[PDF] Horst Wessel » - SS Panzergrenadier Regiment 39 - Malgré-Nous

Who were the 18th SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Horst Wessel?

The 18th SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Horst Wessel was formed in 1944 around a cadre from the 1 SS Infantry Brigade and included mainly Hungarian ethnic Germans or Volksdeutsche (Volksdeutsche is a historical term which arose in the early 20th century to apply to Germans living outside of the German Empire).

Why was the division named after Horst Wessel?

The Division was named after the SA or (Sturmabteilung) hero Horst Wessel, a German Nazi known for being the author of lyrics to the song "Die Fahne hoch" (Horst Wessel Lied) and for being glorified by the Nazi regime as a martyr of the early years of the Nazi party.

What happened to the Horst-Wessel-Lied?

It later fought as a single unit in Hungary and in Czechoslovakia where it was destroyed. The Division was named after SA member Horst Wessel, known for being the author of the lyrics to the Nazi Party anthem, the Horst-Wessel-Lied, and glorified by the Nazi regime as a martyr of the party's early years.

Who led the 8th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade France?

The 8th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade France was led by a former Foreign Legionnaire, Obersturmbannführer Paul Marie Gamory-Dubourdeau. The 1st battalion of about 1000 men was attached to SS Division Horst Wessel and sent to Galicia to fight the Soviet advance. In fierce fighting the battalion suffered heavy casualties.