World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseCornelius Eduardus "Ward" Hermans was born in Turnhout, Belgium. He saw military service with the Belgian Army during WW1. During the inter-war years, joined the nationalist political party Frontpartij, becoming a member of the parliament between 1929 and 1932. Between 1933 and 1934, he was a member of the party Union of Diets National Solidarists (Verbond van Dietsche Nationaal-Solidaristen, or Verdinaso for short). In late 1934, he joined the party Flemish National Union (Vlaams Nationaal Verbond, or VNV for short). In 1939, he returned to the parliament, and would remain a member until 1944. Already having leanings toward fascism before the outbreak of the European War, he became an open and enthusiastic collaborator after the German occupation. In 1940, he co-founded the Belgian SS organization Algemeene-SS Vlaanderen. In Oct 1940, he resigned from his official posts with VNV as his responsibilities with the occupation administration grew larger. Toward the end of the war, he worked in Bremen, Germany, broadcasting propaganda over the radio waves. He was found guilty of treason and sentenced to death in absentia. After the war, he was arrested in Germany in Nov 1946. Returning to Belgium, he served a commuted sentence of life imprisonment until 1955 when he was released. In the 1970s, he was associated with the nationalist Vlaamse Militanten Orde activist group. He passed away in Antwerp, Belgium in 1992.

Photographs

Ward Hermans Timeline