“Frikorps Danmark” activity calendar
Danish volunteers travel for training as volunteer legionaries (they are not yet enlisted in the Waffen-SS), within the newly formed military unit Standard Nord-West for Flemish, Dutch, and Danish volunteers at the Hamburg-Langenhorn barracks. Upon the dissolution of “Standard Nordwest,” the Danish volunteers were transferred to the newly established Frikorps Danmark, where they were to help receive new volunteers and also serve as assistant instructors, known as “Hilfsausbilder.”
The first group of approx. 600 Danish volunteers departed from Copenhagen (Hellerup station) and arrived in Hamburg, where they were accommodated at the SS-Germania barracks in Langenhorn. At the same time, approx. 300 arrived from the preparatory school in Sennheim, and training began. Sennheim was established in 1940 as a political and sports-oriented orientation school with preparation for military service.
The Frikorps is transferred to Treskau, Posen for its actual combat training. The Frikorps personnel are transferred as follows: 13.9: Staff + 1st Company, 14.9: 2nd + 3rd Company, 15.9: 4th + 5th Company.
Order for frontline deployment. The four companies, excluding heavy platoons and supply units, travel by freight train from Treskau towards the airfield Heiligenbeil, approximately 45 km south-west of Königsberg.
The soldiers are flown in German transport aircraft, type Ju 52, to the airfield DNO near Pskov for a short stopover, and from there continue in armed Ju 52s to the Demyansk pocket south of Lake Ilmen. From there, they are transported to quarters near the Pola River, approximately 15 km south-east of Vasilevshchina.
The Frikorps is ordered to combat in the areas:
Major Russian attack which is repelled. The 14-year-old Russian child soldier Pjotr becomes a defector and is accepted by the Free Corps as a “mascot”.
The Free Corps is transferred to another position section at Biakowo, partly deployed as a security force.
After serving as a security force near the town of Bolschoje Dubowizy, they are relieved by units from the 126th Infantry Division. They are quartered in a forest area north of Biakowo.
Attack alert and deployed southwest of Bolschoje Dubowizy.
Withdrawn to rest at Moklokowo south of Biakowo and the runway.
Departure from Moklokowo towards Lissi-Gorki south of Starja-Russa. (the nearest railway station and larger town)
Stopover at Tulebya railway station.
They arrive in Mitau, Latvia, and are billeted in a barracks and on open ground, where a bivouac camp is set up.
They depart for Denmark to go on the “long leave.” On the way to Denmark, they stop in Treskau to pick up personnel from the replacement company and are issued the stored uniforms.
The Frikorps departs from Copenhagen to return to combat duty. The new front area is approximately 200 km south of Lake Ilmen, near Nevel.
The unit arrives in Mitau, Latvia, where it is prepared for frontline deployment and receives instruction.
Ordered to depart from Mitau towards the front.
The Frikorps arrives in Bobruisk for rest and the detachment of the replacement company.
The convalescent company is transferred to Breslau.
They are transported by rail to Nevel and from there march toward the front line.
They are billeted near the town of Pretschje in the Giryolovo area. The staff is billeted at Sjanino, north-west of Poretschje.
Deployed in positions along the Spass–Balasdyn River.
Fighting along the railway to Velikiye Luki.
The replacement company arrives from Bobruisk and is distributed among the companies.
The Frikorps assembles in the towns of Lysszowo and Medkowo to depart collectively for Grafenwöhr in southern Germany.
They arrive in Grafenwöhr with approximately 900 men.
A new division is formed, the 11th SS Panzergrenadier Division “Nordland,” which was primarily intended to consist of Scandinavian volunteers. The Danish regiment is designated: Regiment 24 “Danmark.”
Approximately 250 new volunteers arrive, having received only a brief training period at the replacement company in Bobruisk. In the following days, smaller groups also arrive from the replacement companies in Graz and Breslau, including soldiers returning from hospitals, leave, or recruit training.
Frikorps Danmark is officially dissolved in a large troop parade. Envoy and Minister Mohr participates as the representative of the Danish government.
FRIKORPS DANMARK is subsequently disbanded.