Last trip of Leon Degrelle from Norway to Spain
 

Please see He-111:

http://home.arcor.de/sturmbrigade/Wallonie/Wallonie.htm

Photos:

http://home.arcor.de/sturmbrigade/Wa...el%20Speer.JPG

http://home.arcor.de/sturmbrigade/Wa...0Sebastian.JPG

http://home.arcor.de/sturmbrigade/Wa...%20Logrono.JPG

Crew of He-111 :

Re: Last trip of Leon Degrelle from Norway to Spain
 

Hi

The Heinkel He111 photos here may cause confusion. The first photo shows a He111 with stkz. CN+__. But this is not the same aircraft which was used by Degrelle. The photo is used to show Albert Speer, whose pilot flew the actual aircraft, which I believe was TQ+MU He111H-23.

I also believe that the mechanic was Gerhard Stride.

regards
Ian

Re: Last trip of Leon Degrelle from Norway to Spain
 

And I'm still looking for proof, that they flew out of Norway. It seems highly unlikely that they did.

Junker

Re: Last trip of Leon Degrelle from Norway to Spain
 

All this trip: Norway - seaside of San Sebastian in Spain was described at written by Leon Degrelle a book: "Front de l'Est 1941-1945" - probably last chapter of book.

Leon Degrelle written that they get the point of trip on the fuel reserve :)

Re: Last trip of Leon Degrelle from Norway to Spain
 

I read his book many years ago, the usual old fascist's mix of self-justification and passing over the inconvenient aspects of history. Nevertheless, I don't see any particular reason for him to lie about Norway, although I haven't tried to calculate whether an He 111 had sufficient range to make the flight. Also, what was the aircraft doing in Norway in the first place?

Re: Last trip of Leon Degrelle from Norway to Spain
 

Given the fairly large number of Luftwaffe aircraft that moved to Norway in the final days, I see no reason why this He 111 should not have amongst them. I can find no record of it being there, but I doubt whether records were 100% accurate.

The motives of these ‘escaping’ pilots and crews appears to be mixed, but there does appear to have been a miss-guided belief at least held by some, that they could collect their resources elsewhere, reorganise and continue the fight. I would not be surprised if a fanatic like Degrelle held such a view.

I have not checked the exact range of the He111H-23, but the maximum range of most of the H series with all available fuel seems to have been around 2,300km. If the aircraft did start from Norway, we do not know where. However, a straight line from Oslo to San Sabastian measures just over 2,200km. So it appears to be just about possible.

regards

Ian

Re: Last trip of Leon Degrelle from Norway to Spain
 

It is'nt the He 111 in Norway that's the problem, but how did he travel to Norway, and why? I see no point in such a long trip.

Junker

Re: Last trip of Leon Degrelle from Norway to Spain
 

I believe that Degrelle was already in Denmark, so quite a short journey to Norway. As suggested above the motives may have been some belief that fighting could be continued from Norway. It may have been soon apparent that this could not happen, so a refuge in Spain became one of few practical places of refuge left.


Ian

Re: Last trip of Leon Degrelle from Norway to Spain
 

- "...To escape death at the hands of the victorious Allies at the end of the war, he made a daring 1,500-mile flight in a small plane from Norway across Europe to Spain, crash landing on the beach at San Sebastian. Critically wounded, he somehow survived, and then built a new and successful life in exile in Spain, which granted him refuge. ..."'

Source: http://www.ihr.org/jhr/v14/v14n3p20_Weber.html

But for travel from Pommern in 1945 to Denmark please see his book, but here is also info. :

"'...Degrelle fought in Pommern with his 2,000 men from February (1945), he also fought in Kremzow, south of Stargard, and in March 1945 on the upper bridgehead in Altamm, near Stettin, where the Walloons suffered a great loss. The following battles took place in Schillersdorf, Bandelow and northwest of Prenzlau, so that they could march in Bad Segeber's direction over Schwerin. On April 20, 1945 Degrelle was promoted to SS-Standartenführer. On May 2 he met Himmler who was having peace negotiations in Malente and who promoted Degrelle to SS-Brigadeführer, there is even a comment on that in Degrelle's Soldbuch*. He then received an order to support the fight against the Russians in Denmark with Walloons and Western allies. At the end of the war Degrelle went to Norway to escape from the British, where he managed to fly with HE 111 from Oslo over the whole West Europe until San Sebastian on the coast of Spain, where the aircraft crashed into the sea because it ran out of fuel. He was rescued from the sea and was seriously injured. He was taken to a Spanish hospital.(20) ..."'

Source:
http://www.eestileegion.com/?home/wa...-degrelle.html

(20) Check points (2) and (4) :
(4) "Die verlorene Legion" Degrelle
(2) "Denn der Hass stirbt" Léon Degrelle, Munich, 1992

He also was on the Flughaven / Airfeld in Altdamm :)