Frontfighters: The Norwegian Volunteer Legion of the Waffen-SS 1941-1943 - Paperback

by Richard Landwehr (Author)

Merriam Press Siegrunen Monograph 5. Third Edition (2013).

Frontfighters is based on the book Legionsminner-Trekk Av Den Norske Legions Historie which was originally assembled by the Norwegian SS War Correspondent E. Jul Christiansen Furum in 1943. The original publisher was Viking Vorlag, Oslo, 1943. The first English language translation of this work was published by Roger Hunt in 1986.

Regarding the original publication, this has been maintained roughly the same throughout, although some of the picture captions have been changed or descriptive material added to give a clearer view of things. It should also be borne in mind that the text appearing in the middle of the book is a translation of the actual combat reports and citations relating to the unit at the time, and not postwar additions. Preceding the original work, Mr. Landwehr's detailed introduction reveals much previously unknown about the Legion and its successor, the SS Skij ger Battalion "Norge." All the illustrations in this section unless credited otherwise are from his extensive collection of Waffen-SS photos.

Thus a product of wartime propaganda whose original purpose is nearly forgotten, becomes, some decades later, a remarkable sample of military photo journalism when allowed to stand on its own merits.

This entirely new and improved edition has been completely reformatted. The photographs have been enhanced using current computer methods and in most cases quality is better than that in the 1986 edition, and even the original wartime edition.

Contents:

Publisher's Note

Dedication

Original Preface

Foreword by Vidkun Quisling

The SS Volunteer Legion "Norwegen", 1941-1943 by Richard Landwehr

The SS-Skij ger Battalion "Norge", 1943-1945 by Richard Landwehr

The following material is from the original Norwegian wartime book and comprises the bulk of this new edition:

Combat and Ideals: A Glimpse of the Saga of the Norwegian Legion

Norwegian Spirit

Legionnaires

Orders

The Norwegian Legion in the Field, December 27, 1942: Orders of the New Year

Orders of the Day, 19 February 1943

Battle-Group Special Orders, 2 March 1943

Brigade Special Orders Number 4/43, 2 March 1943

Photographs

In Memoriam: The Legion's Dead

210 photos

11 illustrations

1 map