SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers
The SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers was a German Waffen SS combat war correspondent formation which reported on the actions of all Waffen SS combat formations, seeing action in all major theatres of war with the exception of North Africa. The "Berichter" (literally: reporters) of the Standarte were expected to fight actively, if the situation demanded it. They were fully trained and well-equipped.
Formation and history
- SS-Kriegsberichter-Kompanie
- SS-Kriegsberichter-Abteilung
- SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers
As the number of SS combat-formations increased, so did the number of “Kriegsberichter” (war correspondents) that were required. In December 1943, the unit reached regimental size and received the name SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers. The honorary title Kurt Eggers referred to the SS war-correspondent and editor of the SS magazine Das Schwarze Korps who had been killed earlier in the year, while reporting on the Wiking's battles near Kharkov. In 1944 the Standarte was 1,180 men strong. Commander of the SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers was SS-Standartenführer Gunter d'Alquen,[1] the "mouthpiece of revolutionary National Socialism and chief spokesman of the SS in the German press.
Many foreign volunteers became Kurt Eggers photographers, movie cameramen, writers, broadcasters and recorders, and most were multilingual. Several formations within the Standarte were formed to gather information for occupied or allied countries, and these sub-units were generally staffed by volunteers of the relevant nationality. At least two U.S. citizens, several British and a New Zealander served with the Standarte in the course of World War II.[2]
Strength
- December 1942: 334
- December 1943: 141
- June 1944: 1,180
See also
External links
References
- ↑ D'Alquen himself became a prominent SS war reporter after September 1939 and towards the end of the war was appointed by Himmler as head of the Wehrmacht propaganda department. Among his publications was an official history of the SS, Die SS. Geschichte, Aufgabe und Organisation der Schutzstaffeln der NSDAP (1939). He also edited Das ist der Sieg (1940) and Waffen-SS im Westen (1941).
- ↑ SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers. Axis History Factbook. Marcus Wendel. Retrieved on 2012-01-10. “Three English volunteers are known to have served in this unit, Railton Freeman (aka Royston and Metcalfe), Dennis John Leister (aka Beckwith) and Francis Paul Maton (aka Wood) as well as one from New Zealand: Roy Nicholias Courlander (aka Regan).”
