Foreign volunteers in the German Army.

[Guest redrum]

I know the Wehrmacht was very cosmopolitan in WW2 but were there many foriegn volunteers in the German Army of 1914-18. i.e. Dutch/Belgians/Danes?

[Glosters]

The 27th Royal Prussian Jäeger Battlion was made up of Finnish volunteers and served on the Russian front. In a secret agreement the Finns were allowed to serve in the German Army in preparation for Finnish independence, when they would need a pool of trained men to form the new Finnish Army. When the Revolution broke out in Russia the Finns saw their chance and declared independence. The Germans agreed to send the 27th Jäegers to Finland to join the White Finnish Army in the war against the Reds and the Russians.

Steve

[CROONAERT]

I know the Wehrmacht was very cosmopolitan in WW2 but were there many foriegn volunteers in the German Army of 1914-18. i.e. Dutch/Belgians/Danes?

Many Danes could be found within the ranks of the 17th Division.

With the changing of the borders post-1918, it could be said that many Belgians, French, Luxembourgers and Poles fought within the German Army (though they were classified as "German" when they did). This makes interesting reading on some war memorials, such as that at Malmedy, which lists those who fell "for Germany" 1914-18, alongside their sons who fought "against Germany" 1940-45.

Dave.

[Landsturm]

True, wow! Didn`t believe my own country would be mentioned here!

Members of Jääkäri-("jäeger" in Finnish) movement were trained in Lockstedt and in autumn 1915 it became Ausbildungstruppe Lockstedt (training group, I assume). Royal Prussian Jäeger Battalion n. 27 was transfered to Eastern front in May 1916.

[Ralph J. Whitehead]

I have come across nationalities such as Sweden, Luxembourg, the United States, and several mentioned as being born in England, France and several South and Central American countries. These were generally men who were of German ancestry from what I have seen.

Ralph

[healdav]

You won't find any Luxembourgers listed as having been in the German army, 'due to border changes post-1918' as the borders didn't change.

HOWEVER, if anyone comes across any mention of any Luxembourger in any army I would be very grateful for details. It never ceases to surprise me thatthere are no records of any in the German army as professional soldiers pre-1914 as there were professionals in the French and Belgian armies (Luxembourg was forbidden to have an army).

I am trying to do an inventory of the Luxembourgers, but the records as pretty awful and the existing inventory is, I have proved, not very accurate to say the least.

[Guest redrum]

Thanks all for your interesting replies. I have wondered if any known British subjects/citizens served in the German Army of 1914-18. I know some went over to the other side in WW2 (Britisches Freicorp/St. Georges Legion)

[CROONAERT]

HOWEVER, if anyone comes across any mention of any Luxembourger in any army I would be very grateful for details. It never ceases to surprise me thatthere are no records of any in the German army as professional soldiers pre-1914 as there were professionals in the French and Belgian armies (Luxembourg was forbidden to have an army).

Have you been in contact with the curators of the Historial at Diekirch? They have details of Luxembourgers serving in the German army during WW2, and it wouldn't surprise me if they had similar for WW1 (what with it being practically regarded,by some, as an "extended part" of Prussia and garrisoned by them until 1866, many Luxembourgers must have felt "German" in 1914 and volunteered for their army - a feeling that emerged again in later years when the advancing German forces were looked upon as "liberators" in 1944 in certain areas!).

Another place you may find details is, if memory serves me correctly, in the archives held in the Schloss at Wiltz.

Dave.