List of foreign volunteers


The armed forces of many nations have, at one time or another, used foreign volunteers who are motivated by political, ideological or other considerations to join a foreign army. These may be formed into units of a given nationality or may be formed into mixed nationality foreign units. Sometimes foreign volunteers were or are incorporated into ordinary units. The practice has a long history, dating back at least as far as the Roman Empire, which recruited non-citizens into Auxiliary units on the promise of them receiving Roman citizenship for themselves and their descendants at the end of their service.

Mixed nationality units

Historic

Current

Also including nationals

  • The Interbrigades of the Russo-Ukrainian War.
  • Tercio de Extranjeros, or Tercio, or Spanish Legion - prior to 1987 and in the 2000s, after the abandonment of conscription, the Spanish Army is again accepting foreigners from select nationalities. The Legion today accepts male and female native Spanish speakers, mostly from Central American and South American states. Recruits are required to have a valid Spanish residence permit.

Only including foreigners

Units by nationality

American

During both world wars, American volunteers served on the allied side before the US joined the war. During World War I, there were even a few Americans who volunteered to fly for the Imperial German Flying Corps.

Albanian

  • The 21st Waffen Mountain Division of the [SS Skanderbeg] was a division of the German Waffen-SS that was developed around a nucleus of Albanian volunteers, named after Albanian medieval lord George Kastrioti Skanderbeg. It was better known for murdering, raping, and looting in predominantly Serb areas than for participating in combat operations on behalf of the German war effort.

Bangladeshi

  • 8,000 young men from Bangladesh volunteered to enlist in the PLO in 1987

Belgian

British

Bulgarian

Bosnian

Canadian

Chinese

Croatian

Czech

Danish

Estonian

Filipino

  • The Spanish colonial army in the Philippines launched an expedition to Cambodia, which included Japanese mercenaries.
  • Two hundred fifty French mercenaries served with British forces that invaded Manila in 1762. They changed sides and fought for the Spanish.
  • In the 1770s, the Spanish colonial army in the Philippines had an Infantry Company of Cavite Malabars
  • Filipinos served in the French military during the Cochinchina Campaign.
  • Filipinos served in the Ever Victorious Army.
  • The Philippine Revolutionary Army included commissioned officers who were American, Chinese, Cuban, English, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish.
  • The Philippine Constabulary in its early years had commissioned officers from Belgium, Cuba, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey.
  • Twenty-four Filipinos served in the French Army during World War I.
  • Some Americans served in the Philippine National Guard.
  • Filipinos fought on both sides of the Spanish Civil War.
  • During the Pacific War, Filipinos served in various pro-Japanese militias:
  • *The Bisigbakal ñg Tagala was formed in January 1945 to assist the Japanese in maintaining peace and order in Manila. The Bisig Bakal received weapons, uniforms, and training from the Japanese.
  • *About five thousand Filipinos served in a militia called the Makapili, which was under Japanese command. The unit was formed on 10 November 1944 and was issued around two thousand rifles by the Japanese. Its headquarters was located at the Christ the King compound in Quezon City. The organization was active in the Manila area, and in the nearby provinces of Rizal, Laguna, Bulacan, and Nueva Ecija. This militia made its last stand at Marikina in 1945. Other militias similar to the Makapili were: the Borong-Borong Gang, Kaigun Hatai, and Nishimura Butai.
  • *The Pambansang Pag-asa ng mga Anak ni Rizal consisted of Ganáps in Pililla, Rizal, who were organized into a semi-military unit with the assistance of the Japanese. Also known as Pampar, they wore blue denim uniforms with short pants and were drilled along Japanese military lines. They performed sentry duties for the Japanese, and functioned as auxiliary troops of the Japanese army. They independently conducted raids against guerrilla camps.
  • *The Yoin, incorrectly known as U.N. or United Nippon, were members of the Japanese Auxiliary Army drawn from the ranks of the Ganáp Party. They were trained for military purposes and wore Japanese regular uniforms. They were used as replacements in the ranks of Japanese infantry. Their counterparts in the Japanese Empire were the Koreans, Formosans, and Manchuokuans pressed into the Japanese army.
  • Some Americans and some Japanese fought with Filipino guerrillas.
  • One American joined the Huks.
  • Filipinos, recruited by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, fought in the Soviet–Afghan War.
  • Filipinos hired by private military companies worked in Afghanistan and Iraq.
  • Filipinos fought in the Foreign fighters in the Syrian Civil [War and War in Iraq#Southeast Asia|Syrian Civil War].
  • Forty foreign fighters, from Indonesia, Malaysia, Yemen, and Chechnya, fought in the Siege of Marawi.
  • At least seventeen Filipinos fought for Ukraine in the Russia-Ukraine War.

Finnish

French

German

Greek

Indian

Irish

See also Irish military diaspora.

Israeli

  • Mahal – Program for non-Israelis between the age of 18–24 to serve in the IDF.

Italian

Japanese

*

Korean

Moroccan

Nepalese

Polish

Portuguese

Rhodesian

Russian

Serbian

Scottish

South African

Spanish

  • The Blue Division of World War II fighting with Germany against the USSR.
  • The Blue Legion was formed late in the Second World War out of Blue Division soldiers who refused to leave after Franco required all Spaniards to leave Axis forces.
  • The 9th Armoured Company (World War II)|9th Armoured Company] of the Free French Forces, which consisted of Spanish Republican exiles
  • The Spanish Legion accepts foreign recruits.

Swedish

Swiss

Taiwanese

Ukrainian

Yugoslav