Legion Wallonie Parade in Brussels and Charleroi

When 5. SS-Freiwilligen-Sturmbrigade "Wallonien" and its commander SS-Sturmbannführer der Reserve Léon Degrelle returned from Cherkassy Pocket in March 1944, there were a parade for the survivors that were held in Brussels and Charleroi, Belgium (the unit had just been rebuilt at Wildflecken). The Cherkassy breakout itself was exploited in a masterly manner. Degrelle even performed the amazing feat of turning a hurtful defeat into a sensational victory, as attention was only focused on his successful escape from the encirclement.

Backed up by the exploits of his men and the impact caused by the "Tcherkassykämpfer" all over the Reich and occupied Europe, to such an extent that Degrelle was featured on the cover of the May 1944 issue of the periodical 'Signal' magazine. the Chef felt that the moment had come to step forward and impose himself as the sole recognized interlocutor of the Germans in Belgium.

The parade Degrelle organized on 1 April 1944 in Charleroi, and in Brussels on the following day, not only proved to be an important personal political victory, it also had the side-effect of dissatisfying the Flemish collaboration deeply because they had been refused the favours granted to Degrelle. Contrary to Degrelle, the Flemish were not allowed to organize a similar public demonstration although the Sturmbrigade Langemarck had faced around Zhitomir/February 1944 as hard combat as that fought by the Wallonie during the breakout.

During the event, Degrelle proudly proclaimed "We were a battalion and we became a brigade. Tomorrow we will be a division!!!" Degrelle was in many respects the poster-child for the Waffen-SS volunteer movement, and as such was used a propaganda tool by Himmler to illustrate the supposed "pan-European" nature of the fight against Communism. The purpose of the parade was also to intimidate the local Belgian population that the Germans, and specifically the SS, still were in charge. Most of the cheering crown photographed by the SS war correspondents were relatives of the Walloon SS.

After the parade in Brussels - with vehicles who were given temporally by the 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend" - Degrelle make a speech in the Palais des Sports, where a lot of high ranking SS Leibstandarte and Hitlerjugend officers were present. The parade were filmed and broadcast in the 'Die Deutsche Wochenschau' (German Weekly News) № 713 (1944) from minute 2:47:08.

Degrelle obviously intended to use to the utmost the publicity made around the "victorious" return of the Walloon legionnaires. The post-Cherkassy period was consequently very fertile in political steps, speeches and spreading of the political ideas so dear to Degrelle, more particularly the Burgundy myth.

On 5 March 1944, Degrelle gave a speech in Paris, at the Palais de Chaillot. On that occasion, addressing the cream of French collaboration, he glorified the common commitment in the East.

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CHARLEROI (1 APRIL 1944)


SS-Sturmbannführer der Reserve Léon Degrelle (Kommandeur 5. SS-Freiwilligen-Sturmbrigade "Wallonien") and SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Polizei Richard Jungclaus (Höherer SS- und Polizeiführer Belgien-Nordfrankreich). The picture was taken on 1 April 1944 at Place Charles II Charleroi, Belgium, during the Sturmbrigade Wallonien's "Return to Homeland" parade



From left to right: SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS Josef "Sepp" Dietrich (Kommandierender General I. SS-Panzerkorps), SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Polizei Richard Jungclaus (Höherer SS- und Polizeiführer Belgien-Nordfrankreich), and SS-Sturmbannführer der Reserve Léon Degrelle (Kommandeur 5. SS-Freiwilligen-Sturmbrigade "Wallonien"). In the background we can see a big flag of the Rexist paramilitary "Formations de Combat", which used the Cross of Burgundy.as their symbol. The flag is placed in front of Hôtel de ville de Charleroi. The picture was taken on 1 April 1944 in Charleroi, Belgium, during the Sturmbrigade Wallonien's "Return to Homeland" parade.

From left to right: unknown SS officer saluting, SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS Josef "Sepp" Dietrich (Kommandierender General I. SS-Panzerkorps), SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Polizei Richard Jungclaus (Höherer SS- und Polizeiführer Belgien-Nordfrankreich), and SS-Sturmbannführer der Reserve Léon Degrelle (Kommandeur 5. SS-Freiwilligen-Sturmbrigade "Wallonien"). The picture was taken on 1 April 1944 in Charleroi, Belgium, during the Sturmbrigade Wallonien's "Return to Homeland" parade.



From left to right: SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS Josef "Sepp" Dietrich (Kommandierender General I. SS-Panzerkorps), SS-Sturmbannführer der Reserve Léon Degrelle (Kommandeur 5. SS-Freiwilligen-Sturmbrigade "Wallonien"), and SS-Obersturmführer der Reserve Jean Vermeire (Leader of Deutsch-Wallonische Arbeitsgemeinschaft). In the background we can see a big flag of the Rexist paramilitary "Formations de Combat", which used the Cross of Burgundy.as their symbol. The flag is placed in front of Hôtel de ville de Charleroi. The picture was taken on 1 April 1944 in Charleroi, Belgium, during the Sturmbrigade Wallonien's "Return to Homeland" parade.

SS-Sturmbannführer der Reserve Léon Degrelle (Kommandeur 5. SS-Freiwilligen-Sturmbrigade "Wallonien") presents the Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse to the best officers of his brigade during the Sturmbrigade Wallonien's "Return to Homeland" parade from the siege of the Cherkassy Pocket, which were held on 1 April 1944 in Charleroi, Belgium. The recipients are, from left to right: SS-Obersturmführer Marcel Lamproye (Chef 5. Panzerabwehrkompanie) and SS-Obersturmführer Marcel Bonniver (Chef 4. Sturmgewehrkompanie). Behind Degrelle is SS-Untersturmführer Roger Wastiau (Adjutant Kommandeur 5. SS-Freiwilligen-Sturmbrigade "Wallonien"). The picture was taken by SS-Kriegsberichter Wilfried Woscidlo.



Award ceremony for the members of 5. SS-Freiwilligen-Sturmbrigade "Wallonien" during the brigade's "Return to Homeland" parade from the siege of the Cherkassy Pocket, which were held on 1 April 1944 in Charleroi, Belgium. This picture shows, from left to right: SS-Untersturmführer Roger Wastiau (Adjutant Kommandeur 5. SS-Freiwilligen-Sturmbrigade "Wallonien"), SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS Josef "Sepp" Dietrich (Kommandierender General I. SS-Panzerkorps), SS-Sturmbannführer der Reserve Léon Degrelle (Kommandeur 5. SS-Freiwilligen-Sturmbrigade "Wallonien"), SS- Obersturmführer Marcel Lamproye (Chef 5. Panzerabwehrkompanie), SS-Hauptscharführer Pascal Bovy (in the background, Spiess of 1. Kompanie), SS-Obersturmführer Marcel Bonniver (Chef 4. Sturmgewehrkompanie), and SS-Untersturmführer Jean-Marie Lantiez (Chef Nachrichtenzug). The picture was taken in front of l'église Saint-Christophe by SS-Kriegsberichter Wilfried Woscidlo.

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BRUSSELS (2 APRIL 1944)

 
The special parade of SS-Sturmbrigade Wallonien in Brussels, Belgium, 2 April 1944 - with vehicles who were given temporally by the 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend" - reviewed by their commander, Léon Degrelle. The picture was taken by SS-Kriegsberichter Wilfried Woscidlo.

SS-Sturmbannführer der Reserve Léon Degrelle (Kommandeur 5. SS-Freiwilligen-Sturmbrigade "Wallonien") salutes a column of Wallonie volunteers aboard an Sd.Kfz.251 together with his son during the Sturmbrigade Wallonien's "Return to Homeland" parade which were held in Brussels, Belgium, 2 April 1944. The members of the Walloon Legion paraded along the Anspachlaan (Boulevard Anspach) from south to north, while this photo itself was taken in front of the "Beurs van Brussel" (the Belgian stock exchange building). Degrelle recalled: "I welcomed the Légion Wallonie parade in front of the stock exchange in one of our vehicles. I was beyond excited and felt an indescribable sense of pride as the armored vehicles and other war vehicles passed me with a roar. These vehicles were actually borrowed from Sepp Dietrich, but they were filled with our Belgian soldiers. I greeted every passing vehicle with my right hand raised upwards, a steel helmet covering my head while the Ritterkreuz I had received directly from Hitler around my neck. My other hand is holding my son's hand who were allowed to get on the vehicle and stand with me. It is estimated that around one hundred thousand people welcomed our arrival with great fanfare while throwing mountains of flower bouquets."

The publication for the Legion Wallonie parade in Charleroi and Brussels which were published on "Die Woche" magazine, 26 April 1944 edition.

Source :
Bundesarchiv photo collection

"For Rex and for Belgium: Léon Degrelle and Walloon Political and Military Collaboration 1940-45" by Eddy de Bruyne and Marc Rikmenspoel

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