Information about Pre-Legion Times
In no time at all after invading Russia , the Germans needed Eastern front soldiers but very few Latvian volunteers came forward, not responding to invitations and straight begging. That in 1941 didn’t fill the Germans needs so the local police units were assigned , with wide acceptance standards , for service and were called Police Aid B and C groups.
In free Latvian times there was a permanent militia organization based on Finland’s reserve army. Their people were organized into groups, companies, and Battalions which formed one regiment. In free Latvia there were about 20 of such regiments. They were thought as reserves to the regular army during the outbreak of war. Their count had been reduced during the Russian occupation time by killing, arresting and deporting them but however, the main groups were still left intact and the Germans now used these reserves accordingly by joining them to police units and then casually informed them that they were drafted and subordinate to war time orders.
The Germans guaranteed that this was for a small time and intended only for training purposes. But it was noticed that to many households were left without a head of household to keep up the family . A souring feeling filled the country about that when they were informed that these battalions were overall primitively armed and furnished and usually belonged to some German army units sent to the far front districts. As if the previous wasn’t enough , no one was given a medical checkup when " mobilized " for military service and many of them were unfit for duty . To minimize deserters from these battalions , they were usually sent to the furthest front from Latvia on the German Eastern districts. Usually these battalions were separated far from one and another . The Battalion commanders were Latvian , but factually directed by Germans connected as commanders. Many of these men looked for the road home and they were chased and when caught , were put in prisons or concentration camps and because of these problems, caused a zero volunteer number at the end of 1942.
The Latvians had over 20 battalions that were to serve the Germans on the front until the Legion founding in 1943 , that, as already said, were overall primitively armed and furnished and also with the different battle actions were unprepared for the swiftly moving front line. And to mention, this type of action the Latvians looked upon only their own life and checked how they were spread out and tried to prevent their own extermination . Only after great Latvian and later Latvian Legion Generalinspecktors exertion was a successful retrieval of the remaining soldiers back to the homeland, to join together all the Legion units, and free the sick and elders.