowicz I'm sure they are burning in hell for those atrocities.
They are in Valhalla!
Wow, that was really interesting, I have been fascinated by WW2 all my life, my father having fought from D Day 1 on Gold Beach all the way to Bremerhaven, ages 18 and 19. He was a Sherman tank driver. What I learned today from your film was so instructive and fascinating. So glad I found your channel. Amazed there were so many collaborators, no wonder the patriots were so angry after the way the Nazi's treated them and helped by their fellow countrymen. Thank you.
Anti communism was popular and a lot of the collaborators joined without any prior knowledge of places like auschwitz.
because they did not know what we know now.
@@Hollows1997 rubbish don't make excuses for nazi collaborators. Shame on you .
@@markgayle5453 Judging peoples actions with perfect hindsight, shame on you.
@@Hollows1997 we know evil when we see & feel it we do not need hindsight for that. You sound like you live in Vichy
Interesting! And your narration is still getting better and better. Well done!
Thanks Max.
Excellent explanation of an uncomfortable subject, My father a soldier who fought from the battle of France via the western dessert all the way to Hamburg, was on the allied control commission, he worked with both French and Dutch military personnel, their job was to track down war criminals in Germany and In former German occupied areas, I knew little of his work unfortunately but he left diary’s, which are being conserved by a local museum, one dairy did mention a French SS officer who was detained and handed to French custody, apparently he did not survive very long
Thank you for your reply.
One French collaborator got to be President of France
Canadian are proud of the role our parents (or grand parents or great-grand-parents) played in the liberation of the Netherlands. As part of that, many of us have heard (some of) the horror stories of the nazi occupation, in particular, the wide-spread malnutrition. I wonder how many of these collaborators were true believers vs. those that were simply willing to take any means to feed their families. Very thoughtful video - probably much more to discuss on the subject... well done History Hustle!!
Thanks for your reply, Paul!
They joined a Foreign Evil Organization, which had Invaded and conquered their Home country. They followed an Evil Messiah and committed many Evil Criminal actions!
There are NO EXCUSES for their actions!!!
@@michaelodonnell824 if your choice was watch your young children slowly starve to death or join the occupiers, (that very specific scenario), still no exception from you?
if they were Latvians they could have been employed by the US Army as guards at the Nuremburg trials....... :)
Yeah.
If they were German they could have been employed by the French for service in Indo China.....
Estonians.
In many Greek islands there were small German garrisons that was left behind who continued to serve under allied command even after the end ww2 😉
Wait a minute can you explain more about the collaborators served in Indonesia in Korea afterwards
That will be covered in another video.
I remember coming home on leave from 3 Para, my parents ran a pub, and got into conversation with one of our customers. The conversation got around to the battle for Arnhem. He told me he thought it was a gentleman’s battle and he was there, I assumed he had been a civilian, but he told me he’d been in a grey uniform. The war was a long time ago, he was a nice guy with a lovely daughter. Ce la vie.
Maybe so but he fought for the Nazis who had invaded his Country,good friend of mine in the Netherlands who was a regular soldier like his father,his father was a young officer and was captured by the Germans when they invaded,i was told all Dutch officers were told if they signed a document saying they wouldn't take up arms against the Germans could go home to their families,my friends Dad refused to sign,he spent most of the war in a POW camp in Poland,then when the red army were advancing west he was liberated but he spent some time with the Russians acting as an interpreter for the interrogation of german prisoners he spoke very good German and French,that guy you met had no honour,my friends Dad did,i have visited Arnhem many times.
"C'est la vie" means "that's life". Ce n'est pas la vie (it is not life) for the victims of the Nazis and their collaborators.
Hi John, thanks for sharing.
My uncle was in Vught in 1943. He suffered from epileptic seizures as a result of a childhood injury and was on a covert mission for the Dutch underground in Eindhoven. As a result of his seizures, he collapsed on a train leaving Eindhoven while he was running false ID papers for Jews in hiding in northern Holland. He woke up the next morning in the hospital under guard, and when he was well enough he was tried in court for his so-called "crimes". However, the war was going very badly for Germany at that time, and the Germans were trying to show the Dutch that they were not that bad after all, so because he was still only 20 years old the judge told him that he was not yet 21 and therefore would not be executed (this was May 1943, and his birthday was in a week). He was then sent to the concentration camp in Vught but was eventually moved to a labor camp just north of Paris (not sure when) and was there until just before August 1944 (right before Paris was liberated) when he was moved again, this time to a POW camp near Cologne, Germany (the Germans were running out of space, so they started mixing civilians with soldiers in some of those camps). He was liberated from that last camp in early March 1945 and was immediately recruited into US Army G2 as a translator (he could speak 7 languages), and was interrogating and debriefing prisoners until 1947. His ordeal was amazing...and is well documented in his published memoirs. His story could easily become a Steven Spielberg movie.
My grandfather was in Vught also. He died a few months before I was born so I never met him.
@@ralfybaby, I cannot imagine what it must have been like to be in a camp. My uncle would only say that it was terribly boring until he was moved to that labor camp just north of Paris...that's where he had his "Schindler's List" experience...it was terrifying just reading about it. After he was moved to a POW camp just outside of Cologne, Germany, it was back to boredom for my uncle, until he was liberated.
When did your grandfather pass away?
once again my lad your research is implacable; your presentation regarding this topic is the best I have seen thus far. God bless you and your entire family
👍
Great Video as always, . Don`t you just love history, Wait a few years and some one will re write it. Keep up the good work
Thanks for replying and sharing your insights.
yes itś interesting how much there is need for sugarcoating and justification of perverse intensions of perverse governments and perverse individuals u need to learn harsh lessons to find the truth
@Bella Adamowicz Thanks for your opinion.
Great Video keep up the good work
@Bella Adamowicz
I have only recently found HH on YT. What I am writing to you is probably off topic to HH. Alot of these comments are from young people who seem to "glamorize " the war and the SS based on movies, documentaries or video games. I doubt many of them read Mein Kampf, the Gulag Archipelago, Das Kapital or the Communist Manifesto.
I am too young for World War II, but I remember in the 1970s when West Germany was starting to deal with the Holocaust. I have seen Holocaust survivors.
It is a very sad thing but the Jewish people have suffered heavily in the recent century under both Nazism and Communism. Hitler did not have the monopoly on Jewish persecution. Russia and later USSR (Stalin 1953) and even into the 1980s in the Soviet Union also Today there are more than 1 million Russian Jews in Israel.
I was reading one of your comments . I am not Jewish, but you were talking about the Bible to someone's comparison of Judas to the Dutchmen that joined the SS.
Some of these people are arguing about things that happened during the 1940s. The last two years with this Covid-19 craziness has changed the world more drastically than anything I've ever seen.
If I may, Bible prophecy is manifesting itself daily in the world. The Book of Revelation especially, is unfolding right before our eyes. Any hatred of the Jews is really from Satan ( and his possessed people in positions of power- Hitler, Stalin, some in the Catholic church sorry to say, etc.)
I noticed that HH didn't want people to comment about current political topics. Everything is politicised now. The Netherlands is an extremely liberal country now. Most of Europe is so secular, and alot of the churches are empty.
On a spiritual level, the world is getting very dark. Just watch even a little news- if you can even stand it-I can't. Satan is trying to control this whole planet. According to the Bible, only the Christians and the Jews will get out of this. The Rapture, which many people don't believe in , could happen at any time now.
Israel and Jerusalem is at the center of the future of the history of the world.
In closing, if you are Jewish, I hope I didn't insult you by talking about the Bible, and especially about Jesus. But Satan knows his time is short, and his goal is to take every person on this planet to Hell with him.
(I hope this comment to wasn't too heavy. )
😀😀😀
Exactly. My late father-in-law was a regimental sergeant major in the Canadian Army, and was assigned in May 1945 to guard Dutch SS. When I asked what they were like, he said "There were no criminals in the Netherlands, we had them all". He was not a fan, but also said they were very little trouble, and that the biggest problem they had was keeping Dutch civilians from attacking them. Can't say I blame the Dutch civilians.
They were starved in 44-45. The Germans actually agreed to allow Canadian planes to drop food.
they knew what they deserved u think they were good guys recruited into waffen ss?
We defeated the wrong enemy ~ George Patton
@@dharmatmaram Nope, I think they all should have been shot. I have no tolerance for treason.
@@dominusnox8231 We defeated the right enemy, just not all our enemies.
My father, although Austrian, served in the 23. SS Panzergrenadier Divison - de Ruyter Regiment - he was 17 and fighting on the Eastern Front in Poland by the end of the war. He was wounded beginning of Feb 45 and was transferred to Germany for rehab - the war was over for him.
@REDFOX393 SMITH He would have been 13 in 1941 so go spit somewhere else.
Those days most of Austria loved to be part of the Third Reich ...
The SS were hitler's private army, not the German army (Weremacht), so to join you must join the nazi party. Also front line SS units where closely followed by einsarzgruppen.
It's too bad he wasn't killed. The SS panzer divisions were full of Jew hating, psychotic murderers.
@End of Watch: interesting, what else can you tell us about his experiences? How did he reflect on the war after it.
I believe that there were many Belgians , Dutch and Danes that saw the French and British Armies in early 1940 as being a bigger threat then the Germans ,
In the late 50's I worked with a chap that was captured at Dunkirk . They had to march through Belgium , where crowds lined the streets , not to throw flowers , but stones and spit.
He never forgave them for that. We are led to believe that we were the hero's of Europe , fighting for liberty against the fiendish Nazi's. Many outside of Germany thought that fascist dictatorship was better then having a Regent.
When we reflect upon our current political leaders , they had a point.
This is an excellent presentation. Thank you so much.🇬🇧
Cheers!
More insight into what my Dutch wifes grandfather had to go through post war...thanks again for a great video...Keep them coming.
Not sure if you can add any insight but the way my wife remembers the family history, she says her grandfather "lost" his citizenship as a member of the NSB and had to go through some sort of legal process to regain it...
I'm curious if there is any clarification or information concerning this process or maybe explanation as to why there is some confusion on this bit of family history.
" she says her grandfather "lost" his citizenship as a member of the NSB and had to go through some sort of legal process to regain it..."
That's a simplified version of what happened. Collaborators were detained and tried if found, and given a number of possible punishments depending on the level of their involvement. Some of the NSB's senior leaders were executed. Others, who had been particularly active within the party or had collaborated enthusiastically with the Germans, were imprisoned for a number of years.
Most of them were punished, through courts and tribunals, by the temporary or permanent revocation of a number of political rights. In particular, they lost the right to vote or stand for elections, either temporarily (often for a period of ten years) or permanently. In total, around 85,000 people lost the right to vote in the postwar years due to their (active) collaboration with the Germans or membership of the NSB. Of these, 25 were still alive and still not allowed to vote as of 2019.
Perhaps some of the hostility towards the NSB was a consequence of Dr Mussert's ambition to abolish the Kingdom of the Netherlands as a sovereign state and incorporate it into s greater Germany. My parents lived through the occupation, and told me a lot about it .
@@bertmeinders6758 Mussert wanted a sovereign independendt Netherlands closely alligned to Nazi Germany after the war . He never supported annexation into Nazi-germany. The Nazi's never completely trusted him because of his loyalty ultimately still being with his home country. Thats why during the occupation he barely had any real power at all. and was overruled by Seyss-Inquart on every big decision that needed to be made.
Hi Jeffery, thanks for your reply. I'm afraid I can't help you with this.
A twist of fate and a bad choice for some and opportunism for others but something that must have left a bad taste in the mouth for many Dutch people Cheers Stefan..you explain the awkward very well!
It's interesting that the Dutch were so morally outraged at the behaviour of their countryman. But not so morally outraged that it prevented the Dutch from murdering 10,000 civilians in Jakarta just a few years after the war.
@@Dickiemiller179 well they learned something from their 'Neighbours ' then and like you say their moral outrage didn't extend to East Asian Tribesmen!
@@Dickiemiller179 --- Well, that was about "the Dutch white man's burden" to exploit the non-white Other who, otherwise, might be duped by The Communists out of being colonial servants in their own lands.
Thanks, Daniel!
A very difficult subject that you have covered brilliantly. The anger shown to the traitors is completely understandable and very controlled compared to the response by the Soviets against captured Nazis. Excellent video.
The Russians had a lot more to be angry about.
Approximately 26,000,000 (26 million) Russians died in WW2 and more than half of those were civilians. Approximately 3,500,000 (3 and a half million) Russian prisoners of war died in cruel and brutal circumstances in German p.o.w. camps. The German soldiers fought a war of extermination, barbarity and slaughter as they murdered, raped and pillaged their way across Russia because they regarded Russians as “subhuman”. It was predictable that the Russians would not be well disposed to those who collaborated with the Germans in their cruelty and wanton slaughter of prisoners of war, old men and women and children. It is commendable that the Russians showed any control when dealing with the perpetrators and accomplices involved in such widespread, institutionalised, gratuitous atrocities which were not confined to the SS.
The lesson? If you are Dutch and are invaded do NOT collaborate and certainly not fight for the enemy.
Fair point.
Love this channel. Another great historian. This guy knows his stuff and would be an interesting teacher. Wish I had him when I was in high scholll.
Many thanks!
I had an acquaintance whose father was in the Dutch Waffen SS.
He had fled to Indonesia, my friend was born in Indonesia.
His father woke screaming every night and died early.
Was it what he had done, or what he had seen? I said.
The answer was "I think it was both" he said.
He died a very bitter man similar to the anecdotes mentioned.
Thanks for sharing this.
@@HistoryHustle My pleasure, thanks for your reply. 🇦🇺👍
@@mathewkelly9968 I'm not Dutch, I'm not in the SS, I'm an Australian and I know that Australia is more part of Asia. True Aussie. 🇦🇺👍Actually, I'm a Disability Advocate. I've worked with First Nations People. And I'm not racist at all.
@@mathewkelly9968 He fled from justice. I'm just helping Stefan with a relevant anecdote. I'm not a Nazi and I'm an Australian and my world view is opposite to Colonials. If that helps.
@@mathewkelly9968 He probably is rotting in hell, and I'm not "yous" I was told the story, I'm not Dutch and I've never been to Indonesia.
Considering the circumstances the Dutch handled this quite well. And I can seem to understand both sides of the issue and their cause. Very good.
Thanks for replying.
Agreed, especially if you take into consideration that the last year of the war was rather savage in a large part of the Netherlands.
It is difficult to imagine oneself in the shoes of a hero, traitor or passive observer of that time (as if it were always that easy to tell the difference). I sometimes think this is especially true for the Dutch, as they seem to have a very complicated relationship with morally questionable historical events. Stefan is doing commendable job by pointing to the misdeeds of heroes as well as those of villains. In this context, I find the novels of W.F. Hermans wildly fascinating, notably De Donkere Kamer van Damocles (The Dark Room of Damocles) and Tranen der Acacia's (no English translation). Another impressive book is Montyn by Dirk Ayelt Kooiman (translated as A Lamb to Slaughter), which chronicles the adventures and misfortunes of a Dutch youngster who served in the Kriegsmarine and later 'redeemed' himself in the Korean War.
It’s not just the Dutch mate. We all have trouble with our morally questionable history.
To read about Dutch heroes from WWll, check out some of the novels of Jan de Hartog. Although fictional, his characters are very "real." His character "Harinxma" in "The Captain," is unforgettable. On my first ship, as a junior officer, l had a Dutch captain who was his real life, polar opposite, Rien Kouwe was a real person and a real prick.
@Erik: thanks for sharing your insights. Soon more on the Dutch and WW2.
My cousin oftentimes quotes Bertolt Brecht: „Erst kommt das Fressen, dann kommt die Moral.“ (First we eat, then we think about morality).
@@frankmiller95 Goes to show ,real life is the opposite of your "very real Harinxma" fictional character.
Worked with a Dutchman in Portland Oregon. He said a known collaborator had gotten out of the Netherlands somehow and ended up in Portland Oregon USA in the early 50's. He was stupid enough to attend a Dutch-American Friendship Club dinner and dance. He was recognized by someone and was found face down in the Willamette River the next morning. He said Portland Police received no cooperation or information from the Portland Dutch community. He believed his father was somehow involved in the killing because he knew a lot about it and had lost his brother to execution by the Germans for butchering a goat and sharing it with his neighbors. Hendrik said his uncle was never seen again other than his bloody and shitty underwear and shocks being left on his family's doorstep a few days after he disappeared. He said his father most definitely had the motive. No arrests were ever made in connection to the collaborator's death.
This is a very informative video. Your narration is great. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for replying!
I used to work with an ex-Dutch SS man in Germany who told me he couldn't/wouldn't return to the Netherland because of what he feared might happen to him. That was in 1979-80.
Thanks for sharing. Did he tell you anything of his experiences?
I can’t believe the punishments were so light for people that fought against their country for a cause that starved their fellow countrymen, executed resistants and deported fellow citizens to death camps.
I strongly agree.
War is a gamble, you must take side and the time will tell whether it was the right choice.
On those times there was need to put an end to divide and move on in life again.
You could say that for almost every country occupied/defeated by Germany. The lust for revenge has to be calmed or continuous war will be your only future. Even the US government could see the mistakes made by the Versailles Treaty and was determined to correct the mistake of punishing the enemy for decades which would only lead to WW3.
Murderous war criminals must be punished/eliminated for their heinous deeds but you have to call a stop to it and get on with life.
The French Revolution is a good example of what not to do and the horrific blood and devastation which came later because of it.
@@jerryh2954 Are you plain uninformed or lying?
The death camps were long known, only the extention were unknown.
The Iron Curtain and widespread Communist dictatorship most certainly wasn't Western responsibility.
Just like Russian leaders of today tends to megalomania. The fate of Baltikum, Finland and Ukraine are good examples of the primitive Russian mindset ...
@@jerryh2954 Why are you implying my level of knowledge?
I'm perfectly aware of the consequences of Communism dictatorship.
I even travelled and lived in the relics of this disastrous ideology...
In 1977 whilst on weekend leave I was having a drink in a cologne bar, I got talking to an old chap who had lost a leg,
He told me me he was a Belgiun who had served in German forces and after the war he was scared to return home because of recriminations.
Interesting! What else did he tell you about his experiences?
This Saturday more on the Walloon Legion.
Thank you Stefan, another excellent and interesting post.
Thank you Jack.
Ik ben in 1982 opgekomen in de Harskamp. Op de rijschool daar. Ik kan me nog herinneren dat daar een klein museum was.
Interessant!
After talking with my father and uncles, as far as they were concerned, the war was over. I recall they thought it nuts when they started to go after lieutenants and lower, like they made national or military policy. You see, they remembered being in those positions during the war and you just made them examine their parts in the war. A lot of bad happened on both sides and a lawyer could probably sue about 25% of all who served for everything from theft to cruelty. War stinks, don't start one, if you do, finish it.
When I was around 8 yrs old I lived by a Dutch Diary. I was friends with the kids, and got to hang around the diary. In one of the barns there was a German helmet, the kids said that was there Uncle's helmet during the war.
Thanks for sharing.
Ive read a few books by foreign volunteers. many were motivated because they wanted to fight against Bolshevism, which many regarded as the biggest threat facing Europe.
Not to mention better wages, food and a chance to move around more freely.
“Bolshevism” as you call it is ML applied to Russian conditions. The bolsheviks didn’t want to conquer Europe that was a lie propagated by fascists. 14 Major superpowers invaded Russia to intervene in the civil war and gave material support to the imperialist White Army if anything it was the rest of Western capitalist countries that wouldn’t leave the bolsheviks alone. The reason why communism was spreading had nothing to do with the Bolsheviks. The science of communism predates the bolsheviks, and socialist tendencies have always held root throughout the world. Communism was spreading as the material conditions of the average working class were awful and unbearable in some instances. Look back at the trends of that time huge labor movements as people were fed up by the system that exploited them daily. When those same wage slaves saw the success of the bolsheviks they felt inspired and empowered, and thus a wave of revolution took over the world some of them successful, and some of them unsuccessful. Revolution doesn’t happen overnight it is built up by gradual discontent of the masses towards their oppressors (ruling class). The NSDAP coopted the terms “socialist”, and “workers party” for a reason the majority of the masses held sympathetic views towards communism, and workers movements. It is completely ignorant to claim a majority saw bolshevism as a threat only privileged fascists thought that way as the majority of the masses are working class who were tired of their conditions. Hitler was funded by major german capitalists as he suppressed workers movement, and supported mass privatization. Fascism is merely capitalism in crisis Germany was on the verge of revolution for a long time.
@@Ne-u333 Lenin and Trotsky both wanted to spread global communism in line with original Marxist ideology, it’s not that much of a Nazi lie now is it…
Yes okay there is a difference between Bolshevism and Marxism/Leninism etc but it’s just being used here as an interchangeable term.
@@Ne-u333
Lenin tried to set up farm communes and it didn't work. People were starving, so he allowed private farm land holdings. When Stalin came to power he began confiscating produce and this caused farmers to hide and hoard food. Stalin used this as the excuse to accuse them of greed and profiteering and so he sent death squads to execute Ukrainian farmers and used propaganda news papers to turn people against the farmers.
Source: Crimes of Stalin.
Mao Zedong starved at least 20 million people through his stupid, pointless Great Leap Forward. When he realized that even his loyal party followers were going to overthrow him due to his mad, incompetent policies, he unleashed the Cultural Revolution-a mass propaganda brainwashing of impressionable, clueless youth who were authorized to go on a 10 yr destruction spree while shortages became so acute that one could not even find a chicken in Beijing.
Fascism/Communism is all the same thing to the end user. It's allowed to happen when government becomes so big, it controls everything. You can't give huge powers to a government and expect unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats to do anything but lie, cheat, steal and oppress.
@@Ne-u333 --- Thanks, for the facts.
Great video. Very informative and captivating.
Thanks for watching.
Post regiment/division history is awesome, please make more!
Liked, subbed, and always share.
Welcome to the channel!
I try to put myself in the shoes of a young Dutchman after the Germans conquered the Netherlands. I am reminded of my time in the US Army serving in Iraq in 2004-2005. There were Iraqis who served along side the US forces in the ING (Iraqi National Guard), the INP (Iraqi National Police) and the NIA (New Iraqi Army). Needless to say, these individuals were public enemy number 1 for the insurgent forces and the AQIP forces. Every once in a while, we'd hear news of a car bomb blowing up 10 of them at a checkpoint or a bus load of new recruits getting shot on the side of the road execution style. We patrolled with them often. During the 2004 battle of Samarra, they were the ones to storm the Golden Mosque (taking heavy casualties in the process) Here's the for-real for-real about this. When you have massive unemployment of young military age males, and their only options are collaboration or crime/insurgency, the ones who collaborate are 100% convinced they're doing the right thing. These dudes, by and large, were tough, brave and honorable to serve with. Some were dirt bags only in it for the paycheck and the opportunity to loot. Most were not. Now put yourself in the shoes of the Dutch. Germany just conquered the Netherlands. Things are bad. The Waffen SS says you can help make things better. They also provide a steady paycheck and a way to stay out of jail or worse. One can almost understand why Dutch men signed up. Imagine their shock when they found themselves in Russia. Then it was a matter of survival.
Hi Darren, many thanks for sharing your insights with us. I read it with great interest. It's incredible you served there in Iraq. I remember following it all when being still in high school. I hope you got out OK. Again, thanks for sharing your thoughts on this topic.
They were traitors pure and simple,if the US had been invaded what would you have done?
@@Coolerman565I would have become and insurgent but that’s me
that's because the people who live in any african country seem to love killing one another.
My family hails from Hilversum.
As I understand it,y mother's boss, a factory owner was a mechanic in the SS. Most of been rather odd with him at her wedding as my father survived Buchenwald.
I can understand. Thanks for sharing this.
Another very interesting video. You always find topics which other 'historians' skip over. Much appreciated. Happy New Year, from Albuquerque New Mexico (USA), Stephan!
In Europe slowly the stories of collaborators are also told.
In Asia sadly nobody talks about the hundreds of thousands of Chinese collaborators with the Japanese and how many Koreans worked together with the Japanese colonial regime even going as far as trafficking comfort women.
And Taiwan is an even more interesting story in itself. The "father" of cap ramen was a Taiwanese with a Japanese name who his whole life lived both as a Taiwanese as well as a Japanese
Speak for your own sort of historical knowledge...
In Europe these problematic topics are long researched and published by many different public institutions.
Thanks Todd.
People confuse the Waffen SS with SS... This is not the case, the Waffen SS was under the control of the Heir, the German army, while the SS was under fhe control of Himmler.
True. There was also a Dutch SS, more on that here:
ruclips.net/video/EQm_IWQgQ_Q/видео.html
Taking up arms with the enemy is treason, plain and simple. A functional society cannot tolerate treason. Death penalty is not optional.
Interesting. I saw years ago a video made by Mart Laar, the former Estonian premier minister regarding WWII where he hailed and were thankful for the foreign fighters serving in the German forces for their efforts to stop the Soviet invasion of Estonia. They were not named as being Waffen SS, in the video, but the pictures of their uniforms spoke for itself. Dutch among others were mentioned and these can have been among those punished upon return to The Netherlands.
I did cover the Estonian Legion as well.
Danke. My Opa served with the underground, and my family came from Assen and Leeuwardin. Strangely, I had family on both sides during the war. It is refreshing to hear a non-biased report of the outcomes of a very terrible time in history. My Dutch is horrible, so I can only thank you in English.
Interesting to read Mark. Thanks for sharing this.
This also happened in Norway, my grandfathers brother was 16 when the Germans took over . He joined the Germans at 18 and went to Germany. I have little information on him because it was like he was never born, the family does not speak of him and he never returned home and I`m not sure if they know of his fate. His cousin took the opposite view and was given a metal by the king for her role in the resistance .
Thanks for your reply. In case your interested, I did cover the Norwegian Legion:
ruclips.net/video/F3BPW5WMmDo/видео.html
As usual a very informative video about a subject I’ve always wondered about, thanks.
👍👍👍
THANK YOU so much for this history!! (This history's generally unknown to many; thank you, again! 👍. 😷👣
Thanks for your reply.
Question, sir: How many Dutch former Waffen SS members joined either the French Foreign Legion or became Congo mercenaries? Any clues?
Dunno yet.
In the UK we never had to cope with an occupation and it's aftermath, for which we were fortunate. An unpleasant subject but one that needs to be remembered, to avoid it's repetition.
Ask The Irish and the Scottish about their experience on British occuption, which lasts to this date!
Well apart from the Channel Islands
@@bluebear6570 the Scots are British. Our King became theirs.
@@bluebear6570 nobody has ever occupied the whole Scotland and it took the Scottish king until the 17th century to do it.
@@GriefTourist the only part of the British Empire to be occupied by Germany during the war.
My friend was from Rotterdam. He served in the German army in WWII. In his teen years he was in the hitler youth as many boys his age were. He told me about walking east to avoid the Americans and then having to turn around and walk west because, "You did not vant to be captured by ta Russian." Apparently the Russians would shoot them or send the to Siberia without trial. In the early 1980's he said that he knew that there were still soldiers from the war who were in Siberia. He also told me that in that walk you could sleep eight hours in a ditch, get up and get back in line because there were so many people. He later joined the DMM and then the US forces where he served in Korea then later in Vietnam. After Vietnam he retired because, "Vor just vasn't fun anymore." He never lost his love for "Uncle Adolf." I learned a lot about the mind of someone who believed in the thousand year reich. It's sad to see that same spirit in office here in the United States today.
the vietnam war was wrong, the last gasp of french colonialism and a stain on the usa.
@@jerryeinstandig7996 What does any of what you typed have to do with it?
Oh baloney. No nazi spirit in USA. That’s ridiculous
@@lk8856 Continue in your blindness. I will tell you that many of those who helped form the CIA were former G.S. But some will not believe the truth. Enjoy the bliss.
@@lk8856 what about those nut jobs who tried to take over the Whitehouse after Trump lost the election, people in general are not that smart look at Russia and Eastern Europe they have nazi skinheads,swastika tattoos, the whole works and the country I grew up in apartheid South Africa our maid brought us up but we were taught blacks were bad ,I thought that was weird, but America must have these issues and still has especially in the south were a lot of trumps supporters hail from, no a large part of the world including America Are pretty dumb and can be manipulated so easily, when logic and pure common sense becomes the yardstick of how we think instead of emotional knee jerk reactions to things, then there will be hope for the world 🌎
My Dutch Oma was actually Austrian. Married a Dutchman (my Opa) in '29. She was a nurse and helped German troops during the war in Holland. My Opa went to France painting buildings sometime during the war. "Best time of my life" he once told me. They were both punished after the war at camps around Amersfoort. 2 small children were in the picture by now so I don't know where they went when the parents were serving time at these camps? I remember hearing little snippets of information here & there growing up. I'd ask everybody now much more detailed questions but alas, they've all moved on.
This is such a good channel! Good information and great energy! 😊👍
Thank you Bert!
Just found your video, very interesting. I know a little about the subject. 10 years ago I bought my house in the UK. After moving in I was chatting to our new neighbours, and it transpires that the previous owner was an officer in the Dutch SS. He wrote a book. but I've not read it yet. All the best.
Thanks for sharing this.
Would you kindly share the name of the author and of the book? Would be very interesting. Thanks!
I'll go and borrow the book from my neighbours and post up the details on here. I've been wanting to read it for years 👍
Interesting. Thank you for your post.
You should search under the floor boards, in the attic, behind the cupboards etc. You might find primary copy and other stuff.
Interesting, curious to hear about the book
Also, many Waffen SS joined the French Foreign Legion at the end of the war. Apparently the fate of Dien Bien Phu was closely watched by the public in West Germany at the time because there were so many former German soldiers in the FFL. Probably Dutch among them too.
Have to research this.
Also Mike Hoare's Executive Outcomes/Rhodesian Army.
@@chrishagreen3988 Executive outcomes was formed in the 80s after the Rhodesian bush war and had nothing to do with Mike Hoare. Dien Bien Phu was fought in 1963 if I remember correctly so there was no connection to Vietnam. Maybe you were asking History Hustle to research them and just clicked on the wrong comment to reply ?
@@watkinsrory Dien Bien Phu was fought in 1954
@@OldFellaDave Thanks
Excellent vid! I remember the story of Gerardus Mooyman well. A brave young man, looking for adventure and dealing well with that at the time. Let's not forget how hard life became for the children of NSB-parents. Even into the 1980's, they were treated as scum.
Thanks for sharing this.
The children were innocent. Their parents WERE scum.
@@frankmiller95 They truely didn't mention the war...
@@frankmiller95 In your opinion yes, in mine no they weren't.
@@johnhenni5680 Fair enough. We're all sharing our own opinions.
Greetings from California. Part of this story reminds me of the following: My father was an anti-aircraft artillery officer (captain) in the Pacific during the war and about two months before the war actually ended, after the dropping of the bombs, he was in the Philippine as Allied Forces prepared to invade Japan.
By that time in the war Bouchard greater air superiority there was less of a need for all the anti-aircraft artillery personnel, so my father and his men were charged with running a small POW camp.
He said as far as keeping the Japanese in he had a very easy job that really required minimal effort and manpower. What he mostly had to worry about was keeping the Filipinos out.
@Michael RS - "What he mostly had to worry about was keeping the Filipinos out."
That, I can well believe. I'm damn sure that the Japs knew that if they did escape the camp, they would never have escaped the Filipinos.
Another excellent video, Stefan.
Many thanks Paul!
Another awesome video. Thank
You for making this.
👍 you're welcome.
This is very interesting subject I just saw the Dutch war movie about Indonesia called The East .
I hope you make documentary about that since there are not many information about that. Great work Estephan
He has a number of older videos on Indonesia and the Indonesian Revolution, hopefully some more will be done too
Please check:
ruclips.net/video/8T3JZljI7A4/видео.html
Also there was a motorised brigade of infantry "Flanderen" SS that also served on the eastern front right from the start of barbarossa. ps love the pieces the attention to detail is great thanks
Thanks. I did cover Flemish volunteers about a year ago.
I am from the West of Ireland, p we were not in the war, but I find the story's so fascinating, thank you
Thanks for replying.
Ilike your style and humour and succinct story teller . must be a good history teacher
Thanks for your reply.
My father was conscripted as forced labour during the war - and rarely spoke of this time being in Germany working in factories and other duties. He did mention that he knew some people who did join the German army - and they were dealt with by people from their neighborhood.
Thanks for sharing.
My (Dutch) cousin's ex-boyfriend's father did manual labor in Germany, for the rest of his life he would become violently ill if he saw a train or train station (he was shipped there in a cattle car). His son inherited a little bit of the discomfort.
@@watching99134 My Grandfather was forced labour too, but ended up on a farm with really nice people who he remained friends with well after the war.
My uncle (Dutch) worked for a German company before the was and was forced to relocate to the headquarters during the war war. He was treated well back home after the war. My aunt followed him to Germany and got grief upon return. People understood that my uncle had to go but were less understanding why my aunt had to. Her response was something like "well, what else was I going to do? Stay home and twiddle my thumbs?". They never spoke (to me) about their time in Germany. Anton Verhulst
Thank you for this! I had heard just a bit about the phenomena, and watched "Soldier of Orange" once. I also have a friend whose mother was from Java and whose father was a Dutch Colonial. Because of that inter-racial love, he joined the Royal Dutch Navy to get away from his disapproving mother. So, he was not caught up in the Indonesian independence fighting and massacres, moved to North America and survived. (I had wondered about why my friend's daughter was named Jamila...) How many amazing stories are there from the Netherlands in WWII?
Nice name!
One amazing story could be the fact that no other country deliberately send so many of their Jewish neighbours to the death camps...
Some 70% Dutch Jews were murdered because of the will to cooperate with the Nazis.
Dutch people were generally opportunistic during the occupation.
@@OmmerSyssel You are wrong on all counts. "Sending people to the death camps" was not a task that was delegated to "Dutch collaborators". It was the efficiency of the German occupiers. and (it pains me to say this) organisational skills, that resulted in not 70 % but more like 90 % of the Dutch Jewish population perishing during the Holocaust. I've explained this elsewhere in this thread.
In closing, and I'll try to remain polite to your know nothing ass here, I would like to add, that your comment is a slap in the face of many, many Dutch citizens, who in the face of adverse situations, oppression and nazi tyranny beyond imagination, helped out, hid, fed, and supported our Jewish citizens. Many of these "opportunistic Dutch people" paid the ultimate price for their bravery, and are rightfully honored as "the righteous among people" at Yad Vashem.
Thanks for your reply, Rick!
@@TonySlug
Dutch colonial rule in Indonesia was much longer and more ruthless than the German occupation of the Netherlands during World War II. During the colonial war in Indonesia, the Dutch committed many war crimes. But all this is largely ignored in the Netherlands. Only one's own actual or supposed suffering is remembered. The suffering of others is of no interest.
And who reports and remembers the cruel colonial rule of the Belgians in Africa. The entire African population was forced to do forced labour. Those who did not fulfill their work quota had their hands chopped off. According to historians, up to 10 million Africans died under Belgian colonial rule. But that doesn't seem to interest the moralists of the western world.
A video about the Stille Hilfe could be an interesting continuation for this topic. "Stille Hilfe, is a relief organization for arrested, condemned and fugitive ⚡⚡ members, similar to the veterans' "
Or it was, because I doubt there is anyone still alive.
Obrigado! 🇧🇷
Interesting, thanks for sharing this.
The present state of the Netherlands indicates that Dutch Waffen-SS volunteers fought on the correct side.
Verrekt interessant, goed gedaan en bedankt
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Many of them served in the foreign Légion in french army and fight in Vietnam in 1948 to 1954
Not sure about the Dutch though..
@@HistoryHustle My grand-father was with Dutch, German, Italian, Hungarian people in Vietnam in 1951/53, and he Knowed perfectly their nationality when he fighted near them against communist vietmin !
Yes they were slow learners.
Kind of makes sense, life would have been rough for them in the Netherlands and the legion would give them an escape from that. I wonder how many would have joined though, the largest part would have tried to find their place in Dutch society.
As a young man I was taught Jujitsu in Australia by a former Dutch Waffen SS soldier. The story as he told it was that he was captured by the Russians and put into a displaced persons camp at the end of the war. He befriended a guard and one day went up to him and asked for a cigarette. As he handed it over, he knocked him out and escaped and then he was captured by the British. He was taken into an office where they discussed his fate although he did not understand any English at that point - he did see a machine gun on a table and thought to himself if they try to send me back to the Russians I am going to grab the machine gun and kill everyone here - fortunately they decided not to do that. He ended up in Germany teaching self defence to American forces. Subsequently he moved to Australia and set up a Jujitsu club. Years later he decided to try for the 4th dan (iirc) Jujitsu exam by the World Jujitsu organisation based in Germany - At the conclusion of the exam he was awarded 10th Dan as, as it turns out, the world Jujitsu organisation had grown out of clubs he had set up in Europe before the war. RIP Karl Peter Schuller
Great story, how many are lost forever. Thanks.
ended up going to hell
@@xZekQzuneR Hell is fiction. The jews don't have it in their religion. Jesus was a practicing jew, even though sort of a reformer. The concept of hell was invented by later christians, as well as heaven. (Which does not exist in jewish religion either) Don't forget all NT books were written long after Jesus and Paul's influence was strong, he never met Jesus fysically but claimed to meet him in spirit. He met but didn't get along well with the christians who actually met Jesus, like Peter and James, so he left them and shaped christianity the way he saw fit. Paul was rich, and literate in both Arameic and Greek as well as very driven to expand christianity. You might say he created for the most part christianity as we know it.
Once again, hell was invented after Jesus. Mohammed took up the idea from the christians. So don't fear hell and don't long for heaven because these are human inventions. Or you might say the real hell and heaven are here, present. Humans are the ones creating heaven or hell, depending on how they live.
War is hell, peace is heaven, if you ask me.
@@DutchmanAmsterdam ALL religion is pure bullshit created to victimize and control gullible people by fear and to drain their economic resources…
Much respect for these heroes who confronted 20% of nazi power with fury! Also glory to comrades under Stalin who fought the bulk 80% of wehrmacht over the Eastern front. They pulverized nazis until Berlin.
Hi Stefan, many thanks this is so interesting, I have been studying the effects of the Nazi invasions in europe now for a while. It's certainly a tragedy, and I often wonder what it would have been like if the UK had been invaded, and judging by the channel islands, i suppose pretty much the same. great channel Stefan keep up the great work.
Many thanks for your reply!
The few Jewish citizens remaining in the Channel Islands were denounced to the Germans and escorted to the ship taking them to concentration camps in occupied Europe by Btitidh policemen
@@mikegibson5022 References please.
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@@davidjames2145 watch the Documentarys made by the Actor John Nettles who is a native of the Channel Islands which 1 idk but yeah British Police were responsible for handing them over bu to they never took them to occupied France the Germans done that I do an know that there were 3 Jewish Women from Guernsey as an for the rest of the islands I can't say? there's a multi part Documentary about Auschwitz it also gets a mention in that too sorry bout the lack of of dates etc
A German invasion of Britain would of been a colossal failure, Germany did not have the naval power to conduct such an operation. Military history channels explain it in depth.
Just subscribed - Very interesting - Best wishes from Bangkok.
Welcome to the channel!
I suspect that my dad’s brother was in the Waffen SS. He spent time in Kamp Vught, about 3 months for something he did. I can’t work out what was his relationship with the Duitsers.
Dear friend, thank you for this excellent video! Many years ago, a Dutch friend told me that after the war, schoolchildren whose parents had been NSBers were shunned and insulted at school - in other words they carried the shame of the parents who joined the NSB. I wonder if you can comment about this? Bedankt voor uw zeer interessante video. Met de beste wensen van Engeland
Thanks for your reply.
Hi. What you have been told is correct. My grandfather was an Amsterdam business owner who married a Jewess from Vienna. Her heritage was kept secret so she survived. He was however, a card carrying member of the nazi party and after the war did 12 months in prison. His son, my dad left Amsterdam for New Zealand in the 1950s because he was treated badly by everyone because of his dad. Many Dutch citizens thought that the national socialists would be good for the economy. I don’t think they really understood the horrors that were to come.
My uncle Paul (RCAF) told me you could always tell the collaborators from the Dutch populace, They appeared to well fed and healthy while after the liberation some Dutch people were so far gone and suffering from disease and malnutrition they died with in days or weeks while the Canadians and British troops started the enormous task of feeding the population. In 1944 to 45 Holland was stripped of livestock and virtually anything edible by Nazi occupation forces with the collaboration of Dutch Nazis to feed the German civilian population
Thanks for your reply.
The Hunger Winter.
My understanding is that there were strikes, allied bombings and bad weather that also contributed to make the famine worse?
@Mr Kentucky Redneck If they committed war crimes... Yes..hang them.. Otherwise they were no different to Americans or English serving in the French Foreign Legion..
@Mr Kentucky Redneck Depends if you believe in "my country right or wrong"... I wouldn't have fought for the UK in 1914 but would have in 1939...In the Boer war I might have fought for the Afrikaners...
Great video.
Collaborators should at least be punished but by the letter and spirit of the law.
Was there any similar treatment of those that voluntarily served the DDR? Or Red Army after the break up of those countries?
Thanks. Don't think there was such treatment when communism fell.
I had a friend whose father was Polish. He served in the Polish army, joined the German army, moved to England after the war - and joined the British Army!
If he served in the German army during WW2 he would be executed if he returned to Poland. The Polish nation invariably executed traitors.
Very informative video again. There was a young German SS soldier who fought against the Russians and the Americans. After the war joined the French Legion like many other countrymen. Fighting in the Vietnam War and got captured by the Vietnamese. Changed side and fought together with the Vietnamese against the Americans. After that finally returned back home to Germany. To East Germany, the DDR.
What a story that man could tell
So basicly loved war and killing.
A reverse Larry Thorne, interesting.
An SS guy fighting for communism? Sounds like he just liked any war that would have him.
Why would he fight for the communists after already fighting so hard against them? I doubt, beyond a few cups of rice, he was well paid by the Vietnamese. Also, if he wasn't discharged by Foreign Legion he would have been AWOL and the Legion is not forgiving to deserters.