Feldgrau :: Swiss Volunteers in the German Wehrmacht WWII

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Swiss Volunteers in the German Wehrmacht WWII by Jason Pipes


Switzerland was a strict neutral during WWII, but although it avoided openly siding with either the Axis or Allies, a small number of Swiss citizens without offical approval did actually volunteer for service within the German Wehrmacht. In fact, between 700 and 800 Swiss volunteers are known to have been incorporated in the Wehrmacht during WWII. Of these, at least 300 are thought to have been killed in action. No single unit of Swiss volunteers was formed during WWII though, and all volunteers served on an individual basis within the Wehrmacht. The vast majority of Swiss volunteers were accepted into the ranks of the Waffen-SS, notebly in the 5.SS-Panzer-Division Wiking and the SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers.