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09-01-2014 11:59 AM
# ADS
Circuit advertisement
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'Attempts to form a Lithuanian Waffen-SS Legion similar to those in Estonia and Latvia failed because of German mishandling of Lithuanian manpower and general reluctance among the Lithuanian population to be associated with the SS. only individual Lithuanians joined the Waffen-SS, usually after becoming attached to various Waffen-SS or police combat groups whilst serving with Heer or Lithuanian volunteer police battalions' (Marc Rikmenspoel, Waffen-SS Encyclopedia , p. 189)
I don't know how reliable this fragment of information is. I suspect that 'mishandling' actually stands for horrific mistreatment of the people of Lithuania.
Regards, Philip
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Every country the germans occupied had local volunteers. The germans often threated the local populations bad, and this is the reason for not more wanted to join the axis and get rid of the bolsjeviks.
The rest of the story we all know.
It could be your family were in the local "Schutzmannschaft", often reffered to as "Schuma". Or as a
"Hilfsfreiwilliger"
Schutzmannschaft - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tautinio Darbo Apsaugos Batalionas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Thanks all, I love the community anywho,
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Just to add my 2 cents. There was no Lithuanian SS Legion as far as I know. There were attempts to create a Lithuanian SS Legion (like the ones in Estonia and Latvia) yet they failed. This was mainly because no volunteers presented themselves.
I think Germans mainly formed Lithuanian Police Battalions and Construction Battalions. The SS mainly formed and used Lithuanian Auxiliaries for SS related actions.
David Littlejohn mentions this in one of his books as well.
Similar to what DrPMC mentions.
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