Overview
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The Collapse of Pomerania brings the reader back to the front lines in Pomerania where the volunteers of the III SS Panzer Korps were fighting the last battles of the Reich before retreating into German territory. Somehow these titanic battles have been forgotten, however the authors were able to bring their history to life in this book through correspondence and interviews with surviving Waffen SS veterans and extended research in local archives. This unique document gives the reader the opportunity to learn about the motivation and the beliefs of these foreign Waffen SS volunteers by digging into their personal stories. Displaying standards of courage, discipline, and self-sacrifice which commands the respect of any soldier or historian they fought their way to a combat reputation and fighting power second to none. Their iron reliability led to their employment as a military fire brigade, rushed from sector to sector to shore up collapsing fronts just like they did in Pomerania. With over 150 reenactor pictures prepared for this book, the authors try to give the reader a better understanding of the equipment, uniforms, and life at the front lines in Pomerania during the last months of the Second World War.
About The Author
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The author of the book has been interested in history practically since childhood and, for many years, has been studying the acts of the foreign volunteer formations of the Waffen-SS - especially Scandinavian, French and Walloon troops - which got involved in bloody battles during the declining period of the Second World War. His fascination arose at a time when he realized how much influence these small, but extremely valiant and brave troops had on the fate of the fronts on which they had to fight. They fought hard - even though the matter for which they shed blood was practically lost - and through contact with many authors and historians, the author has gained access to information previously unknown to wider group archives, both in terms of memoir- and photographic-based material. In his publications, the author tries not to duplicate the well-known facts, but each time to bring closer - and to reveal to his readers - the mysteries and curiosities that are the symbols of the tragic last weeks of the greatest existing armed conflict, which for many, has become a mythical 'Twilight of Gods'. The author writes from a desire to tell stories and believes that reading should, primarily, be a pleasure; if a story proves to be boring, it is better not to show it to the world at all. In his spare time, the author watches criminal movies and good TV dramas, such as 'Millennium', 'Sherlock' and 'True Detective'. Besides that, he likes riding his bike, walking and spending time with his family, as well as enjoying a good glass of fine wine. He is also a cat enthusiast.
Gerry Villani is a Canadian author and historian and he writes books mainly about the Waffen SS. For many years he has been studying the actions of foreign volunteer formations of the Waffen SS, especially the foreign volunteers, which were involved in bloody battles in the different stages of WWII. His fascination arose when he realized how much influence these small but extremely valiant and sometimes brave troops had on the fate of the fronts on which they had to fight. They fought hard even though the cause for which they shed blood was practically lost. Through contact with many authors and historians he has access to little known archives, both of memoirs and of photographic material. In his publications, he tries not to repeat the well-known facts, but each time he wants to bring closer and reveal to readers the mysteries and curiosities that are the symbols of the tragic times of the greatest existing armed conflict which for many has become a mythical Twilight of the Gods. He writes from a desire to tell stories and he believes that reading should primarily be a pleasure. As a teenager Gerry was doing research on battlefields in Europe, disappear in the archives of private libraries, and talk to WWII veterans from both sides. Gerry has an extended library of WWII related books at home and he is a member of several WWII research groups.
