Today's Komsomolskaya Pravda listed Poland as "Hitler's European Union" and "Gòralski SS Volunteer Legion" as invaders of the Soviet Union.
The "Góralski" SS legion, planned as 10000-men force, actually had *five* men -and its story would make a good Tarantino scrip. Thread. /1
The "Góralski" SS legion, planned as 10000-men force, actually had *five* men -and its story would make a good Tarantino scrip. Thread. /1
Nazis tried to recruit Poles to join the SS without much success since 1939. Poland's Nazi occupiers came up with the story of 'Goralenvolk' suggesting that Tatra highlanders are actually Aryans and have nothing in common with Slav Poles. The first recruitment drive, offering /2
well-paid positions in Hans Frank's 'honorary guard' at Wawel Castle resulted in *six* men signing up. They were deemed so useless that they have been transferred to the "Pod Baranami" hotel to work as porters. /3
In 1943, when Nazi Germany suffered heavy defeats on many fronts and was desperate for recruits, the unlucky six had to join SS „Totenkopf-Standarte 8”. Four suddenly fell ill in the first month of service, and only *two* saw any actual fighting. /4
The second and third recruitment drives for Waffen SS recruits among Polish górals, conducted in 1941-1942, had to be suspended, as *nobody* signed up. /5
The 4th plan, conceived in 1942, was to set up a separate 'Góralski Waffen SS Legion' with 10000 men. Despite a strong recruitment drive, including a promise of releasing all relatives of volunteers from Nazi prisons and camps, only 400 showed up for the 'Recruitment Open Day'./6
Only 216 were deemed fit for service. And fit as they were, they refused to board the train to a Waffen SS training camp in Trawniki (some 300 miles away) so Nazis had to provide enough vodka to get them all dead drunk. This helped to get them onto the train eventually. /7
Unfortunately, the journey was long enough for them to sober up - once this happened, 202 out of 216 jumped out of the train. Only 12 (!) got to Trawniki. /8
When they found out they will train with SS Galizien Ukrainians (that górale were not fond of), they protested so vehemently that a huge brawl erupted, resulting in 7 górale being expelled. The 5 remaining SS górale were known by name: Marzec, Suleja, Karkosz, Mytkowicz, Duda. /9
*script
