Tengri Biz Menen! © Ost Türkischer Waffen Verband der SS-Turkistan

Yugoslavia and Italy. In November 1943, the "Ostmanische SS-Division" was formed comprising of three separate eastern groups: Turkistan, Idel-ural and Crimea. Reichsfьhrer Himmler was very interested in this Eastern SS formation because his intent was to utilize some of the cadre personal for a training unit with the hope of raising further Eastern volunteer units. Because of volunteer shortages the unit was later designated as "1. Ostmusselmanisches SS-Regiment" in July 1944. Finaly by October 1944, with more volunteers and conscriptions it was re-named as the "Ost Turkischer Waffen-Verband der SS. By November 1941, Legions were created from Asiatic and Caucasians in southern Russia. These Legionnaires were from Armenia, Azerbaijan, North Caucasus, Turkistan and the Volga Tatar. Again many of the volunteers saw the Germans as liberators of their homeland. The Legionnaires were trained in Poland and Germany. Because of the high combat casualties that the Waffen-SS had suffered in the Eastern Front, these Eastern troops were transferred to the Waffen-SS by 1944-45. These Legionnaires wore either German or Russian uniforms. Most of the Legionnaires were transferred to occupational duties on the Western Front in such places as the Channel Islands and France. These Legionnaires were disappointed and dismayed because they wanted to fight the communist. Many of them deserted their post, eventually the Germans transferred Legionnaires to the Eastern Front.