World War II has a history that has always been of interest in my family. When you think about it, it’s very intricate. There were all sorts of factions involved. Some that come to the forefront of our minds and some we never think about. I, for one, believe in studying history in the hopes that it doesn’t repeat itself.
In my education on World War II, the Norwegians have been completely overlooked. So, I was very interested to learn more when I found this Web site. Did you know that they served in almost every aspect of the war? This site focuses on the units that were almost completely Norwegian.
You’ll find navigation on the side menu. The sections are: SS Division “Wiking,” Frw. Legion Norwegen, The Police Companies, SS Skijeger Bat. Norge, Kaprolat & Hassolman, F. K. Posters & Art, Combat Helmets, Insignia, The Frontkjemper Badge, 8 May 1945 and Forward and Forum.
The sections SS Division “Wiking,” Frw. Legion Norwegen, The Police Companies and SS Skijeger Bat. Norge are sections devoted to the different Norwegian companies that were put together during the war. It was interesting to me to find that one of the reasons given for the Norwegians joining the war in the first place was to fight the Russians on the border of Finland and serve in all Norwegian units with Norwegian commanders and uniforms. These sections are peppered with pictures of the troops during their time of service as well.
Kaprolat & Hassolman is a section devoted to these two battlefields. I would like to warn you that there are pictures of human remains in this section. They went back and visited the battlefields and took pictures of what they found. You’ll also find a nice bit of background history of these battles explained on this page. The pictures were taken in 2003 and 2005, which really drives home how untouched these areas were after the war.
The sections F.K. Posters and Art, Combat Helmets, Insignia and The Frontkjemper Badge are devoted to the items of the war. From the recruitment posters and art from the front to the helmets and insignia they wore, you’ll find it all here. I think the insignia section was my favorite, because you get to see the men in their uniforms, mostly outside of war interactions. And by that, I mean the photos are more like portraits.
8 May 1945 – Sadly, in Norway, the war didn’t end in 1945. Most of the men and women who had served in the war were considered traitors and were prosecuted. Here you can learn all about what happened after the war. There is one disturbing image on this page of a man who committed suicide. (It is one of the first pictures and you can scroll right past it if you want). After being released from their sentences, those that served could not vote and found it hard to find jobs, so they banded together as a community. They even had their own newspaper up until 2003.
Forum – Here you can chat with other people about the Norwegian SS Volunteers. There are some posts in English, but a lot are filled with Norwegian, I’m guessing.
I hope you learned as much as I did about this aspect of World War II. It’s all very interesting and I hope you take the time to check it out!
~ Amanda