German & Austrian Refugees in British Forces

Thousands of refugees from Germany and Austria volunteered for British military service after escaping Nazi persecution. Many were initially classified as enemy aliens and some were interned, but the British armed forces increasingly recognised the value of their language skills, knowledge of Europe and commitment to defeating the Nazi regime.

Refugees served in the Pioneer Corps, conventional combat units, intelligence organisations, commandos and specialist formations. Some returned to the continent on D-Day or in later campaigns and faced the unusual position of fighting against the state from which they had been forced to flee.

Helen Fry has written extensively about this group. Churchill’s German Army surveys their contribution collectively, while From Dachau to D-Day and Why I Became an X Troop Commando follow individual refugee soldiers whose wartime service grew directly from experiences of Nazi persecution.