2 May 1945

Approximately 4,500 men have surrendered to the Americans south of Schwerin, Germany.  

To my knowledge, Latvian Waffen Legions have been split up, scattered all over the place to bolster other units.  Some of those soldiers surrendered to the Americans at Güterglück, whilst others fought at the Battle of Berlin and unfortunately had to surrender to the Red Army.

27 April 1945

It is reported that 824 men, under the command of Waffen-Standartenführer Vilis Janums, surrendered to American forces at Güterglück near to the river Elbe.

The Elbe originates in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing through much of Bohemia, then into Germany before continuing out into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg.  As I was never sure where I was fighting, this could have been the river where the wooden bridge with its three great guns stood?

30 March 1945

The big day on Saturday (31 March 1945), we have been transferred to Sølskot.

The Soviets are closing in on Berlin.  The Allied have crossed the Rhine.  Whilst we have been sent back to the fighting front.  We travelled to Schleswig, Denmark where we stayed until the last few days of April.

 We journey back to Sølskot on 1st May.   I have been billeted in Sølskot Park, there are around 400 of us in one tavern.

28 March 1945

Denmark, Horsens

We have arrived.  We have been swept up in the chaos of the collapse of the Eastern Front.

The Gestapo HQ in Copenhagen was bombed a few days ago by the British.  It was a large u-shaped building.  The whole of Denmark's Gestapo, along with a large number of criminal police were killed.

After the forming of the Latvian Police Battalions, during January 1943 in Reichskommissariat Ostland, Heinrich Himmler formed Latvian legion Lettische SS Freiwilligen Legion in February 1943.  That Legion later became a Division, receiving the numerical designation 15 before being renamed Lettische SS Freiwilligen Brigade.

The unlawful conscription of Latvian men for military service by Germany was based on Alfred Rosenberg's compulsory labour decree of 19 December 1941. It was carried out by the Department of Labour for the Latvian Self Administration, and commenced early 1943.  All Latvian males born between 1919 and 1924 received a compulsory recruitment notice.  The 15th Waffen SS, together with the 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian) were formed into the Latvian Legion.  And so here I am. 

 - 29 March 1945 The Americans are in Frankfurt.

26 March 1945

To Denmark

The fighting is very unpredictable over the Rhine as German forces continue to put up resistance in the battle for western Germany. 

 “With cohesion rapidly disintegrating, the Germans were organised into battle groups of anything from platoon to battalion strength: adhoc formations ranging from pathetic Volksturm (Home Guard) to experienced SS and parachute detachments and even an officer cadet training school. Some put up token resistance before running away. The bravest, including the officer cadets, fought with skill and ferocity.”  http://ww2today.com/26-march-1945-the-forward-platoon-makes-contact-as-they-enter-germany

Command is resolute; the Allied must not reach the Fatherland’s heart.  We are to stop the advance from Denmark.