'“Walloonie” SS-Volunteers:

“Updated Pictures” SS-Rottenführer, 5. SS.DIV. Sturmbrigade “Wallonien”:

Recruited from the Heer Freiwillige Legions by Gottlob Berger (Head of SS-Recruiting), the experienced French and Belgian Legions were in the Army on the Eastern Front in early 1943. The survivors of the First Russian Winter were transferred to the Waffen-SS and later incorporated into the SS-Sturmbrigade “Wallonien” on 1 June. It had about 1600 Veterans of the Legion and from the Belgian Army, plus around 400 more recruits in training at the Wildflecken Training Area.

As the train pulls into Wildflecken, often the main Kaserne is obscured by the clouds as it sits atop a hill above the town. Troops marched from the rail station to the Kaserne. The weather is cold and harsh in the Winter; hot and humid in the Summer, the Landser would say “Lieber den Arsch Voller Zecken also in Tag in Wildflecken!” (Better an Ass full of ticks than a day at Wildflecken).

After the war, the U.S. Army took over the compound, and little changed. A friend spent a day in the place training. His high point memory was the digging up of an old MP-40 machine pistol while working a defensive position for training. But never slept in the barracks; he was always in the field in the Kilo Area. Another Wildflecken vet was Elvis Presley.

The uniform represented here is a newly issued M-43 issued to a Rottenfuhrer as he gets ready for the training of the new troops to begin. An Eastern Front Veteran must be aware of what the unit will be up against when they go back to the front. He has earned the EKII, as well as the Ost Front ‘Winter’ award, and the Wound Badge in Black. He also wears his Rexist Honor Cross Badge, which some of the troops wore, and also note the Belgian Rexist Youth Badge, they are very rare.

The new M-43 cap was issued; the one I had with it originally was a bit blueish, with all the insignia on the front, but it did make it stand out. However, that one went somewhere else and has been replaced with a more typical one. But as of yet, the Brigade in Bronze. He has not been issued SS-collar insignia; later combat photos do show them in place with the troops. (But this uniform is a time capsule for the time of organization from Heer to Waffen-SS, at “Wildflecken”). With the uniform, he wore the standard Kielhosen, Gamanschen, and ankle boots. The SS belt buckle has taken the place of his Heer (EM) buckle on his cartridge belt. All his gear and Y-straps for carrying it were German Wehrmacht issue.

Haumptsturmführer, 2 8. SS-Freiwilleg Grenadier-Division “Wallonien”:

This is an interesting example, showing a late-war ‘Browner’ shade of Field Gray material in his jacket and wool/Schirmmutz. The collar may be from another jacket or custom added, with the ‘Heer’ style bottle green collar, often perceived to represent the ‘Infantryman’, and issued to the Waffen-SS, when the feldgrau open collar ran short on supply, the SS adapted the Heer uniform itself. All the insignia are pretty much officer-quality and bullion. He wears the SS version of the Gebirgsjager patch on the right sleeve, while on the left sleeve, he has the Wallon shield in a woven pattern.

He wears the ‘Ehrenzeichen der Wallonen or Honor Award of the Walloons’ or ‘Rexist Cross’ on his right pocket, as opposed to the left as per norm. The Decoration was worn on the pocket following authorization by RF-SS Himmler in November 1944. The award could be presented in bronze and silver based on merit, dating to 1941. His other decorations include the EK I and II Klass, Ost Front ‘Winter’ Ribbon, the Infantry Combat Clasp in Gold, Infantry Assault Badge, and Silver Wound Badge! An Infantry officer with white piping on his shoulder boards. It’s said by some that all officers had their shoulder-boards sewn in, I don’t buy that 1 it sucks for washing the uniforms, and 2, in the field rank change often came quickly, or not at all, boards and pips, whatever were just applied there on the spot.

I’ve added an old shot of how he may have looked out in the field, wearing a brown side-out/oak camouflaged smock and a rabbit fur hat.

Untershurmführer, Strumgeschutz Wrap :

This Untershurmfuhrer represents a Sturmgeschutz Platoon Commander of the Walloon-Sturm-Brigade. As mentioned, he wears the standard feldgrau special warps ‘Jacket for Armored crewmen. He has his ‘Rexist Honor Cross’ and wound badge displayed on the front of it, and in the buttonhole, his EK-II ribbon and ‘Ost-Front-Winter’ Ribbon. The rest of the uniform is all-regulation Waffen-SS, with quality shoulder boards and collar tabs.

SS-OBERScharführer, Wallonien, Custom M-44 uniform:

The Technical Sergeant has a rather extravagant uniform here, so much for no insignia on the camouflaged uniform officially, only the “New” formatted universal-sleeve rank was the only permitted insignia, but at this time, it wasn’t uncommon. But with the right officer, he could be in infraction for it, but most considered it nonsensical, as no 2 uniforms were the same by the end of the war. This private purchase late war ‘Windjacke’ is based on the Model 1944 pattern, Bluse is based on an earlier period four-pocket camouflage uniform jacket. Commissioned during the closing stages of the war, it may or may not have seen use. Sewing variances indicate that the jacket originally had only the sleeve rank and sleeve eagle machined in place.

These could have been on the jacket before being modified to an M44 conversion-cut, as they are totally within the normal spectrum of regulation. The particular unit insignia, as well as the officer’s pattern Gebirgsjäger patch, were added later. The M44 uniform was considered fashionable among the German military when they became issued, and custom-made versions were popular, as several late-war photos show. Field-made camouflage versions are beginning to show up in original photos and collections.

I kinda think of this uniform as “The Big Shot”, as he is a very highly decorated Master Sergeant, with the German Cross in Gold, and the Infantry Clasp in Bronze, Infantry Assault Badge, (unseen Iron Cross 2nd class, ant the Iron Cross 1st class, the Wound Badge in Gold (so he’s bee hit 5 times or worse, and the Resist Party Badge as welI, I want to say we had an officer we were looking at, but I lost all that info, and cant place him. At the end of the war, in the last months, it’s been said a lot of decorations were getting handed out, push the boys on, and all, looks good at any rate.

Period photos show that the nonstandard placement of the divisional sleeve shield is lower on the sleeve. The pre-positioning of the sleeve rank and eagle may have affected this placement as well on this camouflaged uniform. His Waffen SS-Feldmütze has been modified with officer-grade bullion insignia.

Leon Degrelle:

Leon Degrelle was not a stupid ‘Nazi’. He did play into the Führer’s hands, and he wanted the power and fame. There is photographic evidence of him in a 44-dot pattern camouflaged uniform, with not a lot of bling on it, as you would wear it in the field, flashy decorations, and officers’ ranks draw fire at the front, and everyone knows that.