While the French Volunteer Legion continued its service with the German Army in 1943, Waffen-SS recruitment in France produced sufficient troops to form the 8th SS "Frankreich" Volunteer Assault Brigade in July, 1943. The brigade included three infantry battalions. After a long period of training, the first battalion was sent to the Russian Front as a reinforcement for the 18th SS "Horst Wessel" Division, where it performed well under difficult circumstances. Upon its return, in September 1944, the orders had been given to expand the French volunteers into an infantry division.
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