Estonian Waffen SS volunteers taking the oath.

Estonian Waffen SS volunteers taking the oath.

These soldiers belong to the 20th

Grenadier Division of the Waffen-SS, Estonian No.1 The unit was initially formed as "Estonian Legion" in October 1942, and was changed into the "3rd Estonian SS-Volunteer Brigade" in May 1943; before being upgraded to a Division in May 1944. It was used in the defensive fighting at the Narva River from February 1944 onwards, where it suffered heavy losses, and was sent to East Prussia in October 1944 for re-fitting. The event shown here is a parade from early December, which concluded the re-fitting. The unit then fought in East Prussia until January 1945, before being sent to Silesia. In February 1945, the unit was briefly encircled by Soviet troops, but parts of the unit managed to break out and retreat to Bohemia, where they capitulated on May 11th, 1945, although some units managed to escape westwards, into American captivity.