Voldemārs Veiss

Voldemārs Veiss
Born	7 November 1899 Riga, Courland Governorate, Russian Empire
Died	17 April 1944 (aged 44) Riga, Generalbezirk Lettland, Reichskommissariat Ostland
Buried at	Brothers' Cemetery, Riga
Allegiance	Latvia (1918–40)  Nazi Germany (1941–44)
Service/branch	Latvian Army (1918–40) Wehrmacht (1941–43) Waffen-SS (1943–44)
Years of service	1918–40, 1941–44
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel, Latvian Army Standartenführer, Latvian Legion
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Iron Cross 2nd & 1st class Infantry Assault Badge Wound Badge Order of the Three Stars Order of Viesturs Cross of Merit of Latvijas Aizsargi Medal of 10th Anniversary of Independence of Lithuania

Voldemārs Veiss (7 November 1899 – 17 April 1944) was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Latvian Army and a prominent Nazi collaborator, Standartenführer (Colonel) in the German Waffen-SS.

Career

When Riga, the capital of Latvia, fell to the Wehrmacht on 1 July 1941, the Germans began forming self-defence and police forces. Lieutenant Colonel Voldemārs Veiss was appointed the commander of such a Self Defence organization. Veiss broadcast a radio call for volunteers to enlist and rid Latvia of "traitors", including Soviet functionaries, communists and Jews. Many enlisted, and the "cleansing" started.

Veiss funeral in Riga

On July 20 the Nazis disbanded this organization and ordered the formation of auxiliary police forces instead, with Lt. Col. Veiss being appointed Chief of the Auxiliary Police. At the end of 1941, he became First Deputy Director General of the Director General of the Interior when the Latvian Self-Administration was reorganized.

As early as autumn 1941 Latvian auxiliary police units, temporarily attached to the Wehrmacht, were first used in front line duties. This occasional employment continued until the 2nd Latvian Brigade was formed from six Latvian battalions, four of which had combat experience. At the end of April 1943 a three battalion formation fighting under name of Latvian Legion was withdrawn from the front line and renamed 1st Volunteer Regiment of the SS (Latvian), with a change of Wehrmacht ranks to those of Waffen-SS. Voldemārs Veiss was given command of this regiment, which was a part of the 2nd Latvian Brigade, and received a rank of Legion-Obersturmbannführer.

Grave in Brothers' Cemetery (Riga)

In September 1943, during the Siege of Leningrad, Veiss received an Iron Cross 1st Class and promoted to Legion-Standartenführer the next month. In January 1944, Veiss became the first Latvian to receive the Knight's Cross.

On 17 April 1944, Veiss died from wounds he had suffered seven days prior.

Awards

• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 9 February 1944 as Waffen-Standartenführer and commander of lett. SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Regiment 48^{[1][Note 1]}

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
29 February 1944	Bei den schweren Abwehrkämpfen im Nordabschnitt der Ostfront hat sich die 2. Lettische SS-Freiwilligen-Brigade unter Führung des Eichenlaubträgers SS-Oberführer Schuldt und ihres lettischen Infanterieführers, des Ritterkreuzträgers Standartenführer Weiß [sic], besonders ausgezeichnet.[3]	In heavy defensive combat in the northern sector of the Eastern Front, the 2nd Latvian SS-Volunteer-Brigade led by Oak Leaves bearer SS-Oberführer Schuldt and their Latvian infantry officer, the Knight's Cross bearer Standartenführer Weiß, have especially distinguished themselves.

Notes

1. According to Scherzer as commander of SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Regiment 42 (lett. Nr. 4).^[2]

References

Citations

1. Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 430, 507.
2. Scherzer 2007, p. 756.
3. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, p. 46.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Lumans, Valdis O. - Latvia in World War II, ISBN 0-8232-2627-1, ISBN 978-0-8232-2627-6, Fordham University Press 2006
• Silgailis, Arthur - Latvian Legion, ISBN 0-912138-35-1
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 3, 1 January 1944 to 9 May 1945] (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2.