WEISSRUTHENISCHE 30th Waffen-SS Grenadier Division composed of Belarusian Volunteers

In mid-1944, the Red Army occupied Belarus as a result of "Operation Bragation". For this reason, many Belarusians who had collaborated with the Germans left with the German Army in their withdrawal to avoid reprisals by the Soviets. In particular, former members of the Belarusian National Guard, the Belarusian Auxiliary Police and the "Black Cats" Militia, sought refuge in Germany.

The 30th Waffen-SS Grenadier Division was officially formed on August 1, 1944, commanded by General Hans Sieglingcon, and composed of 11,600 soldiers, 80% of them of Belarusian origin, 10% of Ukrainians and 10 The remaining% distributed among Russians, Georgians, Armenians, Tatars and Germans.

The Division was transferred to the southeast of France to fight against the guerrillas of the French Forces of the Interior (FFI) in the cities of Vesoul, Belfort and Camp du Valdahon where they caused serious casualties and captured numerous prisoners. However, on August 27, 1944, approximately 1,200 Ukrainians mutinied against the Germans, killing 25 officers and 70 noncommissioned officers, also seizing important war material, and then joining the French Forces of the Interior under the name of Ukrainian Battalion "Ivan Bohun. "

The Division was transferred again to Germany for its restructuring, with 2,300 soldiers expelled, suspected of mutiny. Once purged, the Division was sent back to the Western Front with only 5,500 troops. Between the months of November and December of 1944 they fought strongly against the French Army near the border with Switzerland supporting the loss of 1,100 men, but causing a greater number of French casualties.

In January 1945, the 30th Division was taken to the training camp of Granfenwörh in Germany to finally be dissolved. Some of its members joined the Russian Liberation Army of General Andrei Vlasov, who collaborated with the Germans. The rest went on to join the Belarusian Grenadier SS Brigade, which in March 1945 surrendered in Regensburg to the Third American Army. Many of the prisoners were transferred to the United States so as not to be deported to the Soviet Union.