33rd Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS “Charlemagne”

The 33rd Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS “Charlemagne” (1st French) was composed of French volunteers who supported Nazi Germany, many of whom were drawn from earlier collaborationist units like the LVF (Legion of French Volunteers Against Bolshevism), Milice, and NSKK. Formed officially in 1944, the division was named after Charlemagne, the Frankish emperor, as a symbolic link between France and the idea of a unified Europe under German rule. Although intended to be a full division, it never reached full strength and was heavily depleted in combat. Its most notable moment came in April 1945, when about 300 Charlemagne fighters volunteered to defend Berlin during the Soviet assault. They became some of the last defenders of the Reich Chancellery, famously fighting with fanatical determination and inflicting heavy casualties on Soviet forces before most were killed or captured.

Uniform-wise, Charlemagne fighters wore standard Waffen-SS field-grey uniforms, typically featuring the SS runes on the right collar tab and rank insignia on the left. A distinctive “Charlemagne” cuff title in Gothic script was worn on the left sleeve, and many bore a French national shield insignia—a tricolor or stylized cross—on the upper left arm. Some veterans retained older uniform elements from their previous service in the Wehrmacht or Milice. Despite their fierce combat performance in Berlin, the unit remains infamous for its collaborationist origins, and surviving members were widely prosecuted or ostracized after the war.