Siegfried "Congo" Müller: German WW2 soldier and Congo Mercenary

Siegfried Friedrich Heinrich Müller was born into a conservative Prussian family whose patriarch was a veteran of WW1 and would soon join the Wehrmacht. Siegfried was enrolled in boarding schools and became part of the Jungvolk, reaching the rank of Fähnleinführer (national youth leader) which is the German military equivalent of Field Marshal. Müller joined the Wehrmacht in 1939 and first saw action during the German invasion of Poland.

He claims to have seen very little combat, though would dress as a Polish peasant and venture to the Soviet held lines during recon missions. Müller would continue to fight in WW2 primarily against the Soviets, and even in Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the USSR. Siegfried was seriously wounded on April 20th, 1945 and was evacuated from East Prussia to Frankfurt and captured by American soldiers.

Müller joined the US Army Civilian Labor Group in 1947 and eventually became a Lieutenant in the security unit. Müller tried to join the Bundeswehr in 1956 but was denied access. Siegfried started employment with British Petroleum, clearing land mines placed by the Afrika Korps in the Sahara Desert during WW2. In 1962 Müller emigrated to the Republic of South Africa and was recruited by Col. Mike Hoare as a mercenary,  starting as a Lieutenant. Originally a part of Mike Hoare's 5 Commando, Müeller would be put in charge of 52 Commando and lead 53 mercenaries after his successes during the battle of Albertville. Müller's troops consisted primarily of ex-Werhmacht soldiers, German paratroopers, and Fallschirmjäger.

By this time, in 1964 Müeller was the oldest of the mercenaries in Col. Hoare's employment next to Tom Harrison the Australian Quartermaster for 5 Commando. Almost every photo of Müller shows him wearing his Iron Cross from his Wehrmacht days. Once Müeller joined 5 Commando he asked permission from other mercs on whether he could wear it, and they all agreed he should indeed since he had earned it. Mike's men joked that he had a second Iron Cross for his pajamas since he never took it off.

After he left the Congo, Müeller was the subject of an East German documentary in 1966, in which he spoke about his exploits in the Congo. The film was entitled; The Laughing Man-Confessions of a Murderer. In 1983, Siegfried passed away from stomach cancer in Johannesburg, South Africa.