Interview with WW2 veteran Dries Coolens, 27th SS-volunteer Grenadier Division "Langemarck"
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- Опубліковано 2 лют 2020
- Interview with SS-Oberscharführer Dries Coolens, 27th SS-volunteer Grenadier Division "Langemarck" ! (English subtitles)
Andries (Dries) Coolens was born on January 24, 1923 in Ghent (Flandern), as third son of a businessman.
His dad was an independent architect and contractor who mainly built bridges, he
was active in the Council of Flanders (Parliament) and stood up for the interests of
the people in Flandern. Dries got the pride to fight for Flanders from his father.
The interview was given in August 2019.
He passed away on June 6, 2021.
Dries, Ruhe in Frieden !
what a war story jesus he was basically a shock troop in the ss and survived he had to have been tough as nails back in the day
Still bright and very much alive for a man of his age and experiences.
Because God LOVES Germans
@@KirkLee1983 he's Flemish !
. A
VVK
K
Alles Voor Vlaanderen
Vlaanderen Voor Kristus
Means Everything for Flanders
Flanders for Christ
Yes, better than all his victims who can’t recount his atrocities....
as dim-witted as when he joined this criminal enterprise of an SS bataljon
Meneer Coolens, ik heb respect voor uw verhaal. Het is een kant, die zeker gehoord moet worden.
was er maar zoveel aandacht voor onze weerstanders als voor deze collaborateurs en Nazi-sympatisanten.
respect ??? voor wat ? deze man was Nazi collaborateur ! een man moet vechten allen om zijn eigen land te verdedigen !
@@ohrid59mk76 zijn land was Vlaanderen (Dietsland), van België moest hij niets verwachten. De dagen aan het Oostfront zullen hem minder zwaar gewogen hebben dan de 'misdadige' behandeling in KZ Lokeren etc...
@@erikthys3911 moest hij veghten voor vrije Vlaanderen in Leningrad - SSSR !!!??? dat hij als Vlaming voor onafankelijke Vlaanderen wil strijden is OK , maar niet als Nazi knecht aan het Oostfront !
@@ohrid59mk76 Wel toen vochten de mensen nog voor iets, nog wel op zeer jonge leeftijd, van alle nationaliteiten. In zijn geval tegen de reële bedreiging van het communisme in Europa. Elke jonge soldaat krijgt mijn respect voor zijn dienst, van Amerikaan die zijn gewisse dood tegemoet ging op d-day tot de Duitse soldaat onder buitengewoon zware omstandigheden in Rusland.
Wat doe jij? Gewoon janken.
This mans sacrifice for Europe is beyond the thanks i can give to him
Learn your spelling and grammar.🤡
Uh... what? Have you not seen what WW2 has done to Europe? Germany effectively ended almost a thousand years of European world domination with WW2
@@pumitriii6160🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫
@@okandmanniska1183 ?
Incredible stuff. A great man and good to see he's still alive.
He recently passed away.
@@flemishnationalist-prayfor9809 That pains to hear. At least he lived a long and hopefully happy life. He got to be in a time where the world was at a good place, if we exclude the war of course. No European country won WW2 or WW1 for that matter. It always results in mass loss of European life, no more brother wars is what I say.
This man is actually still alive.
@@SEWOFFICIAL Good luck with that! I hope you do a good project
Ccol
@@SEWOFFICIAL He does not live in Belgium anymore
@@konigludwig6539 where does he live? Would be really cool to contact to him
@Daniel Barrett Why dont you just leave the old men alone?
Go buy his book and read it.
much better than most vet vids as there was no interviewer
me me me me me me me mem mee me me meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Thanks for the upload. You would think just being a German vet would be hard enough. But to be volunteer fighting in German uniform is another journey. To survive the midevil combat of the Russian front and then to survive being prisoner. Not many people can say they actually fought for what they believe in.
@Hartwig Flögh Yeah, cause Bolshevism was a treat. Really an utopia of milions killed, by their own governments.
That's why they don't mention it in the books, or anywhere. Millions of East Europeans suffered under bolshevism, and it threatened to spread into the rest of Europe. Already in many countries there were coups, to install Bolshevik governments. It was a threat to whole Europe.
There were slavs, hundreds of thousands of them, fighting for german army. Vlasov Army, for one.
In the Waffen troops(you know, the ones that were supposed to be racially germans, an elite racial unit) more tham half were volunteers from a non-german stock, all pledging to fight bolshevism.
That's the history they have thought us, the "winning, right" side. Maybe in west Europe, you were lucky, cause you dodged a massive bullet by avoiding 50 years of communism, but here, where i am, we weren't so lucky.
But don't worry people, the "right" "winning" side is culturally enriching Western World, just right now. It will be a dream, and when you wake up, you will realize how the whole democrat world allied knowingly with the bolshevik maniacs, to fight against sovereignty of countries.
@@alakhazom what country are you from?
@@johnmulligan7609 Romania. Why, which one are you?
@@alakhazom I'm from USA. And when I heard the vet say American soldiers were bad soldiers i didn't take offense. This guy went through a lot of shit. He's entitled to his opinion. And I do agree with him that the war saved Europe from the communist horde taking over.
@@lancegoodthrust546 When it comes to american soldiers, yeah, they fought bravely. But even after all the glorious movie propaganda, where Usa fought the "good" fight, the real idea was that they shouldn't have fought at all. But of course Roosevelt had his "banking" people agitating besides him, as they did with Churchill, for war. They just couldn't have anybody catching wind of a true sovereign idea. Cause mind you, the fas...t movement's biggest threat to banking system worldwide,was indeed the monetary revolution,and economic policies. They just couldn't bear somebody not living under the yoke!
When it comes to americans and brits,how do most honestly sleep so easily,how can they live with such mental gymnastics? Before the war, some of the people ,knew about the horrors of communism in the east,at least 15 years of the german nationalism started! Yet pretended nothing happened,when a united front mustered the force to go against the red terror threatening to spill in the west,the west Democratic world betrayed them,and allied with Bolsheviks (Note I'm not saying Russians).
Then after the world ended,and half of europe was under the reds,why hasn't the democratic world decried,for example, the cries for help of the rest of us?
There were resistance fighters in the mountains in my country,when the communists started to kill people,resisting for even 15 years after the war,waiting in vain,maybe americans will come.
But America and Uk had the Yalta conference,and it was sealed and done.
When many american clever people realized at the end of the war that they fought the wrong enemy(Patton being the most iconic) they were quickly silenced,in a way or another.
But surprise,surprise, a few years after the war,the democratic people realized that communism was a massive ideological threat,many countries starting to bleed profusely,all over the world.
And still to this day,most of your people think that you fought the good war!
Yeah,the normal people fought valiantly for what they thought was a good noble idea,by being fed only half truths at best,and mostly blatant lies,at worst.
There is videos on Bitchute with the Austrian Art Student,when he has numerous speeches,addressing the american people,warning of the venomous snakes that invaded your house,and how they will agitate for war,and how they will lead your country on a bad path. And to the british naives,he never wanted war with Britain,and there's plenty of evidence for that. Evidence,well hidden,of course.
Hope Usa is waking up,somehow, from the sleep inculcated by the media,and manages to become the power she was once,and escapes the thralls of Frankfurt School thinking.
I am watching with melancholy how Usa has fallen,and european descendants have become third class citizens,in the countries they built.
I honestly wish you all the best!
May you rest in peace, I am definitely going to purchase your book. You will not forgotten thanks you for your service! Rest peacefully you were a great human being! 1923-2021
I give nothing but respect to this man i know he went through hell fighting on the eastern front nothing but respect
Priceless. Thanks Dries. I feel sorry for all the terrible things you have lived through, including the inhumane and unjust post-war treatment.
You do realize what the SS did in Poland and Russia right?
Unjust?? He is a fucking traitor.
@@nielscarp , why don't you watch this video to learn what Dries did in Russia?
@ The SS and SD spread terror in all of Eastern Europe, I don't have to watch this video to know that.
@@nielscarp And you haven't got a clue what you are talking about. Stupid, ignorant, uneducated posts. What garbage!
Thank you for sharing this interview ! These stories from veteran are precious
Amazing interview. Glad to hear his rarely told view of things fighting for Nazi Germany as a foreign volunteer! Thank you for sharing.
He got Bronze Close Combat Clasp for over 15 days of close combat actions only 36,400 were awarded
Do you know the totals for Silver and Gold? Think I own a book on Gold; think its less then a 100?
What did he get for killing civilians in the Ukraine!
@@robertevans8010 More then the Russian got!
@@Adam-zq2mw Meaning?
@@robertevans8010 Roughly; Within the remit of their era he was Flemish and wanted independence for his nation just as the Ukrainians tried to do for themselves . He would have seen himself as part of a crusade against Communism saving the Ukrainian people; not killing them. It was this kind of idealism that led Millions to their deaths. The Ukrainians lost some 5-Million within a year during the Holodomor in 1933/4 when the Russian stole all the grain etc in the name of Communism. The scale of the criminality of Nazi rule became common knowledge after the fact.
Thank you for your service.
let him fuck up, bloody NAZI lover ,
@@robertneven7563 Sheep and puppet of the NWO.
@@davecopp9356 Robert Neven reward with the U .S army parachute badge in the year 2.000 Rhode Island , Fogerthy base , camp Varn, 7 jumps C.H..47 as a soldiers same where from Europe , sallut a vous tous
He didn't do anyone any service. I understand when saying this about the wehrmacht but not the SS. He was appart of what made millions suffer. Not something to be praised. Not something to be proud about. I hope this is a joke for everyone's sake. An interesting interview which I believe there should be more of but not to be praised.
@@robertneven7563 the US army, Israels war dogs.
That guy has seen hell, good on him for sharing his story regardless of which side he fought.
A bravery and courage I couldn't even imagine
The guy has helped to put the world into a hell on earth. Honour to all those who lost their lives to combat and finally prevails these fanatic, ruthless and selfish idiots!
@@guenterscherling9069 You don't like him because of his bravery. Cowards do not like brave men.
War is always horrible, more horrible than anyone thinks it is. Those who died don't tell their tragedies. Children, old women, civilians who have no idea about politics ... many such victims died in suffering anonymously ...
@@mustlovedogs272 no, he doesn't like him cos he was a traitor to his country
@@guenterscherling9069 I agree with you 👍
Bad ass.... Couldn't imagine meeting him in his prime fighting hand to hand.
He must've seen and done lot of hand to hand close quarters killing ...... and that story he tells about grabbing the bayonet end of a weapon stabbing at him with one hand, flicking it round and bayoneting the attacking solider in the chest with his own weapon .. .... sweet Jesus ...
@@MrPoupard Very impressive quick mind, and clearly great team and leadership skills from both aptitude and the training. Small unit combat tactics, he got the best teachers to be had.
The toughness of these guys is utterly remarkable. They experienced things we couldn't even imagine. How any of them remained sane is beyond me.
Seriously damn, tomato soup made with womens, you know what 🤢 man thats insane
A warrior there, coming from an englander, a true saxon, n we miss them..
Thanks for sharing this. We should never forget the courage of these men regardless of which country they were from. ❤️
What about their victims, the victims of the Nazi Regime ?
@@guenterscherling9069 it was more complicated than that. Ofcourse every victim is one too many, but back in the day people thought that communism could destroy everything. It was a bit like fighting with an 'enemy' to protect your country for something more worse. This is interview makes it clear, he was fighting for Flanders and the idea of a reunited 'Dietsland', those are pretty much the same ideas that some dutchies had when they joined the SS.
@@xXTheoLinuxXx Fighting communism was a late invention of Nazis to save their necks: Typical Nazi propaganda on retreat. Paris, Poland and Czechia were not communist!? EVERYBODY knew that. Russia was invaded in order to kill the native people and use the land for the 'Arians'. Listen also to General Paulus at Norimerk trial: ua-cam.com/video/ngrbxbwCOoc/v-deo.html 14:27
@@guenterscherling9069 Gotta break a few eggs...
@@guenterscherling9069 No, they were not going to ignore the free labor.
7:04 - the secret is in the details and this is a wonderful explanation of the details. German casualties for WWII was around 40% or so - very high still but that includes ALL military personnel. Not all were combat arms, so in that you include the supply sergeant, the law clerk, prison guards and so forth that were not directly fighting so much less of them dying. To get a total 40% casualty rate, it means the combat arms (infantry, armor and artillery) took the brunt of the deaths so casualties for THOSE components were possible 80% as a guess and stories like this prove that point. Over 96% of his unit died at Narva. This is also why if a German got assigned to the Eastern Front it was considered a death sentence.
97%
Death sentance for NAZI's . Stop it you're making me laugh when I should be crying over your insanity.
@@cityman1111 Well expressed, cityman! It should be noted: presence of Nazis at the 'eastern front' meant death sentence to all inhabitants living there. Surrender was no option. Many of the 'Kameraden' were sadistic cowards feeling great when mistreating defenseless prisoners, including children and women.
@@guenterscherling9069 Thats not correct. Germans soldiers were very correct and disciplinated. The problem fpr the between the front was the very hard warfare and the politic of "burning ground", first from the soviet retreat 1941/42 and later from the german retreat 1944/45.
@aard apel You have any source? Thats Not true . Crimes from own soldiers against civilians in occupied were punished very hard. Otherwise they gave Partisans and their supporters a "short process" and hard judgement. But that were the correct rules of war in that time.
Absolutely brutal is Warfare every side did what had to be done at a very hard time for these people
Very interesting to see him very bright man
Whatever the politics and morality of it all... it seems like an amazing interview to me. No?
Laat me denken aan de roemruchte uitzendingen van Maurice de Wilde op de Vlaamse televisie, keek ik samen naar met mijn Vader..
Daar werd indertijd duchtig over gediscussieerd aan menig Vlaamse toog tussen gelijkgestemden..
God bless the Dutch brothers !
Especially the Flames !
Individual opinions About the choices this man Made can not and Will never take away anything from him. Everybody makes choices in their live that other people might dislike. I respect him for following up on his choices and believes. I salute this man and would buy him a beer For what he went through During his time at the frontline.
En van mij kreeg ie de tweede
He's tough. A real vet. But the interview raises so many questions.
i am of the same nationality of this man , if you have questions i can awser them
@@The_Lidless_Eye oh yeah? Were you there fighting with him or something?
@@lrc9304 No , i did not. I am talking about the translation.
@@The_Lidless_Eye you're German then
@@lrc9304 No Flemish
absolutely one of the most interesting interview I have seen on this subject. Like to pin another medal Sir Coolens
for what ? becouse was NAZI collaborautor ???
Despite all the adverse comments about the Waffen-SS, I think from my reading that it is clear that different countries' volunteers had quite different goals and motivations to fight on the side of the Germans. The man is proud of his combat record, and for damn good reason! I for one am prepared to take this gentleman's story as it is, without judgment (heck, it is tough to see Allied veterans admitting they probably killed many innocent civilians in house-to-house fighting clearing cellars and the like with grenades not knowing or being able to care who was inside), while still reserving that he could well have participared in atrocities of some sort. From what he says, it was tough fighting, with atrocious losses, and with honourable intentions. Wounded 7 times... damn. Tough guy indeed! And look how compassionate he is at 19:49 in regard to the enemy, they are just humans like himself. That is the tragedy of war.
It is also pretty clear that the winners were no better than the losers in how he was treated after the war. Again, the tragedy of war and indoctrination.
Every veteran's story is a precious gift, and the war is over. One does not get these individual stories except from a veteran, earned in blood and trauma. I say to any listener: keep your ears peeled and learn something here.
Love the driving licenses :)
''It is also pretty clear that the winners were no better than the losers''. Horsepucky.
The Germans starved 1.5 million Soviet POWs to death. Russian Prisoners were put in concentration camps.
1 million german pows also died in soviet captivity so there were crimes on both sides though I would say the Germans were worse to the soviets than vice versa.
@@hakapeszimaki8369 The Soviet Union was invaded by Germany, not the other way around! Do I like the Soviet Union? Nope!
@@hakapeszimaki8369 Yeah, but the same bird, by another name, invaded The Soviet Union.
11:29
Leon Degrelle also spoke about this event in I believe his first book that he made in 1950s.
He said that it was from materialistic pressure that they relaxed and enjoyed the luxuries. A pressure build up from the constant hell that they were in. He said that the flames came and gave them all a beating. The reason he didn't punish them was because he was very spiritual about the war and what they were fighting for.
Leon Degrelle's works are a must read in my opinion. The documentaries he was in are equally important.
Wat een verhaal, Dries. Ongelooflijk.
Very interesting interview!
Respect from Belarus.
this is an impressive human being.....I cant imagine the horror that he lived through dong his duty as he saw it...much respect,,,,,
the people of Flanders aren't called ''Flames'' like in the subtitles, it should be ''Flemings''.
Anyway, altijd fantastisch om een man te zien die ECHT nog wilde vechten voor de Vlaamse zaak.
''flemisch''
@@mitch1611 "The Flemish*, or "Flemings" without an article
My good friend, Dries.
Great video!
they are all cowards thinking only for themselfs.
@@tonsmulders5218 A sweeping generalisation that I would contest is inaccurate, just because you disagree with a persons political outlook, motivations or actions it can not be said he acted solely from thinking about himself. He believed he was fighting for a united Netherlands and against Soviet Communism which in his eyes would benefit his family, his fellow countrymen and western Europe in general and not just himself. Also I can not see how you can regarde the man as a coward seeing as he fought on the eastern front and saw close combat.
@@bertiodvonrastenburger1129 I can understand, he was young and dumb, very brave until defeated then looking for the Americans to save his butt.
@@pablotown77 Thank you for your well thought out and eloquent
reply.
Love the interview. I used to correspond with many veterans that i met at the Ulrichsberg Treffen in Austria! If you dont mind sharing his contact info it would be great to reach out to him!
That is a man
Exactly.
Very insightful interview.
Very interesting.. Thanks
Received a signed book and photo from him last year. Many thanks for posting this interview (when was this interview given?). Greetings from USA.
Thank you.
The interview was given in August 2019.
@@sevyb4579 I didnt know that there were still living veterans of these types of units, are there any Blue Division interviews on yt?
What's his book called if you don't mind.
If you have the info on how I could send a letter, I would so greatly appreciate it.
@hannibalcaesar3
The choices made by this man were strange, but they were strange days. Fear of Communism was rife in pre-WW2 western Europe.
Maybe this chap was a Rexist or similar ...
My father was a wartime volunteer (UK) who fought from Normandy to Schleswig Holstein. After the war, on my childhood, we travelled sometimes to those parts, where we spent time with his friends (made after the war) most of whom were Wehrmacht or SS veterans. He was keen to build bridges and put the past on the past. The harshest words I heard him say of those times were about Dutch and Belgian SS. He never said why.
Very strange he said this because the Dutch and Belgians never fought in the West, only on the Eastfront.
@@Tombakzarb Not strange at all. We spent a lot of time in NW continental Europe in my childhood. Many friends in NL, some also in Belgium. We would be quite scared (as children) when we heard that this or that neighbour or this or that friend in Hamburg or Neumunster was former SS.... It was a scary thing for a young child in the 60s. Our dad would say "No, he's a good chap. He was very young" and so on. But on occasion (more than once) both when speaking of German friends and of visits to NL, he would say quite terrible things about NL and Belgian nationalists or anti-Communists who were swept up into the Nazi ideology. He was himself (he is long dead) quite left wing - not uncommon in young men who grew up in the UK in the 30s - so the hard right caused him some discomfort. He was involved (after VE Day) in exchanges of former prisoners with the Soviets (as were many fighting elements) but this was largely handing Red Army soldiers back to Moscow and an uncertain fate, not receiving Axis POWs from the Red Army... This for reasons that are now known.
The quite strongly worded enmity for NL and Belgian SS seemed to stem from contact with his own friends from the occupied Low Countries.
The remarkable thing for me was that this was a.man who would drink schnapps with a former SS man from Munich or Hamburg or Solingen. He seemed to draw a distinction. He was a thoughtful and intelligent man and I imagine he based his strong feelings on something concrete.
He was not a Rexist, did you hear his comments regarding Degrelle. He was a Flemish nationalist fighting for a united Nederland.
@@mercomania Quite right. I do not speak Flemish and was slightly skimming the subtitles.
The distinction between Rexist Belgians and the Flemish supporters of a greater NL is a distinction without a difference in terms of their rapid and fulsome adoption of Nazi ideologies and behaviours.... Both were quick to march to the Nazi drumbeat, whatever their initial intent. Bit I was quite wrong to suppose he had Rexist leanings.
Really puts a perspective on things happening today. Dries after the war was tried and sentenced as a traitor to his country. The past few years over a 1000 Belgian Muslims fought illegaly for ISIS or collaborated in some other way with this terrorist group. Also they do not fight in uniforms. The sentences and treatment these modern traitors get are not comparable.
Respect
You're an idiot/.
@@cityman1111 thanks/.
Amazing to hear this brave man's story. God bless him 👍
God Bless him?!?! He was SS. Have you even the faintest idea what SS was about?
@@ClaesN1973 Have you seen what Soviets did? Also he was a Soldier.
wat een held
Really enjoyed hearing this testimony of a Axis soldier...
I laughed when he said the American soldiers were bad because they are the one's who beat the Axis out of belgium...
It's good to hear the story from a defeated power. He was very interesting and the loss- MY GOD what numbers.
A brave man indeed.
The USA allied with communist scum Russia and communist scum China in WW2. “We defeated the wrong enemy” general George s Patton.
It is of great historical interest to hear people’s stories from the war and naturally there aren’t that many stories from the losing side. Therefore this is a valuable interview, if a little hard to listen to. We mustn’t put 2020 values and opinions to this but try to put 1940s values to understand, propaganda and indoctrination are powerful tools. Some parts are difficult to listen to, eg. “We received civilian clothes” is a statement with many undertones.
True words. I found his story hard to take, but its true. For history, its good to look at both sides, even if we don't like the point of view. My wife is Dutch, and the stories her mother tells are horrific about how the Germans treated the Dutch. And this fellow Dutchman thinks he did them a favour.
I'd just like to add. I am a history buff. Particularly Fighter and Bomber stories since I'm a pilot myself. I have read dozens. Curiously enough, I would have to say, the best one of all was "The Forgotten Soldier" by a German Soldier Guy Sajer.
@@paulrichards2365 It is not a Dutchman but Belgian.
I agree with you !
@@paulrichards2365 exactly 👍
Great content. Thanks
Oberscharführer Coolens unfortunatley passed away on the 4th of june, ruhe in frieden!
Incredibly brave&tough those'SS'soldiers!
A bit controversial to say, but the Flemish people where second class citizens in their own country at that time. They where suppresed by the french speaking "bourgeoisie" (Look up "Hier ons bloed, wanneer ons recht" and "AVV VVK" WW1).
The Germans gave the Flemish people a voice. The Germans are responsible for flemish universities, child support and a lot of other things. It makes total sense that Flemish people would fight for them.
Ps. You where at the wrong side of the war, but your cause was just, you where fighting for our people. And indeed without their fierce resistance we (EU) would have ended up like Europe's Eastern neighbours.
What an interesting story. All the more so as I am in the middle of reading War Without Garlands by Robert Kershaw, which tells an in depth story of the Eastern Front. I am learning so much from it.
My father-in-law was Volksdeutsche and infantry through Smolensk, Moscow and Petersburg, then anti-tank through the Don, Dnieper, Kursk, Stalingrad, then ad hoc kampfgruppe infantry with the survivors of SS Das Reich in the Ukraine. He could never string together a story like this guy -- he was too traumatized. He could tell me a couple sentences and that was it. He spent 14 months in hospitals beginning the end of '44 and was discharged as 50% fit. By 1965 he could still blow smoke out his chest through a hole in his lungs, no lie. War sucks and just destroys young people. I don't respect my own government that is guilty of aggressive war in Vietnam, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and attacking its own country on 9/11. I wish our so-called "leaders" would get their face pushed down in the mud, blood and guts and trauma like these poor guys. No war. Put our leaders in prison.
Amazing man
Harrowing, but very cool to let the man speak and tell his story freely!
I'd like to suggest that at 5:44, he mentions "versterkt bataljon" which literally translates to "reinforced battalion". I'm guessing this implies armored vehicles and grenadiers, along with infantry. It's doesn't really translate to "strength of a battalion".
This might shed some light to the battallion he was in:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Narva_(1944)#Formation_of_Army_Detachment_%22Narwa%22
The map used was from a youtuber who does great in depth videos, he has a newer updated and more detailed series about the Narva battles in which this veteran has played part. ua-cam.com/play/PLp49DDWdnynFaUiBGEIoqGS6-T_gP8ysG.html gives an ever greater picture of what this man and other European SS volunteers had to face (dutchman myself)
Bizar dat dit geval nog zo’n gedachten heeft ! Na al die tijd nog steeds geen inzicht gekregen. Zielig figuur
Zullen ze over jou ook zeggen in 2040 een smeerlap die vlees gevreten heeft zit liever met die ouwe in een schuttersputje dan iemand met een grote bek
En zo lopen er nog rond ...
Hé pietje ! Niet eens je eigen naam gebruiken , en commentaar geven als een lafaard Wie is nu wie ! De SS waren geen gewonen soldaten en moesten van de partij zijn ( anders werden ze niet toe gelaten ) ongeacht waarom deze man vocht , zij voerde de wil van de partij uit , dus niet zoals de wehrmacht wat “ gewonen” soldaten waren. Maar ik denk dat je dit niet eens begrijpt / wil begrijpen Nazi aanhanger of gewoon een dom figuur zoals de vele bruinhemden in het begin. Dat zul je toch niet zeggen.
@@hanskonings248Wat voor gedachten dan wel niet? Heb geen woord aan rassenhaat of wat dan ook gehoord. Voor een verenigd Nederland en de vernietiging van het communisme zijn lijkt me een schone zaak.
Hoi Luke, ! Ik snap wat je bedoeld, maar helaas werkt het zo niet. Je moest lid zijn van de partij om bij de SS te komen en moest dus achter hun gedachtegang staan . Daarbij , als men merkte dat je andere gedachten hier over had ,doordat hij bijv joden of niet arische anders behandelde, dan zou hij niet zo lang er bij geweest zijn, of zelfs omgelegd zijn. Daarbij kijk maar eens waar de SS in het Oostblok bij betrokken was ,wat hij dus ook wist en dat voor lief nam.En als laatste wil ik zeggen dat als je het communisme wil “ vernietigen “ dat dus 1op1 inhoud dat je mensen wil vermoorden om hun geloof in een systeem. In onze ogen een slecht systeem , maar voort gekomen uit een tegenstand tegen een nog slechter systeem “ een monarchie” . Ik vraag je eens te kijken naar het ontstaan van de eerste wereld oorlog , omdat dat de oorzaak is van het ontstaan van de tweede wereld oorlog. Ik hoop dat je hier wat aan hebt om het verhaal van deze man te kunnen begrijpen in een grotere context
He was right in that the Americans were not that good of troops. Remember, most of the American troops were green, had inferior weapons and tanks (the Sherman was a joke) while the German and Dutch had years of combat experience under their belts and weapons that are still considered superior even today. The advantage like he said was that the US had unlimited supplies they could throw at them and they no longer had any kind of supply line. Wounded seven times...these were some hardcore MFers...much respect.
The dutch didnt have tanks or waepons we lost the in just 4 days because the germains where 100 times stronger. I think you mean belgian
@@erbenbarelds4542 He's clearly talking about ss volunteers against bolshevism.
I do not want anything I write to be misconstrued. I am not a supporter of Nazi's nor do I glorify them. That said, All I want to say is this guy, Dries Coolens, in a different era and way different political world, did something. Anyone of us can sit here and armchair quarterback his decisions etc. The fact is, as a veteran myself, this man is one of a dwindling generation regardless of what side one fought on, who's stories can teach others of the devastation of war. The only negative I have is when I see Nazi's declare they weren't National Socialists. SS members most definitely were, regardless of country of origin. The SS usually only took hardcore party members so, that part of his story doesn't jibe. By his own admission, lots didn't know of SS "blood groups" and they were issued civilian clothes?? and I'm sure falsified documents because, they were the worst of the worst and were all hunted, to be brought to answer for their crimes. His story is no less necessary to hear than an Allied vet.
Did they had another choice of another Unit when they volunteered to fight against communism and a free Flanders? The Wehrmacht didnt take foreign fighters. All were formed in a SS unit.
@@MG_Gily_Wut Sorry to burst your bubble but many foreigners were part of the wehrmacht, counts range anywhere from 350,000 to a million. They may not have integrated existing units, instead they formed new units led by German Officers and NCO's.
@@brianguilfoyle9042 Sorry for the fast respond, will rephrase it. I dont know of the Wehrmacht took any foreign soldiers BUT I will teach you some Belgian local history: EVERY single FLAMISH volunteer was drafted in a SS unit. In 1940 the first Flamish volunteers were folded in the 5. SS Division “Wiking”. Years after they were folded to the 6.SS-Freiwilligen Sturmbrigade Langemarck in 1943. All the volunteers from the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, ... (every foreign country that Germany considered “Germanian People”) were folded in an SS unit. NOT in the Wehrmacht. There was a unit called “Vlaamse Wacht” that would serve in the Wehrmacht as an police force kind of guard BUT with problems inside the unit and in the Wehrmacht, the unit was put down and folded in SS “Langemark”.
Do either of you folks have any theories how he was able to keep his patches and decorations, after dumping his uniform then getting imprisoned? Even if he smuggled them past the Americans, you would think the prison authorities would have confiscated them. Also I was surprised that the Germans were still giving out awards, like his Tank Destruction Badge, in march '45. You would think they had more important things to consider, amidst the chaos of the time, than processing the presumed paper work for that award.
@@warrenmilford1329 good question to which I have no definitive answer. My guess? regardless of the fact he was on the losing side, he was still a veteran and entitled to any and all awards. Maybe the German Gov't issued them after the fact? Or he got replicas for his shadow box? I do know that the Germans did carry medals like the tank destruction badges around in bulk. Maybe a General had them and issued them to boost morale?
Prima vent. Mijn grootvader diende ook in het Duitse leger. Net als onze voormalige kroonprins overigens.
Piet Je, dan was je grootvader ook een schoft.
Piet, respect voor je grootvader 🙏
I guess the former enemy's from this man would fight with him when they knew in which direction Europe and the western world is heading.
The only thinkable enemy are the Fnglish and nobody wants to fight with them !
Exactly.
All soldiers, no matter the country .... they have fight like lions!! Very hardened soldiers
except for the americans, they just shot at nothing lmao
no man today can judge this man. you can criticise and maybe rightly but you can not judge.
Greetings from Greece!!!!
Its great to listen to the men who were in action a proud man and has every right to be regardless off which side they were on they fought f oi r their freedom did their duty and many paid the ultimate price
This comment is indicative of Americans' complete lack of understanding of WW2 in Europe. Disgusting...
thanks for the yarn old timer. better you than me.
Respect voor deze mannen
Speaking Flemish? I can speak Afrikaans and at first I thought he was speaking Afrikaans as I could understand most of what he was saying.
Most "afrikaners" came from flanders and zeeuws vlaanderen. That area was completely empoverished and destroyed after the 80 years war. So the farmers from the area where able to live as a colonist in SA. While the intellectual population from the southern provinces all moved to Amsterdam and reformed themselves to protestantism. I'm from West flanders and my dialect is even closer to afrikaans then the dialect you hear in this video
Hey there, yeah this man is speaking a very cleaned up Flemish, you could just call it Dutch actually, although i think he's from around Antwerp, i live in the same area and he says most words in the same manner that older people here, speak to kids, because their real dialect is very flat and kids dont fully understand them :) Groeten uit België!
Cause Flemish look like Afrikaans.
Basically the West-Flemish dialect sounds like a weird dialect of Afrikaans.
@@stevendepauw3742 Hij is ook voor Nederlanders goed verstaanbaar. Dat zijn niet alle Vlaamse dialecten.
❤ from Czech Republic.
Where is the full video?
In The Netherlands we had Bijltjesdag for this kind of people.
Shame on you
And well deserved
@@pablotown77 And what have you done for your people? Except watch propaganda from the History Channel and share your opinion on the internet, that is.
@@RJStockton Regardless what I have or haven’t done, I can assure that I haven’t murdered people.
@@pablotown77 ignorance, misinformation kill too & the debt & big pharma....& covid become a sanitary goulag & israel the homemade ghetto &........abusing baby mâle on their 8th day by circumcision which make them genius & the king of cinema etc......
Welcome to the most insane comment thread ever.
Why?
Get lost commie.
I find these programs fascinating to watch & listen to. 7 times wounded & survived is amazing.
Not really understanding Flanders & where it fits into the Netherlands, I have a couple of questions & hope someone can help.
1. Why did he feel the desire to join the Wafen SS? (Perhaps Waffen SS is all that was available to non Germans??)
2. How did his WW2 service 'save Europe'? (Maybe he is referring to communism???).
Flanders is not in The Netherlands. It is the Dutch speaking part of Belgium.
@@dennisr1341 Okay thanks mate.
@@BelloBudo007 Dennis Rond is basically correct: in this day and age Flanders is part of Belgium. However, it was once part of The Netherlands (with which it shares the Dutch language). Flanders has been a region that switched hands many times in History: it has been part of France, Spain and even Austria for a while but many Flemish feel the most natural would be a reunification with The Netherlands (Language, culture and economy are largely similar). Belgium was created in the 19th century as a "buffer-country" to avoid the great Nations of the day constantly fighting over this fertile stretch of land. But Belgium is an artificial country, made up of 2 different peoples with different cultures and languages. When Belgium was created the French speaking part was the richer part (thanks to steel, coal and engineering) and they initially ruled over the much less industrialised Flanders region. The French speaking elite treated the Flemish as lower tier peasants who spoke an unrefined "dialect". During WW-I the Flemish started to revolt against this dominance and the movement grew stronger after the armistice, as the Elites in Belgium wanted to return to the pre-war status the Flemish demands grew stronger but were largely ignored. Then came the confusing period leading up to WW-II during which a number of Flemish action groups sought support from the German Fascists parties who promised they would help them liberate themselves (German and Dutch/Flemish peoples share many cultural origins, like the basic language). As soon as most of Europe was conquered in 1940 the Germans started to recruit young men for the war machine, still with the promise of a reunited "Diets" (ancient Dutch) region after the war would be won. (As with everything in History and Politics, this is a very complicated topic and this reply, although already too long, is extremely abbreviated and simplified). hope this helps to understand how too many young political activists were lured into serving the Wehrmacht.
@@acurafillfilip9868 Mate that reply is great! I appreciate the amount of effort you put into clarifying this somewhat confusing topic, at least for this simple man. Thank you very much.
@@BelloBudo007 you are very welcome, sir! Happy to oblige!
Great vid, but keep the content coming!
Pretty amazing story, reminds me of the stunning multi-part Dutch Panther/Tiger Waffen-SS veretan video series. I am astonished to find I can understand this gentleman's story, sounds like a mix of German and Afrikaans!
He speaks a colloquial flemish and pour some german words into all his sick account
Fair play a soldier is a soldier regardless
yes.
Honored to hear Dries Coolens talk of his experiances.
dat er nog 37 terug zijn gekomen.
Vlaamsch Nederduitsch klinkt prettiger dan die uit het noorden in den Nederlanden.
Zou het mogelijk zijn, dat Het Romeinse Rijk stopte bij de zachte G, en het nut niet zag , om oorlog te voeren met deze Taal Barbaren !?
Het is maar net wat je gewend bent en waar je bent opgegroeid
@@skelejp9982 Maar Vlaanderen lag in het Duitsche Rijk
@@womenfrom0202 ehhh Natuurlijk is prettiger altijd subjectief
Wet nich. Die sproake doa oet’n zuud’n verstoah nich alles voan. Die auwer den poal verstoah’k better.
so is he speaking dutch or german ?
because i am german and can understand 99 percent of it with only a few words that seem foreighn to me
dutch cannot be this easy
He is speaking Dutch/ flemmish with some times german mixed in it.
@@alexandersikosek8114 thats so interesting , especially since im from south germany and can understand almost everything
@@tavish4699 Flemisch is his native language but he lives more than 60 years in Germany. So it is mixed up. As being flemisch I hear more german words in his talking
Dutch and Flemish are Low German Languages. They were the Germanic Tribes like the Friesians who pushed out the Celtic Tribes of the Belgi and Parisi from the Flanders and Scheldt areas who joined their fellow Celts and Tribes in Britain. This Happened in the 4th and 5th Centuries when the Romans began to leave.
Dutch dialect is very similar to German.
One of the more interesting World War II vet stories.
Certainly is someone that survived Against All Odds, with the exception of American pows in Japanese camps - but never heard the story of someone who shot his way out of trouble as many times as this gentleman.
I was a little confused with the story, after he was given civilian clothes, somebody recognized him, and then they beat him? Who was that?
- and then what happened after that.
Also someone said that he wrote a book? What's the title?
Found his book - "Memories of Dries Coolens + Signed Photo (Flemish Waffen-SS)"
www.wolfganghistorica.com/product/memories-of-dries-coolens-signed-photo-flemish-waffen-ss/
If I understood correctly, just after the war he returned to Belgium dressed up as a civilian. At some point someone who knew he had joined the German military must have recognized him, which is why he got a beating and got arrested and sent to prison.
Perceptive old warrior. War is hell, no matter what side you're on.
Respect from France...
US General Patton said " we fought the wrong enemy "..!
US General Patton fought the Germans because the Germans declared war on the US, after their ally attacked the US. I don't see that he had choice in the matter.
While Stalin and his 'government' proved to be evil in many ways, the Nazis were far more disgusting & it was the Nazis who were the aggressors. Furthermore, if it wasn't for the enormous sacrifices made by millions & millions of Soviet soldiers & civilians, it would have been nearly impossible for the Allies to liberate western Europe. Apparently Patton conveniently ignored the fact that over 80% of German military casualties & more than 80% of destroyed military equipment occurred on the Eastern Front. Patton also chose to ignore strategic contributions by the Soviets, as it was the Soviets who prevented the Germans from gaining access to the oil that the Germans desperately needed to run their Panzer divisions, Lufwaffe squadrons, and U Boat fleets. Without the successes of the Soviet military, it is unlikely the Patton's army would have faced depleted, inadequately-equipped 2nd & 3rd rate German divisions, which is what Patton's forces most often encountered during the Battle of Normandy....
Patton may have been a good general (and also lucky at times), but it's also obvious that Patton was a ignorant blowhard when it came to international politics & the crucial role the Red Army, Red Air Force, and Soviet Navy played in defeating Germany & destroying the Nazi regime.
@@derekbaker3279 Hi mate , of course we cannot forget the sacrifices made by soviet soldiers & civilians nevertheless you have to take into account the important Lend-Lease..
- US & british deliveries to the Soviet Union..( unfortunately..! ).
Dan from Paris.
@@enthalpiaentropia7804 Bonjour Dan. Yes, the Lend Lease supplies were helpful, but the first shipments (trucks, tanks, and supplies from Canada and Great Britain) didn't reach the Eastern Front until after the Soviets had stopped the Germans at the gates of Moscow (late 1941) and defeated the Germans at Stalingrad (late 1942/early '43). In other words, the tide of war had irreversibly turned in favour of the Soviets before the Lend Lease Program had made any significant impact on the Soviet-Axis War.
In 1943, the tanks the Soviets had begun to receive from the USA, Great Britain, Canada, etc were assigned to the last chance reserves in the massive battle at Kursk (but were never needed), supported Soviet infantry away from the hotspots on the Eastern Front, were converted to artillery tractors & armoured recovery vehicles, or used to patrol areas captured or recaptured by the Soviets. While the tanks the Soviets received were obsolete or outclassed even before they arrived at Soviet ports (*), the trucks and transport aircraft the Soviets received were loved by their crews and supplemented the massive number of trucks and planes the Soviets were manufacturing themselves.
(*) For example, the English translation of the Soviet nickname for the M3 Lee tanks they received was "Coffin for seven men." (!)
Supplies in the form of food, medicine, rare ores, communications equipment and other items were certainly helpful as well, however it needs to be recognized that the Soviets had done a masterful job (on their own) of moving most of their major industries to safe locations east of the Urals, plus they had successfully protected the Baku oilfields. Consequently the Soviet Union had become a 'manufacturing superpower' with productivity that exceeded all nations except for the U.S.A. mainland (which was never threatened by axis artillery, bomber planes, etc.). To put all of this in perspective, all of the Lend Lease shipments amounted to about 4% (not 40%) of the Soviet production.
Nevertheless, the trucks, transport planes, and other items the Soviets received certainly helped them maintain supply lines & transport infantry so they could keep up with advancing tank armies This helped the Soviets to stage offensive operations at more locations along the massively long Eastern Front, fully exploit breakthroughs, and maintaain pressure on retreating German units. IMHO, the Lend Lease trucks, converted tanks, and medium/light tanks probably helped the Soviets to reach Berlin sooner than if they didn't have that equipment, but the truth is that Soviets were going to crush the Germans and take Berlin in 1945, even if they had never ever received any Lend Lease shipments.
@@derekbaker3279 Bonsoir Derek ; I agree with you , but we have to admit that the important battles in western Europe in 1944 , Normandy and battle of the Bulge were lucky to the Red Army..
A lot of elite units from Heer & SS panzer div. ,panzer Lehr...were not in the Est european battle field..!
As someone who has ALWAYS wanted to correspond with a veteran of the Waffen SS. If anyone knows how I could send a letter to this veteran, PLEASE let me know....so few left.
I’ve always wanted to do the same. Got lucky enough to meet a Nordland vet a few months before he passed. Great experience
You could try to volunteer in a care home in Germany
he is one top rank soldier
"Mein gott... sturm, we hebben altijd gesturmed."
Now more than ever we need fearless men to face and conquer the threat coming from the Middle East.
His ilk would ally themselves with the Middle-Easterns! They did it during WWII!
@@tombrunila2695 They had a common enemy.
@@RJStockton, what he did was still treason! Germany was the enemy of HIS country!
Did you know that there was a Muslim SS division? Apparently Hitler had a bit of a soft spot for Islam.
ua-cam.com/video/QTaEuaVIFtQ/v-deo.html
@@OrlandoDibiskitt , and the grand mufti of Jerusalem was Hitler's best friend and even lived in Germany during the war.
Much respect for this hero and thank you for sharing this.
A delusional fellow motivated by a bunch of psychopaths.
a hero???????? WTF he is a Waffen SS volunter
His helmet was stuck inside his skull because of a grenade, the horrors of war. Thank God Europe is a safer place these days. .
It’s hardly safe it’s sad to see the direction Europe is heading
That is a very tight belt.
Makes me wonder what he’d say about repatriating the young Belgians who fought for ISIS back to Belgium ... irony intended!
They may have been young but Belgium, I'm not so sure about that??
@@haroldgodwinson832 born and raised in Belgium England France Germany and every European country yes they were. The sons and daughters of immigrants from North Africa and south east Asia. Yes they are Belgian. And they became angry and radicalised precisely because people like you refused to accept them into mainstream society of the country they were born in and insisted on identifying them with the country and culture of the countries their parents and grandparents came from. As you sow, so shall you reap.
@@jeffersonwright9275 There's always a feeling of superiority of French speaking people over non white people no matter who they are: French, Belge, French Canadian....My father worked for French government in Vietnam for 20 years from 1934- 1954. He told me you can make friends with French people for life and you can even trust them but they never let you hold any position higher than them even you are much better than them. That's why I've never seen any immigrants holding any high government jobs in any French speaking country.
@Cal Dev I cannot agree with that: both joined out of disappointment and dissatisfaction with the existing order. Very clearly both felt so frustrated with the status-quo that they though only violence would bring about the change they desired. Both felt they were defending their core identify against a set of beliefs that were the actively hostile enemy of that core identity.
@Cal Dev now there is online Isis propaganda. Not much has changed. There always will be idealists and opportunists. This man strikes me as an idealist but ended up at the wrong side of history
so this guy is actually flemish not german. "flames" = "flemish" (bad subtitle translation)
i think it comes through clearly in the subtitles that this guy is flemish
@@Borrelaas yeah, i noticed that later in the video. the subtitles did say 'flames' though
He is from belgian
@@erbenbarelds4542 yes, he's from belgium but belgians are either walloon (french) or flemish (dutch)
Tuff old goats, wouldn't give up then won't give up on life,that's why most them live into their 90's and beyond
From who is the song music????
👍👍👍
Heerlijk ook die vele Duitse woorden 🤩
2019, nogsteeds fanatiek met een foute vlag.. ongelofelijk
Geen moment van bezinning of schaamte bespeur ik.
Matt 7,1-3
"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you."
Today we have politicians and industry ppl who work together with China and are silent about the atrocities/living organ donors there. And ppl today seems too lazy to look just a little into it. Seemly satisfied with "So you think you can dance" etc
This guy fought for what he thought was a just reassembling of his country. Agree with him or not. He did something, right or wrong. Not me to judge him. But he might be right in that they helped preventing USSR from standing i Europe today.
Een verenigd Europa. Zeer gemakkelijk om te oordelen vanuit u luie zetel.
nog steeds is respect tonen niet erg moeilijk, maakt niet uit waar hij gevochten heeft het blijft een veteraan.
@@masteryoda2772 neen: ik hoop dat je met kennis van zaken spreekt ? Niet noodzakelijk zelf veteraan , voldoende kennis krijgsgeschiedenis of gewone geschiedenis is voldoende.
Anyone know the name of the song at the beginning? It's beautiful.
Wij zijn bereid
In 1941 preekten de priesters in de christelijke kerken om onze Vlaamse jongens naar het oostelijk front te sturen tegen het communistisch regime.
Na de oorlog deden de priesters alsof hun neus bloedde en waren vergeten wat ze allemaal verkondigden in de kerken!
We leefden toen in een zeer christelijke gemeenschap.
Er waren maar twee mensen in een stad of gemeente die het voor het zeggen had: de burgemeester en de priester.
De Kerk moest zich schamen voor het opruien van de gelovigen!
Genuanceerde comments op youtube? In het nederlands? Over buitenlandse vrijwilligers in de waffen-ss?
What a fighter! What a survivor!
What a disgusting splodge of anal wastage.