Wicha - the Thai who served in the Hitler army

[ncr]

A fascinating book in Thai language caught my attention today while buying a newspaper in a shop at Hat Yai Airport, entitled khon thai nai gong thap nazi - The Thai in the Nazi Army. It is the story of one Vicha Dhitavad (that's how it's transscribed in some places in the book, though "Wicha Thitawat" would be more accurate), told by himself (partly in the form of letters or diary entries, it seems). Fourth edition, I think, the previous ones being from the 50s and 70s.

I don't have the slightest idea why (with more time at hand I could possibly have found out), but this guy was trained in Germany and, unlikely as it may seem, served as a soldier in the Wehrmacht during WWII. The book included some pictures of him in German uniform and a chronology of his life at the back. Apparently he attained the rank of a captain (as a Funker = radio operator), and after the war went on to become a colonel of the Thai army, and still later served as the Thai ambassador to Denmark, Norway and Iceland. It seems he's still alive, at least it wasn't mentioned when he died, but then he must be in his 90s now.

Anyone heard about this man before? :confused:

[Wisarut]

The late Colonel Wicha (1917-1977) was initially went to study on Army Communication System in Belgium in 1938.

However, the WWII had forced him and his friends to study in Germany Military Academy and he got into a rank of Captain afew yar after graduation.

However, he and his friends had become POW after beign arrested by US Army .... It take about a year to get released ... andwent back to Thiland in 1947.

I have the book "khon thai nai gong thap nazi" in my hand so I know A LOT of things he had written down.

Thi book was originally printed in 1949, and 1950 and printed later on in 1977 (the book for his cremation in 1977 - he died of lung cancer) before the new printed in 2004.

[Tom]

That is quite an interesting topic you touch here. The were nearly 2,000,000 of foreigners fighting (both voluntarily and forced) on the Nazi side. Especially the Waffen-SS was getting a lot of volunteers trough massive propaganda campaigns to promote "Free Europe's" fight against bolshevism.

There even was an Indian Brigade, first as the Infanterie Regiment 950 of the Wehrmacht later as the "Legion Freies Indien" (Legion Free India) of the Waffen-SS . Some more information here

http://www.mysteria3000.de/wp/?p=85 (In German)
http://www.feldgrau.com/articles.php?ID=8 (In English)

The Nazis also tried to form a British Waffen-SS Brigade "British Free Corps" with very mixed sucess and mostly for propaganda reasons

http://www.feldgrau.com/articles.php?ID=20

About foreign volunteers in the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS in general

http://www.feldgrau.com/main1.php?ID=7

[ncr]

Interesting....

Did he ever enter into combat action, or was he merely serving behind the front lines?

[Wisarut]

Well, the German govern has consider thsoe Thai COs graduage from German military academy as member of Thai Military Attache or so .... so they would NEVER put those Thai Army Officers in front line ... just help Wehrmacht to restore the order behind the front lines in France or in Berlin.