Henry Alfred Symonds (24 March 1924 – c. June 1994) was a British soldier who served in the British Free Corps of the Waffen-SS during World War II, attaining the rank of Rottenführer[1]
Symonds was born in Willesden, Middlesex in March 1924. He originally joined the East Surrey Regiment at the age of 17, and then volunteered to become a paratrooper but had lost his nerve after his third jump and been transferred into Princess Louise's Kensington Regiment. He was captured in Italy on 4 October 1943.[2] He "decided, after some initial hesitation, to stay on" in the BFC in December 1943.[3] In February 1945 he made successful representations to go to the isolation camp at Drönnewitz.[4] He gave evidence for the defence in the trial of Edwin Barnard Martin.[5] He was sentenced to 15 years in prison after the war.[6][7] He died in Vale Royal, Cheshire in 1994 at the age of 70.[8]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Weale, Adrian (12 November 2014). Renegades (Kindle Location 2342). Random House. Kindle Edition
- ^ Weale, Adrian (12 November 2014). Renegades (Kindle Locations 2132–2134). Random House. Kindle Edition
- ^ Weale, Adrian (12 November 2014). Renegades (Kindle Locations 2160–2161). Random House. Kindle Edition
- ^ Weale, Adrian (12 November 2014). Renegades (Kindle Locations 2987–2988). Random House. Kindle Edition
- ^ "Court-Martial On Soldier." Times, London, England, 6 September 1945: 2. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 18 February 2015.
- ^ "News in Brief." Times, London, England, 1 Feb. 1946: 2. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 20 Mar. 2015.
- ^ Weale, Adrian (12 November 2014). Renegades (Kindle Location 3363). Random House. Kindle Edition.
- ^ Henry Alfred Symonds in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916–2007
External links
edit- "Tricked into joining Free Corps." Times, London, England, 3 January 1946: 2. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 18 February 2015.
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