Walloon Guard
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The Walloon Guard (Template:Langx) was a collaborationist paramilitary formation which served as an auxiliary police in German-occupied Belgium and parts of Northern France during World War II.
The Walloon Guard was established in November 1941 with the support of the Rexist Party and was officially incorporated into the German Army (Wehrmacht) alongside the Feldgendarmerie. In contrast to the Walloon Legion, established in June 1941, which participated in fighting on the Eastern Front the Walloon Guard was used within Belgium and initially found it easier to attract volunteers because of the comparatively high salaries offered.Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor_id_list' not found. Although notionally recruited from the general population and former soldiers of the Belgian army, the majority of its personnel were Rexist members.Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor_id_list' not found. A German liaison officer was attached to each company.Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor_id_list' not found.
The first battalion was raised on 17 November 1941. It was used primarily for guarding railways and military installations but also participated in the repression of the resistance and deserters from labour deportation. Its personnel were armed.Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor_id_list' not found. Historian Flore Plisnier notes that "violence became endemic within the formation, ruining its reputation vis-a-vis other pro-German organisations".[1] Particularly notable was the so-called Bande Jayé (Template:Lit), named after its leader, Marcel Jayé, which became indistinguishable from German units and terrorised the civilian population in parts of the Borinage.Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor_id_list' not found.
The Walloon Guard was a loose counterpart of the Flemish Guard (Vlaamsche Wacht) formed in May 1941. The two formations wore near-identical uniforms.Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor_id_list' not found.
References
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Plisnier, Flore. "Garde wallonne". Belgium-WWII (in français). Cegesoma. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
Bibliography
- Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Littlejohn, David (1972). The Patriotic Traitors: A History of Collaboration in German-Occupied Europe, 1940-45. London: Heinemann. OCLC 463008186.
- Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Plisnier, Flore (2011). Ils ont pris les armes pour Hitler: la collaboration armée en Belgique francophone. Brussels: Renaissance du Livre. ISBN 9782507003616.
