This is an unrivaled account of one man’s service in the elite Waffen-SS Liebstandarte division; principally on the Eastern Front.The author; an 18-year old Belgian; was blackmailed into volunteering for the Waffen-SS in 1941 to save his mother from a concentration camp. After enduring the MG harsh training with the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (considered by some to be a worse experience than the fighting front); Maeger went on to be selected as a front-line driver in Russia. He saw combat at Kharkov and at the legendary battle of Kursk. In 1944 he was transferred out for training as an SS paramedic; but after two months was sent against his will for SS-officer training. Overheard making a defeatist remark; he was sent to the notorious SS penal division Dirlewanger on the Oder front; where he survived the horror of the Halbe pocket. On 1 May 1945 he was captured by the Russians near the Elbe. He served at the prison camp infirmary as a volunteer which won him the admiration of the Russian female doctor and with her help he gained his early release the same year.
#3781175 in Books 2012-01-16Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 11.83 x .29 x 9.23l; 1.10 #File Name: 184476981X96 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Very concise and informative; even for somebody who has ...By Russ ReisingVery concise and informative; even for somebody who has studied Buddhism for many years. This would be a superb introduction for any interested person! Well done to the author.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Excellent OverviewBy James B. YoungI read this book in conjunction with a course I was taking on world religions. It was not the assigned text; but it was consistent with and an excellent supplement to what I was learning in class. It was so interesting and well written; I found myself reading it over and over again. I like the fact that it contains many photographs and maps to help illustrate points made in the text.
