34th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Landstorm Nederland The 34th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division " Landstorm Nederland was a Waffen SS Division during World War II . It was formed by the converting the SS Volunteer Grenadier - Brigade " Landstorm Nederland into a division . It comprised volunteers of Dutch background and saw action on the Western Front , but its strength never reached more than a brigade . Their logo features the Wolfsangel rune . Concept and Formation . After the successful formation of the 4 . SS - Freiwilligen - Panzergrenadier Brigade " Nederland " , it was decided that a second Dutch SS formation should be raised . The recruits were drawn mostly from the Nationaal - Socialistische Beweging ( the Dutch Nazi Party ) . The NSB leader , Anton Mussert encouraged his followers to join the new formation . In 1940 Arthur Seyss - Inquart , the Reichskommissar for the Netherlands , had approved the creation of an NSB paramilitary police formation named " Landwacht Niederlande " . The Landwacht served as an auxiliary police force and was involved in the rounding up of Jews , Communists and other groups deemed undesirable by the Seyss - Inquart and the NSB . On 12 March 1943 , the Waffen SS ordered the formation of a Dutch volunteer regiment , the SS - Grenadier Regiment 1 " Landwacht Niederlande " . Unlike the " Nederland " brigade , the " Landwacht Niederlande " was to be a territorial defence unit , and so recruits did not have to fear service on the Eastern Front . Recruits for the " Landwacht Niederlande " flowed in . Service in the regiment meant a job , money , food and an escape from forced labour in munitions factories . Added to this , the regiment was not officially a part of the SS , and so the SS runes were not present on the volunteers uniforms , with the traditional grenade of Landwacht units being worn in its place . While many recruits were drawn from the paramilitary formation of the same name , a recruitment drive resulted in 130 Dutch veterans from the 5 . SS - Panzergrenadier - Division " Wiking " and 11 . SS - Freiwilligen - Panzergrenadier - Division " Nordland " transferring to the new formation . While these veterans provided the cadre of NCOs for the new formation , the formation was officered by German SS men , and no Dutchman was ever promoted to a higher rank than company commander . On 16 October 1943 , the regiment ' s title was changed to SS - Grenadier - Regiment 1 " Landstorm Nederland " . By this time the regiment numbered 2 , 400 men and was still growing . Mussert was pleased , and together with the " Nederland " Brigade , he saw the Dutch SS as the forerunners of a new Dutch army . However , Hanns Albin Rauter , head of the SS and Police for the Netherlands planned to firmly bring the NSB under SS control , and the " Nederland " and " Landstorm " formations were steps in this direction . Battles in Belgium and the Netherlands - Market Garden . After the Allied breakout from Normandy , Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery ' s 21st Army Group began its advance along the Channel Coast towards Germany . In early September , two battalions of the " Landstorm " were rushed to the front in Belgium . The formation was tasked with defending the Albert Canal around the areas of Merksem and Hasselt . Poorly armed and with minimal combat experience , the two battalions fared poorly during a battle with the Free - Dutch Koninklijke Nederlandse Brigade " Prinses Irene " and was soon forced to withdraw . On 17 September , Montgomery launched Operation Market Garden an airborne offensive aimed at securing a crossing over the Rhine at Arnhem , in the central - eastern part of the Netherlands . The " Landstorm ' s " III . Battalion was completing its training near Hoogeveen . The partially trained and equipped formation was attached to the 9 . SS - Panzer - Division " Hohenstaufen " and sent into combat against the British 1st Airborne Division in Arnhem . Having little faith in the Dutch volunteers ' combat ability , the " Hohenstaufen ' s " commander held them back from action for as long as possible . On 21 September , the III . / " Landstorm " was committed to action near the town of Elst on the Arnhem - Nijmegen highway ( in the Eastern part of the Betuwe , then known as " men ' s island " or " " Manneneiland " " due to it being enclosed by large rivers and all civilians having been evacuated ) . After holding the town for several days , the " Landstorm " was finally pushed back by the British 43rd ( Wessex ) Division . The battalion was pulled out of the line on 25 September . Brigade - Division - Final Battles . On 1 November , the " Landstorm " was redesignated SS Volunteer Grenadier Brigade " Landstorm Nederland " . The existing three battalions were to form the 83 . SS - Freiwilligen - Grenadier - Regiment , and the SS - Wachbataillon " Nordwest " to form the 84 . SS - Freiwilligen - Grenadier - Regiment . Many of the new recruits were members of the Jeugdstorm , the NSB ' s youth organisation . After a brief period of refitting , the " Landstorm " was ordered to take up defensive positions near the Waal and Rhine rivers . On 10 February 1945 , the " Landstorm " again had its status raised . It was now to be designated 34th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division " Landstorm Nederland " . Despite this fact , the unit could hardly muster the strength of a weak brigade . The Division was almost immediately ordered to relieve Fallschirmjäger - Regiment 7 , at that time defending the Rhine , in the area between Betuwe and Rhenen . Much of the area had been flooded to assist the overstretched German forces in their defence . Facing the division was the Koninklijke Nederlandse Brigade " Prinses Irene " , the British 49th ( West Riding ) Infantry Division and several Canadian formations . The morale of the Division suffered when facing the Princess Irene , as the men were hesitant to fight their own countrymen , and several members had relatives serving with the Princess Irene . Despite this , the division fought well , capturing a British strong point near Zetten . However , under sustained combat , morale continued to drop and desertions increased . A plot to assassinate several officers and surrender leaked , and the responsible men were court martialed and shot . As the war drew to a close , attacks on the civilian population by the division increased , and the men of the 84th SS Volunteer Grenadier Regiment in particular were involved in several atrocities . Forced back to the area near Oosterbeek , the remnants of the division surrendered on 5 May 1945 . A small unit of fanatics held out in the village of Veenendaal , engaging in combat with the Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten until surrendering on 9 May to the 49th ( West Riding ) Division . As collaborators , the majority of the survivors were imprisoned , and several were murdered in acts of revenge .