Posted on

The Georgian Gestapo

Most of us are familiar with the Nazi atrocities committed in the occupied European countries and the collaboration of certain European governments (e.g., Vichy France and Norway) that supported and assisted the occupiers. However, collaboration in Eastern Europe has largely gone unnoticed. In countries such as Croatia, the Nazi-supported government of Ante Pavelić and his fascist Ustaše organization committed such atrocities and genocide that even the Nazis were appalled at their brutality.

Joachim von Ribbentrop (left) and Ante Pavelić (right) in Venice during the Independent State of Croatia’s admission to the Tripartite Pact. Photo by anonymous (c. June 1941). PD-Author’s life plus 70 years or fewer. Wikimedia Commons.
Joachim von Ribbentrop (left) and Ante Pavelić (right) in Venice during the Independent State of Croatia’s admission to the Tripartite Pact. Photo by anonymous (c. June 1941). PD-Author’s life plus 70 years or fewer. Wikimedia Commons.

 Today, we will look at a Georgia military organization comprised of ethnic Georgians who fought under the Waffen-SS (the military arm of the Schutzstaffel, or the SS). It’s no wonder they were commonly referred to as “The Georgian Gestapo.”


Did You Know?

Did you know that soldiers of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops” received the Congressional Gold Medal? Two days ago, marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day ⏤ the invasion of Europe during World War II. This top-secret military unit was responsible for saving the lives of thousands of American soldiers who came ashore on 6 June 1944.

Commonly known as “The Ghost Army,” the unit’s mission was to deceive the Germans into thinking the invasion would take place on the beaches of Pas-de-Calais, France rather than Normandy. They were part of the Allied “Operation Fortitude.” Members of the Ghost Army were artists, designers, audio technicians, and other deception experts. The story of their deception was kept secret until 1996 when the files were declassified after more than fifty years.

There were seven known survivors of the Ghost Army at the time of the White House ceremony. Three of the seven attended the ceremony along with families of the deceased soldiers. Bernard Bluestein, John Christman, and Seymour Nussenbaum accepted the Gold Medal on behalf of all the men of the Ghost Army.

Ceremony awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the members of the Ghost Army. Photo by U.S. Army/Sgt. David Resnick (c.2022). The Association of the United States Army (AUSA). https://www.ausa.org.
Ceremony awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the members of the Ghost Army. Photo by U.S. Army/Sgt. David Resnick (c.2022). The Association of the United States Army (AUSA). https://www.ausa.org.

Please refer to our 2024 blog, The Double Cross System (click here to read) and the 2022 blog, The Ghost Army (click here to read).


Georgia

Georgia is a country on the Eastern border of Europe near the Black Sea and the Caucasus Mountains. Its language is part of the Kartvelian languages, and the alphabet is one of the world’s independent alphabets. Georgia is one of the oldest wine producing countries in the world dating to BC 8000. Its population of 3.7 million is dominated by indigenous Georgians.

Map of Europe with Georgia outlined in red. Map by anonymous (date unknown). https://www.asabbatical.com.
Map of Europe with Georgia outlined in red. Map by anonymous (date unknown). https://www.asabbatical.com.

Georgia is one of those countries that over the centuries has been ruled and inhabited by various surrounding regional powers. The Kingdom of Georgia reached its peak during the High Middle Ages (AD 1000 to 1300) before its disintegration and absorption by the Mongols, the Ottoman Empire, and Persia (today, Iran). By 1801, the Russian Empire had annexed the country. After the 1917 Russian Revolution, Georgia became independent but in 1921, the Soviet Union broke the Treaty of Moscow (wherein the Soviets recognized Georgian independence) and invaded Georgia turning it into a Soviet satellite country. Read More The Georgian Gestapo

Posted on

The Ghost Army

Last year for Halloween, I wrote the blog, The Night Witches (click here to read the blog). It was then I decided to try and write an annual Halloween blog. So, this year I’d like to introduce you to the “Ghost Army,” a group of talented artists whose job it was to deceive and hide things from the enemy.

23rd Headquarters Special Troops – US Army: “Ghost Army” patch. Photo by anonymous (c. 2006). Institute of Heraldry. U.S. Department of Defense. PD-U.S. Government. Wikimedia Commons.
23rd Headquarters Special Troops – US Army: “Ghost Army” patch. Photo by anonymous (c. 2006). Institute of Heraldry. U.S. Department of Defense. PD-U.S. Government. Wikimedia Commons.

Prior to D-Day on 6 June 1944, Gen. Patton commanded the fictitious First United States Army Group (FUSAG). The FUSAG was created to convince the Germans that Patton was preparing for a cross-channel invasion at Pas de Calais. As part of the ruse, Patton commanded a group made up with dummy equipment. (Maybe that was his punishment for slapping a soldier or two.) However, known as “Operation Quicksilver,” Patton’s FUSAG was part of the larger deception scheme named “Operation Fortitude.” Along with the British network of double agents, FUSAG accomplished its mission and likely saved the lives of thousands of Allied soldiers (click here to read the blog, The Double Cross System).

Our blog today focuses on another secret group whose responsibilities were to deceive the Germans. However, most of their activities occurred after the invasion of Normandy. The unit and its mission were so secret the men were instructed to stay silent about their war time activities for fifty years and all files pertaining to the “Ghost Army” remained classified until 1986.

Image of Worcester Daily Telegram article written on the Ghost Army. Doesn’t appear to be classified back then does it? Photo by anonymous (c. August 1945).
Image of Worcester Daily Telegram article written on the Ghost Army. Doesn’t appear to be classified back then does it? Photo by anonymous (c. August 1945).

Read More The Ghost Army