The motivation of these men was complex: many volunteered through a deep hatred of communism, particularly in light of Moscow's invasion of Finland in the Winter War. Some simply believed in Hitler's vision of a new world order, while others were just young men with a craving for adventure.
The Scandinavian Waffen-SS, in various configurations, saw action on the Eastern Front from 1941 onwards - at the siege of Leningrad, in the cauldron of the Demyansk Pocket, in the Caucasus, and famously at Narva in Estonia and back into Germany itself with the remnants fighting to virtual extinction in the ruins of Berlin as the war came to a bloody close. For these men who had chosen the 'wrong' side, the war was certainly not over. Some fled to Germany, some returned home to recrimination and prison. Jonathan Trigg has interviewed some of the last survivors, who tell their story with absolute truthfulness: after so many years, they have nothing to lose. The interviews and images gathered within are vital historical documents.