Individual volunteers

[ralphwiggum]

Did fliers from any axis nation fly as individual volunteers in the luftwaffe not as part of a national unit
in the luftwaffe?

 

[Njaco]

Not sure about your question but there were several units within the LW that were from other countries...

13(Slovak)./JG 52 = Slovakia
15(Kroat)./JG 52 = Croatian
15(Spanische)./JG 51 = Spain (also numbered by the Spanish as 1., 2.,3., and 4./ Esquadron Azul [Blue Squadron])

 

[Capt. Vick]

If they were from an Axis nation, why wouldn't they just fly for their own country? They would be fighting the same enemy. Yanks in the RCAF or RAF were there because the USA was not at war yet, a condition nullified by the very wording of your question.

 

[imalko]

I can answer the above question for the Slovak airmen, nominaly those of Letka 13. Officially they remained the part of Slovakian armed forces, wore their own country uniforms, had their own squadron comanding oficer etc. The problem was that Slovakia didn't have enough modern aircraft for successful deployment on the front. So the Germans loaned their own aircraft Bf 109F G to Slovakian unit and the unit was organisationaly made part of JG 52 receiveing their orders from Stab of III/JG 52.

 

[stona]

There are also simple non-military considerations.
You might find a typical crew in Bomber Command made up of men from all over the Empire and Commonwealth but they all spoke English.The majority not only shared a language and culture but even a common education.
There were well known and famous difficulties integrating Polish and Czech pilots (for example) into Fighter Command which had nothing to do with their ability as pilots.
Cheers
Steve

 

[GregP]

You mean they were separated by a common language?

 

[stona]

You mean they were separated by a common language?

Well in the case of those from the US...........

More seriously,men coming out of the schools and universities of the "old" Commonwealth and Empire had received an education almost identical to their British counterparts.

I have spent considerable time explaining to english speaking Europeans that US english and English english are the same language. Minor differences in useages and spelling and accents (less strong than some within the UK) do not cause any difficulty in mutual comprehension.

I read once that when British audiences first heard American accents in the early "talkies" they professed not to understand them,but I find that hard to believe. I've always found Mr Jolson to be easily understood! I suppose back then,and even later during WW2,people would have been much less familiar with different accents.

Cheers

Steve