Back in Sweden he went to the Swedish Army officer's training school(this was probably in 1942). he once again joined the Waffen-SS, this time as an SS-Kriegsberichter. In this position he served at the Narva front.
He was promoted to SS-Untersturmführer in 1944.
In 1951 he published a book called "Det röda massanfallet", that is "The Great Red Asssault" where he describes his experiences from the eastern front and his ideas about how Sweden should the the Soviet threat during the "Cold War".
Then on 20 May 1944 he went into the SS-Panzer-Aufkl.-Abt. 11 of the 11. Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division "Nordland", where many Swedish volunteers were grouped. He was wounded in action while serving with this unit on 18 July 1944. apparently the Swedish Recce party was caught in an ambush near Kunighisky in Lithuania and its' SPW was hit by anti-tank fire and its' driver SS-Rottenführer Karl-erik Persson was killed.
Eklöf was subsequently awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class and after recovering from his wounding was posted to the SS-Hauptamt in Berlin where he served as liaison officer to the Swedish SS volunteers. During his stint in Berlin he shot and killed fellow Swedish SS comrade Sven Rydén in an argument over a woman. For this crime he was imprisoned, but shortly released to serve in SS-Jagdverband "Nordwest" for the last months of the war.
It has also been stated that he stayed in Berlin posted to the SS-Hauptamt in his capacity as liaison officer to the Swedish volunteers, until the capitulation in 1945. When the city fell he was able to make good his escape and avoid being taken prisoner by the Russians. He returned to Sweden in the summer of 1945. (Side Note: He was arrested in 1943 on leave, while on walking down the mainstreet in Luleå, norethern Sweden, by the local police, for wearing his Waffen-SS uniform)
In the Waffen-SS he served with the 1./SS-Regiment "Westland" in the 5. SS-Panzer- Division "Wiking". He was mortally wounded on the 23 March 1942 and died from his wounds on the 30 March 1942. His unit was at this time stationed around the river Mius in sorthern Russia. Some sources indicates that he may have been promoted to SS-Rottenführer.
Kreuger was accepted and sent to the SS-Junkerschule Tölz for officer's training. He subsequently saw substantial combat action with the 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wking", the Estonian SS-Freiwilligen Btl. "Narwa" and the 11. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzer-Division "Nordland" before being assigned as a war correspondent from the SS-Kriegsberichter Standarte "Kurt Eggers" to the SS-Pz.-Rgt. 5/ 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking". He was with this unit during the difficult fight to escape from the "Cherkassy Pocket", where he laid fir boughs (in lieu of flowers) on the graves of the Swedish volunteers who died there and immortalised their deeds in a dispatch that was widely published newspapers throughout Europe. A great believer in the Pan-European war against Bolshevism carried on by the Waffen-SS, Kreuger's articles and writings frequently appeared in the Scandinavian press.
After having participated in nearly all of the "Wiking" Division's combat missions, SS-Ostuf. Kreuger took on one last assignment — perhaps his greatest of all — in April 1945 when he joined the French Assault Btl. "Charlemagne" during its' heroic struggle in the battle for Berlin. Kreuger survived the fighting, and with the help of a U.S. Army Captain was able to leave captivity and immigrate to Argentina where he began a new life with four Scandinavian Waffen-SS comrades.
He later returned frequently to Europe to attend Waffen-SS veteran's reunions. A veteran of some of the most savage fighting on the eastern front , Hans-Casper Kreuger died in a tragic automobile accident at an un-monitored railroad crossing in Buenos Aires on the 15 November 1977.
During the retreat from Estonia in August 1944, Markus Ledin together with his comrades Sven Alm and Ingemar Somberg were cut off behind enemy lines when their SPW developed engine trouble. They camouflage the vehicle and then started to repair the SPW. After three nights behind the Soviet lines they reached the Estonian coast near Haspaal. They had reache da small fishing village where they saw sixteen Soviet soldiers plundering and murdering the local inhabitants. The Swedes manage to surprise them and put them out of action. After the attack, some of the Estonian survivors began killing the wounded Soviet soldiers as revenge for their misdeeds. These Estonians then escaped with the Swedish Waffen-SS soldiers, in fishing boats to Finland.
When they had reached the Finnish coast, they were arrested by the Finnish Army and handed over to the Soviet authorities (this was after Finland negotiated a peace agreement the Soviet Union).
Ledin and Alm had served in the Swedish volunteer corps during the "Winter War" in Finland and showed their medals to Finnish commander, who said they were "good boys" and released them, so they could continue back to Sweden.
After his death his name was given to a battlegroup Kampavdelning Hans Lindén, an organisation for the Swedish volunteers within the Waffen-SS. Some sources say he was promoted to an SS-Rottenführer.
After having recovered from his wounds, he was assigned to SS-Junkerschule "Tölz" and went through the 11. Kriegsjunker Lehrgang together with several other Swedes. After grauating he was assigned to 3./SS-Panzer-Aufkl.Abt. 11 a platoon commander.
In Estonia he was once again badly wounded and by mistake reported as K.I.A., but after having recovered he was able to return to his company. Once again wounded at Vossberg on 3 March 1945 he was not able to return for duty again. He returned to Sweden in 1945, then emmigrated to Spain shortly afterwards.
One of friends said about Heino: "Heino was the youngest officer in the battalion". A very popular lad. One of the best platoon commanders in Kurland and Pommerania. It's a miracle that he survived his last wound. A shell splinter in his neck, a shot to his shoulder and his leg full of shell splinters.
He was killed at the Beresina front on 23 July 1943 while serving with the 6./SS-Regiment "Germania", 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking".
When Germany attacked the Soviet Union in 1941, Pehrsson was working at a chemical company in Copenhagen. He volunteered for the Waffen-SS in September 1941. At first, he served in the Danish volunteer unit "Freikorps Danmark". After heavy fighting at Leningrad and by Lake Ilmen, (south of Novgorod) 1941 - 1942, Pehrsson was promoted to NCO and became a commander of a machine-gun platoon. He went on to the Waffen-SS officers' school, SS-Junkerschule "Bad Tölz" in late 1942 and graduated in spring 1943.
As an SS-Untersturmführer, he was asssigned to the newly created SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Division "Nordland". At first, he was a platoon commander in the 3./SS-Pz.-Aufkl.-Abt. 11, the third company of the of the SS-Panzer-Aufkärungs-Abteilung 11, but when the German company commander was killed in April 1944, he took charge of the company. During 1944, he led the "Swedish company" during the charge of the company during the heavy fighting in the Baltic States — Dorpat, Riga, Dünaburg and Preekuln. On the 27th of October 1944, the company was almost wiped out in the fighting around Preekuln. Pehrsson had been order to take an important hill near the village of Trekni. The assault was sucessfull, but when the hill and its' Russian bunkers were seized, the company was down to twenty-five men. The Soviets assault the hill time after time in order to take it back. The attacks were repelled for four days; on the fifth day the Swedes were forced to retreat. Pehrsson's HQ bunker was only a hundred metres behind the front line; when saw that front line had been breached, he managed to gather his unit and counter-attacked with only twelve men. The Soviets were surprised by this sudden attack and retreated. Pehrsson and his men were able to take more than a hundred prisoners that day. After this incident, Pehrsson was awarded the Ehrenblattsspange des Heeres (Honour Roll Clasp of the Army).
Pehrsson led his company through the retreat from Courland, Stettin (in the German province of Pomerania) and on to the final battle in Berlin. In April 1945, he became deputy commander and Ic (intelligence) section of "Nordland"s' headquarters staff. By now he had reached the rank of SS-Hauptsturmführer. The war was about to end and SS-Brigadeführer Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Joachim Ziegler, the divisional commander of "Nordland" didn't like the idea of sacrificing his men for a lost cause. He started to investigate ways of how to get the SS volunteers out of Berlin and away from the attacking Red Army. Pehrsson helped Ziegler in this task. He managed to get a so-called "Wehrwolfpass"; this pas gave the holder many advantages over all German citizens. He tried to contact the Swedish Legation in order to help his fellow country-men in the service of the Germans; he had no success. Because of these activities he was accused of insubordination and arrested. For some reason he was released after a few days , and could once again take charge of his old company. On the 27th April, the remnants of the company was subordinated to the Reichschancellery. The situation was very hopeless. On the first of May 1945, Pehrsson gathered his men for an escape attempt over the Wedendammer Brücke. Pehrsson said good-bye to the remaining survivors with these parting words: "The war is over, save yourselves".
The escape attempt took place the night between the first and second of May. Soon after the start, the unit came under heavy Soviet fire and Pehrsson's vehicle came under; his driver SS-Unterscharführer Ragnar Johansson was killed instantly and Pehrsson himself was wounded. He managed to get away from the Soviet forces and took cover in a apartment building. He hid himself in a closet for two days. Then when he got out; he met a women who promised to help him, by getting him some clothes. But when she returned, Russian soldiers were accompanied her. Fortunately, Pehrsson had time to get rid of his Waffen-SS uniform jacket and changed into a Wehrmacht one. He was then sent to a Russian prison camp, from which he managed to escape from; early on after his capture. He somehow, was able to get civilian clothes and hid himself in an apartment in Berlin. After a while, he meet up with his old SS-Unterscharführer Erik Wallin, together they walked to the British Occupation Zone and from there they were able to back to Sweden.
During his service with the Waffen-SS Hans-Gösta Pehrsson was wounded five times!
After the war Hans-Gösta Pehrsson worked as a salesman in Stockholm, Sweden.
After finishing school, Sven seems to have served on active duty in the Swedish Army from 1918 – 1920. Following that he worked as a salesman until 1939 but remained active in the military reserves (Landstorm). From 1939 to 1941 he took military instructional courses in Sweden and with the rank of 1st. Lt. served in a Flak unit, that may also have been a reserve formation. Also in 1941 he was serving at the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters in Stockholm. Apparently after the German-Soviet Union war broke out, Ryden decided to go to Germany to offer his services. On 24 August 1941 he was able to volunteer for service in the Waffen-SS in northern Finland.
He was possibly first sent to the Germanic SS training Camp at Sennheim, Alsace, (another Swedish volunteer stated that he had served there but in a command position). From 20 October 1941 until 11 May 1942, SS-Ostuf. Ryden served with the SS Flak Ausbildung u. Ersatz Abt. On 11 May he was sent to the SS-Hauptamt in Berlin. Indications are that he now served in a variety of jobs. Sometime in 1943 he was assigned to the RSHA, Amt VI B - Scandinavian section. He seems to have been active in trying to recruit Swedish and Estonian-Swedish volunteers for the "Narwa" battalion of the Waffen-SS. British intelligence also indicated that he made radio broadcasts concerning developements in the Baltic States and the military situation on that area of the eastern front at the behest of the propaganda section of the SS-Hauptamt.
He is also said to have been assigned to an SS office in Estonia. In 1944 he was again assigned to the RSHA, this time to Amt III B - VOLKSTUM (Nationality). According to Sven Rydén, he resigned from the Waffen-SS in the autumn 1944 because being passed over for promotion. At no time, did he ever do front line service. On 19 February 1945 Ryden was found dead in his apartment at Nordlingerstraase 3 in Berlin. Another Swedish SS man, Gunnar Eklöf had apparently become his bitter enemy over a woman, and had finished him off by shooting him in the back. As near as one can ascertained, Ryden was one of the oldest Swedish volunteers in the Waffen-SS.
K.I.A. on the Beresina Front on April 1943. He served with the 6./SS-Regiment "Germania", 5. SS-PAnzer-Division "Wiking". He was a member of the SSS. One source says that he was K.I.A. on the 21 July 1943.
Westrinthen went back to the Swedish Army, "officially" serving from 18 April 1942 to 13 May 1943. However on the 14th April 1942, Westrin left Sweden for Norway and on 18th April he enlisted in the Waffen-SS in Oslo, stating that he wanted "to live the soldier's life above all else". the Swedish Army listed him as AWOL on 13th May 1943. Westrin was accepted into the Waffen-SS with the rank od SS-Unterscharführer and evidently served first with the 5th SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking" and then in the 11th SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Nordland".
At some point in time he was sent to an NCO training class in Latvia after which he became an SS-Oberscharführer. He was then assigned to the SS-Panzer Reconnaissance Training and Replacement Detachment stationed in Riga-Strand training Camp, Latvia, where he served with the "stamm" company, which was the cadre formation for the unit. On 17th May 1944, while serving at Riga-Strand, Westrin applied to the SS Race and Resettlement Branch Office in Oslo for permission to marry a Lolo Eckhoff. Soon afterwards, SS-Oberscharführer Westrin's training unit was mobilised as part of the "ad hoc" SS-Panzer-Brigade "Gross". which was sent to the defence of eastern Latvia. Westrin was apparently killed with his whole squad of five men by a landmine on the 18th September 1944 near Saukenai, Lithuania. Other sources state that he also died on the 8 September 1944 and the 5 October 1944.
(Side note:- In 1987, the district court in Sveg in the western part of Sweden declared Johan Westrin officially dead. Westrin had been listed as a MIA (missing-in-action) since autumn 1944. The court somehow manage to locate a former German SS-Unterscharführer who had served with Westrin, testified that Westrin was killed when his car that he was traveling in ran over a landmine during a counter attack against the town of Saukenai, Lithuania, killing all occupants.)
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