Published: 25 December 2010
Last Updated: 01 June 2013
The SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Brigade Nederland was formed in August 1944 when 4. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Brigade Nederland was redesignated.
It was upgraded to 23. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nederland (niederlandische Nr. 1) in February 1945.
Known war crimes
At Podgaje (Flederborn?) in Pomerania 32 Polish prisoners from 3. Infantry Regiment of the 1st Division Polish First Army were killed on 2 February 1945 by soldiers from SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 48 General Seyffard and 15. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS. (1)
Commanders
SS-Brigadeführer Jürgen Wagner (1 Aug 1944 – 10 Feb 1945)
Manpower strength
20 Sep 1944 8.960
Holders of high awards
See 23. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nederland (niederlandische Nr. 1)
Order of battle
SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 48 General Seyffard
SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 49 de Ruyter
SS-Artillerie-Regiment 54
SS-Nachrichten-Abteilung 54
SS-Panzerjäger-Abteilung 54
SS-Pionier-Bataillon 54
SS-Flak-Abteilung 54
SS-Feldersatz-Bataillon 54
Recruitment poster “The Netherlands shall rise again! Your slogan Their deed”
(Courtesy of Imperial War Museums)
Footnotes
1. “Towarzysze frontowych drog” by Stanislaw Poplawski, “Podgaje” by Andrzej Czerkawski.
Sources used
Andrzej Czerkawski – Podgaje (Warszawa 1968)
Dr. K-G Klietmann – Die Waffen-SS: eine Dokumentation
Kurt Mehner – Die Waffen-SS und Polizei 1939-1945
Stanislaw Poplawski – Towarzysze frontowych drog (Warszawa 1983)
Reference material on this unit
Perry Pierik – From Leningrad to Berlin: Dutch Volunteers in the German Waffen-SS
Jan Vincx & Viktor Schotanius – Nederlandse vrijwilligers in Europese krijgsdienst 1940-1945 Vol 3: Vrijw. Pantsergrenadier Brigade Nederland
