We Will Not Go to Tuapse

From the Donets to the Oder with the Legion Wallonie and 5th SS Volunteer Assault Brigade ‘Wallonien’ 1942-45

By: Fernand Kaisergruber

Narrated by: Paul Woodson

Until recent years, very little was known of the tens of thousands of foreign nationals from Norway, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, France, and Spain who served voluntarily in the military formations of the German army and the German Waffen-SS. In Kaisergruber's book, the listener discovers important issues of collaboration, the apparent contributions of the volunteers to the German war effort, their varied experiences, their motives, the attitude of the German High Command and bureaucracy, and the reaction to these in the occupied countries.

The combat experiences of the Walloons echoed those of the very best volunteer units of the Waffen-SS, although they shared equally in the collapse of the Third Reich in May 1945. Although unapologetic for his service, Kaisergruber makes no special claims for the German cause and writes not from any postwar apologia and dogma but instead from his firsthand observations as a young man experiencing war for the first time, extending far beyond what had been imaginable at the time. His observations of fellow soldiers, commanders, Russian civilians, and the battlefields prove poignant and telling.

©2016 Fernand Kaisergruber (P)2018 Tantor

One of the last defenders of the west

A tragic and gripping story of a man with proper convictions. He fought to save Europe and he was unjustly punished as the rest of his brothers in arms.

It’s a shame how the western allies betrayed the last hope of Europe. We are now living in the evil men like this fought against.

Don’t believe the propaganda the “bad guys” were not the ones who lost the war.

Thank you Fernand Kaisergruber

Good insight

Good story! I found the part at the end about the end of the war and his navigation of the end before capture and his time in prison to be the most intriguing. As I was unaware of certain facets.

Excellent insight into one man's story

One cannot help but be fascinated by the World War II story of this Belgian collaborator and soldier of the Waffen-SS. Paul Woodson's reading gives life to this story which is already filled with animated anecdotes and dry humor. While Kaisergruber is unapologetic about his politics, he provides a necessary piece of the intricate, nuanced puzzle that forms a more complete understanding of World War II.

Simply a good story

This story is of Dutch men who fought for the Germans against the Soviets. They were mot Nazis but boys seeking adventure. In hindsight it all seems so foolish, yet they stuck it out. Nothing is more honorable then doing one's duty not for some ideal but for a comrade.

Why did it end at Cherkassy?

It was a great audiobook, but why did it end at Cherkassy? I wanted to hear the story until the end. I guess that I will have to buy the book