14. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (ukrainische Nr. 1) was formed April 1943 from volunteers from western Ukraine (known as Galicia when it was controlled by Austria-Hungary). The division was made up of Eastern Catholics and was allowed chaplains. Training of the troops began in Debica before the division was moved to Silesia April 1944 for further training.

In a speech to officers of the division in Neuhammer on 16 May 1944 RFSS Heirich Himmler commented on the murder of the Ukrainian Jews stating:

Your homeland has become so much more beautiful since you have lost - on our initiative, I must say - the residents who were so often a dirty blemish on Galicia's good name, namely the Jews (3)

It was sent to the front at Brody in Ukraine June 1944 where the inadequately armed division was almost destroyed (only 3.000 reached the German lines) after being encircled. It was soon rebuilt and was used to combat the Slovakian uprising 1944 before it was sent to Sovenia to fight the partisans.

The division was transferred to the forming Ukrainian National Army Apr 1945.

Adolf Hitler spoke about the division during a military briefing:

Either the unit is reliable or it isn't reliable. At the moment I can't even create new formations in Germany because I have no weapons. Therefore it is idiocy to give weapons to a Ukrainian division which is not completely reliable. I would much rathger take their weapons away and set up a new German division. I assume that it is outstandingly equipped, probably much better armed than most of the German divisions we are creating at the moment. (1)

Known war crimes
28 February 1944 the Polish village Huta Pieniacka was attacked, the inhabitants killed and the village burned down and it is generally accepted that soldiers from this division was involved though Ukraine sources disagree on this, instead placing the blame with German-manned units. The estimates of victims range from 500 to over 1200.

In the report from the Commission of Inquiry on War Criminals in Canada (Deschênes Commission) 1985-1986 the Honourable Justice Jules Deschênes commented on the unit and the men from it who later moved to Canada:

While in Italy these men were screened by Soviet and British missions and neither then nor subsequently has any evidence brought to light which would suggest that any of them fought against the Western Allies or engaged in crimes against humanity. Their behaviour since they came to this country has been good and they have never indicated in any way that they are infected with any trace of Nazi ideology.
[...]
From the reports of the special mission set up by the War Office to screen these men it seems clear that they volunteered to fight against the Red Army from nationalistic motives which were given greater impetus by the behaviour of the Soviet authorities during their earlier occupation of the Western Ukraine after the Nazi-Soviet Pact. Although Communist propaganda has constantly attempted to depict these, like so many other refugees, as "quislings" and "war criminals" it is interesting to note that no specific charges of war crimes have been made by the Soviet or any other Government against any member of this group. (2)

Honor titles
This division was, for a while known as Division “Galizien”, which is German for “Galicia”. Not to be confused with the Spanish region of the same name, this refers to a region in central Europe now divided between Poland and Ukraine. While the division was in fact recruited from Ukrainian volunteers, it was initially declared a “Galician” unit purely for reasons of official Nazi racial politics.

Holders of high awards
Holders of the Knight's Cross (1)
  Freitag, Fritz 30.09.1944 SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der W-SS Kdr 14. Waffen-Gren.Div der SS (gal. Nr. 1)

Order of battle (winter 1943-1944)

Stab
SS-Freiwilligen-Regiment 1
SS-Freiwilligen-Regiment 2
SS-Freiwilligen-Regiment 3
SS-Artillerie-Regiment
SS-Radfahr-Bataillon
SS-Panzerjäger-Abteilung
SS-Flak-Abteilung
SS-Pionier-Bataillon
SS-Nachrichten-Abteilung

Order of battle (1944)

Waffen-Grenadier Regiment der SS 29

Waffen-Grenadier Regiment der SS 30

Waffen-Grenadier Regiment der SS 31

Waffen-Artillerie Regiment der SS 14

SS-Waffen-Füsilier-Bataillon 14

SS-Waffen-Panzerjäger-Kompanie 14

SS-Freiwilligen-Panzerjäger-Kompanie 14

SS-Freiwilligen-Flak-Abteilung 14

Waffen-Nachrichten-Abteilung der SS 14

SS-Radfahr-Bataillon 14

Waffen-Pionier-Bataillon der SS 14

SS-Versorgungs-Kompanie 14

SS-Division-Nachschubtruppen 14

SS-Sanitäts-Abteilung 14

SS-Veterinär-Kompanie 14

SS-Feldpostamt 14

SS-Kriegsberichter-Zug 14

SS-Feldgendarmerie-Trupp 14

SS-Feldersatz-Bataillon 14

Officers serving in the Einsatzgruppen and Concentration Camps
Concentration Camps 5
Einsatzgruppen 1
(includes officers serving in the Einsatzgruppen or Concentration Camps either prior to or after service in this unit)

Insignia

A collar insignia with the rampant lion of Galicia was issued in late 1943.

In November 1944 a new collar insignia was issued showing the trident of Volodymyr the Great, but few of these were issued.

Photo © The Ruptured Duck

A soldier from the division wearing the special lion collar tab

(Courtesy of Paul Berehowskyj)

Two sleeve badges were worn by the division, the first one had a golden rampant lion with three golden crowns. In April 1945 when it was transferred to the Ukrainian National Army (UNA) and became 1. UNA Division a new sleeve badge started to be used displaying a trident on a gold and blue shield with "YBB" above.

Photo © The Ruptured Duck

Ukrainian soldiers taking the oath

(Courtesy of Gary)

Volunteers to the SS-Schützen-Division Galizien outside a church in Sanok 1943

(Courtesy of Muzeum Historyczne Sanok)

Ukrainian volunteers

(Courtesy of Paul Berehowskyj)

See also More photos of the 14. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (ukrainische Nr. 1)

Memorial to the Ukrainian volunteers in Lviv

(Courtesy of Birczanin)

A memorial to the victims of the Huta Pieniacka massacre

(Courtesy of Stanisław i Andrzej Tomczakowie)

Footnotes
1. "The Waffen-SS: Hitler's Elite Guard at War 1939-1945" by George H. Stein, page 194-195.

2. Report from the Commission of Inquiry on War Criminals in Canada (Deschênes Commission) 1985-1986, page 252.

3. "Pure Soldiers or Bloodthirsty Murderers?: The Ukrainian 14th Waffen-SS Galicia Division" by Sol Littman page 78, footnote 38 and "Galicia Division: The Waffen-SS 14th Grenadier Division 1943 - 1945" by Michael O. Logusz, page 463 footnotes 34.

Published sources used

John R. Angolia - Cloth insignia of the SS

Georges M. Croisier - Waffen-SS (PDF)

Terry Goldsworthy - Valhalla's Warriors: A history of the Waffen-SS on the Eastern Front 1941-1945

Dr. K-G Klietmann - Die Waffen-SS: eine Dokumentation

David Littlejohn - Foreign Legions of the Third Reich, vol 4

Sol Littman - Pure Soldiers or Bloodthirsty Murderers?: The Ukrainian 14th Waffen-SS Galicia Division

Michael O. Logusz - Galicia Division: The Waffen-SS 14th Grenadier Division 1943 - 1945

Marc J. Rikmenspoel - Waffen-SS Encyclopedia

George H. Stein - The Waffen-SS: Hitler's Elite Guard at War 1939-1945

Frank Thayer - SS Foreign volunteer collar insignia and their reporductions (in The Military Advisor, Vol 4 No 2)

Gordon Williamson - The Waffen-SS: 11. to 23. Divisions

Mark C. Yerger - Waffen-SS Commanders: The Army, corps and divisional leaders of a legend (2 vol)

Reference material on this unit

Wolf-Dietrich Heike - The Ukrainian Division "Galicia" 1943-1945

Taras Hunczak - On the Horns of a Dilemma, The Story of the Ukrainian Division Halychyna

Carlos Caballero Jurado - Breaking the Chains: 14 Waffen-Grenadier Division der SS and Other Ukrainian Volunteer Formations

Richard Landwehr - Fighting from freedom: The Ukrainian Volunteer Division of the Waffen SS

Sol Littman - Pure Soldiers or Bloodthirsty Murderers?: The Ukrainian 14th Waffen-SS Galicia Division

Michael O. Logusz - Galicia Division: The Waffen-SS 14th Grenadier Division 1943 - 1945

Bohdan Maciw - Ukrainian Division ‘Galicia’ 1943-1949

Michael James Melnyk - To Battle: The Formation and History of the 14th Galician Waffen-SS Division

Rolf Michaelis - SS-Galizien

Rolf Michaelis - Ukrainer in der Waffen-SS: Die 14. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (Ukrainische Nr. 1)