Léon Degrelle

Léon Degrelle Historical Figure Nationality: Belgium (1906-1945), Stateless (1946-1954), Spain (1954-1994) Year of Birth: 1906 Year of Death: 1994 Cause of Death: Cardiac arrest Religion: Catholicism Occupation: Politician, journalist, soldier, Publisher, business owner, Author of Non-Fiction Parents: Edouard Degrelle, Marie Louise Boever Spouse: Marie Lemay (separated 1945, died 1984) Jeanne Brevet Charbonneau Children: At least five Relatives: Joseph Darnand (uncle of Degrelle's second wife) Military Branch: Waffen-SS (World War II) Political Party: Rexist Party Fictional Appearances: The War That Came Early POD: July 20, 1936; Relevant POD: September 29, 1938 Appearance(s): Two Fronts; Last Orders Type of Appearance: Contemporary reference Military Branch: Walloon Legion (World War II)

Léon Joseph Marie Ignace Degrelle (15 June 1906 – 31 March 1994) was a Walloon Belgian politician, who founded Rexism and later joined the Waffen-SS (becoming a leader of its Walloon contingent) which were front-line troops in the fight against the Soviet Union during World War II. After the war, he was a prominent figure in fascist movements and settled in Francisco Franco's Spain. Degrelle was sentenced to death in absentia for high treason against Belgium, but was not named a suspect in international war crimes, so Spain refused to deport him. Sponsored by a Spanish woman, he adopted Spanish citizenship as José León Ramírez Reina, but later resumed his original name. In 1983, Belgium commuted his sentence to lifelong banishment.

Degrelle received the Knight's Cross from Adolf Hitler. Degrelle later claimed Hitler told him "If I had a son, I would want him to be like you." Degrelle was later awarded the oak leaves along with two other non-Germans, the Estonian Alfons Rebane and the Spanish General Agustín Muñoz Grandes, commander of the Blue Division. Degrelle published many memoirs of the war in which he denied that the Holocaust had really happened. When once asked if he had any regrets about the war, his reply was "Only that we lost!"

More trivially, Degrelle claimed in a 1983 interview to have been the model for the comic strip character Tintin.

Léon Degrelle in The War That Came Early

Despite his country's conquest by Germany in 1939, Léon Degrelle formed the Walloon Legion and fought on behalf of Germany in the Soviet Union until it was transferred back to Belgium to face the invading French and British in the Winter of 1942.

Degrelle had been wounded and won the Knight's Cross. Allegedly, Hitler had said that if he'd had a son, he'd have wanted him to be like Degrelle.

Degrelle and his troops were greatly hated by the British. In some cases, captured Legioneers were executed out of hand, the British considering them to be traitors undeserving of POW status.

After the Nazis were overthrown in Germany in Spring 1944, Germany withdrew from Belgium, and Degrelle was immediately forced into hiding, knowing full well he'd be executed if caught.