Edgar Puaud

In September 1943 Puaud, promoted to Général de Brigade (brigadier), was appointed commander of the LVF.[1] In July 1944 the Germans decided that all foreign volunteers fighting in the German Army should be transferred to the Waffen-SS. In September 1944, a new unit, the Waffen-Grenadier-Brigade der SS "Charlemagne" was formed out of the remnants of the LVF and French Sturmbrigade, both of which were disbanded. Joining them were French collaborators fleeing the Allied advance in the west, as well as Frenchmen from the German Navy, the National Socialist Motor Corps (NSKK), the Organisation Todt and the detested Milice française security police.[3] The formation was named after the Frankish king and German Emperor Charlemagne. Puaud was given the Waffen-SS rank Oberführer. Although Puaud was the official commander, actual control was exercised by SS-Brigadeführer Gustav Krukenberg, who spoke fluent French.[4]

After spending late 1944 training, the Charlemagne Brigade was upgraded to a division, with the title 33 Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS "Charlemagne" (französische Nr 1),[5] Krukenberg was appointed to command the division, while Puaud was the nominal French commander.[4]

In February 1945 the division was sent into combat against the advancing Red Army in Pomerania. It saw action around Hammerstein, Köslin (Koszalin) and Kolberg (Kołobrzeg) on the Baltic coast. The Soviet forces split the French force into three pockets. One group commanded by Krukenberg survived. It was evacuated from the coast by the German Navy to Denmark and later sent to Neustrelitz for refitting; the second group with Puaud was destroyed by Soviet artillery and the third group tried fighting its way back westward, but by 17 March all had been captured or killed in action.[4] Puaud was severely wounded in the fighting. He was taken to Greifenberg (Gryfice), where he was left in an inn with other wounded soldiers. His exact fate is not known.[4]