We Will Not Go to Tuapse: From the Donets to the Oder with the Legion Wallonie and 5th SS Volunteer Assault Brigade 'Wallonien' 1942-45

by Fernand Kaisergruber, Paul Woodson (Narrator)

Until recent years, very little was known of the tens of thousands of foreign nationals from Norway, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, France, and Spain who served voluntarily in the military formations of the German Army and the German Waffen-SS. In Kaisergruber's book, the listener discovers important issues of collaboration, the apparent contributions of the volunteers to the German war effort, their varied experiences, their motives, the attitude of the German High Command and bureaucracy, and the reaction to these in the occupied countries. The combat experiences of the Walloons echoed those of the very best volunteer units of the Waffen-SS, although they shared equally in the collapse of the Third Reich in May, 1945. Although unapologetic for his service, Kaisergruber makes no special claims for the German cause and writes not from any postwar apologia and dogma, but instead from his firsthand observations as a young man experiencing war for the first time, extending far beyond what had been imaginable at the time. His observations of fellow soldiers, commanders, Russian civilians, and the battlefields prove poignant and telling.

Genres: History, World War II, Biography, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, War

Audio CD

First published November 15, 2015

Reviews

[Eva Matijevic · Rating 2 out of 5]

I still can't believe how stupid it was of me to think this was a book about Belgian resistance fighters and their experiences on different European fronts (needless to say, I haven't bothered to check the fine print on both audiobook's cover and its title). As a result of that, I ended up with almost a day worth of complaints from a man who, 75 years later, still can't wrap his mind around the idea that there are consequences to every action.

No matter what he says at the beginning and no matter how many times he repeats "I am not complaining", this book is essentially that - stubborn complaints from a man too proud to admit he fucked up and unapologetic try at Nazi propaganda that is slowly showing its true face with every minute that passes. Personally, I find it amusing how he went from "There was a Jewish man among out troops and besides getting fired, he never had any problems - we were all like brothers and very civilized" to "I can tell someone's ethnicity/political orientation just by looking at their face" during the course of the book. Author is all guilty of trying too hard to evoke some feelings of sympathy from readers by using personal tragedies of his fellow soldiers that, in my opinion, shouldn't have been used in this manner - I'm currently talking about scene where a 15 year old soldier died and his father went searching for him, but there were other cringe-worthy moments (to be clear, death of a child isn't what made me cringe, but the way he used it. When and if you read this book you'll understand what I mean by it better).

However, I have to say that Kaisergruber can write very well and that's the only reason I'm giving this book 2 stars instead of one. Shameless Nazi propaganda aside, chapters that contain information about daily life of the soldiers and, eventually, their retreat from Russia were more than useful to me and an excellent read. If you're unsure whether or not to read this book skip over to them first and if they fail at convincing you to give this book a chance maybe this book isn't for you.

[Jamie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Everything about this book is propaganda, including the description/synopsis provided here at Goodreads. I've seen several versions of it on Amazon. Rambling claims of historical accuracy and statements implying that this account is verifiable and therefore more trustworthy than many other personal accounts from the WW2 era were counterproductive. The emphasis on credibility and verification, with not-so-subtle suggestions that readers should question the accuracy of other personal accounts, is suspicious right from the start.

Kaisergruber uses flowery language and big words. I suspect he is very familiar with a thesaurus. The problem is that his flowery language and fancy vocabulary don't convey much of anything. I can see what the author was trying to do. Some writers use a poetic, expansive style to create beautifully written works of fiction and non-fiction. Their descriptions and personal interpretations of events make readers feel like they're seeing and experiencing events along with the author. Unfortunately, Kaisergruber wasn't capable of pulling off such a style.

His superfluous commentary and descriptions packed with rambling adjectives and convoluted sentences are simply fluff. He uses hundreds of words to describe details that could have been covered in a few sentences. It is even worse when he explains his own feelings or thoughts 'at the time.' I picked up an impression of a man with a very high opinion of himself. He probably thought he portrayed himself as a sensitive, intelligent and worldly soldier-philosopher.

This literary masterpiece is saturated with blatant propaganda, but I'll mention an exceptionally obvious example. Kaisergruber discusses his military training and 'casually' throws in a description of testing his gas mask in a gas chamber explicitly built for that purpose.

Reaction I believe the author wanted: Oh, of course. Gas chambers. All those Jews killed in the gas chambers. Right. The army had gas chambers for perfectly legitimate reasons. Killing Jews with gas was a ridiculous claim anyway."

My authentic reaction: "Really? Could you make your agenda any more obvious? Some readers might not get it."

I was very skeptical of this claim, to say the least. I thought that quality control and testing happened long before masks reach soldiers. Training is usually focused on imitating potential scenarios in the field. Why would any military train soldiers to use gas masks by putting the mask on then walking into a sealed gas chamber to see if it worked? How would that be useful preparation for a realistic threat? I did some research to see if there was any chance Kaisergruber described a real event. I also wanted to know if my skeptical thoughts were justified. I found plenty of information regarding military training and gas masks. Some techniques used a harmless gas with an odor so trainees would learn how to don the mask quickly and correctly during active combat situations. Most descriptions I found were similar. No gas chambers.



"It is no longer on the scale of what is human." - This described an operation involving tedious, backbreaking physical labor during a military operation. Kaisergruber also claimed to 'envy the men breaking rocks.' People in Soviet villages evidently adored the German soldiers and foreign SS volunteers. Women hugged them, made them home cooked meals, coddled and comforted them. Children didn't want the soldiers to leave. This must have been a bunch of really great guys.

Some of these accounts may have occurred at the beginning of the invasion. I've always felt that was one of the most tragic aspects of the war. Stalin was a monster. Many civilians under Soviet control did welcome the Germans as liberators, right up until the Germans showed their true nature and objectives. The people of Eastern Europe, or at least a decent percentage of the population, wanted to believe the Germans were good people. They quickly learned that German policy categorized 'Slavs' as subhumans. I read everything about the WW2 era that I can get my hands on, including memoirs, diaries, and letters written by individuals. The'what-ifs' are nearly endless, but most come down to 'if the Nazis hadn't been Nazis.'


Kaisergruber complained about his internment relentlessly. That section of the book really convinced me that Kaisergruber wasn't capable of empathy. He couldn't relate to anyone else, even his own colleagues. German POWs in the USSR went through hell. Most didn't survive. Officers had better odds of survival, especially high ranking officers. Regular soldiers were used as slave labor in atrocious conditions. Kaisergruber should have spent his entire period of confinement in boundless gratitude to his nation. He was very, very fortunate to be in Belgium, but he evidently didn't understand just how lucky he was. He couldn't even manage compassion or empathy for Axis soldiers, German or otherwise. There was no hint of compassion for millions of dead Soviet POWs that starved and suffered endless abuse in German custody. Soviet POWs were barely acknowledged at all.

Despite the hubris and ridiculous writing style in this book, I think it has value. It offers a window into Kaisergruber's thoughts and feelings. I don't take anything he says as a concrete fact, but lies and omissions offer insight of their own. We can learn a great deal about Kaisergruber, and his ideology, from his half-truths, lies and studious avoidance of certain subjects.

[Irene F Mackay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another side of war

Many books with war as a background focus on the fighting, the killing, the despair. This book was refreshing, written by someone who somehow survived some indescribable times. The book opened another side to war, especially WWII. Who washed the soldiers clothes? Where did they get fed? What did they eat? Did all soldiers immediately kill an ‘enemy’ when they faced with one? What happened if you were injured? The story is told by a Belgian who joined a force associated with the German army, one side of forces not often discussed. The most horrifying parts were his treatment on being imprisoned at the end of the war, where he and others were forced to live in very poor conditions and treated badly. The soldiers from this Belgian group appear to have been given more harsh prison sentences than some of the worst war criminals without adequate proof of any criminal activity.
I selected this book not expecting to really enjoy it. However, I will miss reading it each day, a very uplifting book.

[Themistocles · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately, I couldn't get far in this book. Maybe it's interesting (most probably), maybe it's unique in some aspects.

The problem is this: I've read tons of WWII memoirs, from simple soldiers to generals and everything in between. Some of them realising what they had participated in, some unrepentant. But nowhere, literally, have I seen such an attempt at nazi propaganda.

Now, one may argue, ideology has its historical significance as well. May well be. But then again, when it is such a big part of your book (at least in whatever percentage I got to read), it becomes fair game for critique. And Kaisergruber does such a poor job, with skin-deep analysis and really stupid comments, that it quickly becomes very irritating.

So, maybe -probably- there is stuff that's worth reading in the book; I'm sure he had an interesting story to tell. But I just can't wade through page after page of nazi propaganda to get to it.

[Aubrey Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

One cannot help but be fascinated by the WWII story of this Belgian "collaborator" and soldier of the Waffen-SS. Yes, Kaisergruber is open about his politics, stating his honest feelings about what was done to collaborators after European liberation and including his indictments against those in power in the decades that followed. None of this alters the value of his story. With dry humor, he gives the reader (or listener) insight into his life as a soldier at the front and behind the lines, in the hospitals and in prison. He shares recollections of interactions with friends and foes, Russian peasants, and even a few practical jokes he and his comrades enjoyed playing. It is a long story, to be sure, but worth the time.

May I recommend the recorded version of this book, read by Paul Woodson as well. It is EXCELLENT and gives an added layer of life to Kaisergruber's words. I listened to it at 1.20x.

[Larmie Fahrendorff · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent documentary of commitment: of survival of body and spirit.

I found this book to be an outstanding "diary" of an everyday infantryman, an insightful and informative log of a soldier's daily experience in Germany's eastern campaign. His descriptions of his endless march through Ukraine and Russia, the many peasant homes in which he billeted.
He eloquently describes the abject poverty of these people and his respect for them, as well as they for him. I have read numerous books of WWII, and of the Russian campaign but this book brought the story home in a more personal manner. I could feel the hardship, the suffering. I grew to deeply respect the author's reasoning and his ultimate plight. He won my respect and my regard.

[Herbert Lasky · Rating 1 out of 5]

Counter Factual History

A worthless diary from a SS volunteer from Belgium. This man was with his fellows , according to him, always welcomed by the peasants of the USSR,there is no mention of atrocities by the SS, death camps, slave labor etc, Instead we get self pity when his actions finally catch up with him. Also there is no mention of how the leader of the Rexist Front was saved from punishment by Himmler who sent him to Spain where he lived until he died of old age.

[Jose wilhelms Ventura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite liked the book. It's an autobiography written in a slightly different way than many others I've read. Less descriptions of locations and battles and more descriptions of their emotions before, during and after the War. The final part, where he talks about his arrest, is something very little commented on in post-war literature where excesses were committed in countries that claimed to be democratic, even more so after a war in the name of democracy and freedom. I recommend reading.

[MGF MGF · Rating 1 out of 5]

I personally thought this was a book written by a Walter Mitty, very hard to grasp the background. Not worth reading, do not recommend

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

No content bc he doesn't want to bore us w details

[Al Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took some time to become accustomed to the way in which this book was written, and had been translated, but I soon enjoyed the reasoning in both. Kaisergruber provides an unusual tempo, a great deal of humour and effective imagery throughout the book that made it thoroughly enjoyable. Unfortunately there is little on his post-war life and reflections after release but his story leaves you with plenty to reflect upon once completed.

[Peter H. Erenfeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different Worlds

I have lived in a much different world than the author. I was 8 years old at the end of the war and knew the Germans committed a lot bad things. I like reading about the war from the german perspective. Not all german soldiers were Nazis but had to go along with the program or risk getting punished by their superiors. I heartily recommend this book to young people and those interested in WW 2.

[Phillip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written, good account of the Russian retreat and Belgium volunteers.
But all in all unapologetic and annoyingly far too proud of an army that was defeated by it's own incompetence against a semi competent foe.