POW Treatment in WW2

Hi Sturmfuhrer!

(OFF TOPIC - SORRY MEMBERS!)
I always envy you guys living in such a beautiful city. I live in Sydney, but Petersburg is absolutely gorgeous - one thing only worry me - it is the place where Leningrad Military District is situated…

As I’m a bit suspicious about shadowy figures like Lenin I would like to ask you if this rumour is true?

Hi, Lancer44!

Due to my poor English, didn`t understand your question. If still interested, try one more time.

So you think that 3 years delay in coming back home, for soldier which started the war in 1941 and could go home 1948 is … eeehmmmm … normal?

Following your logic, they could stay at home in 1941 and it should had been … eeehmmmm … perfect? It was vital for Soviet people to win the fight with german fashists and it was not less vital to restore our country lying in ruins. By the way, not only soldiers restored country. Lots of civilian people volunteed work brigads. My grandmother came as a volunteer of the Ural student work brigade to restore ruined Leingrad.
Soviet soldiers could not return to peacefull life as american cowboy, who shooted a little in Europe and than returned to his rancho or hacienda. And it wasn`t someone wicked will, as you trying to introduce, but harsh reality.
Besides, you trying to use modern morality and values of modern civil society giving estimation to historical events. Such methods will lead you only to a blind alley.

So I suppose we left the theme. It`s not your words, but I oppose mostly for them:

“I knew that stalin murdered million of his people and that from the surviving roundabout 50% russianan pows some 80% got straight to the russian gulags”

“It must have been hard to think you have been rescuded after years of mal treatment, just to suffers more years of mal treatment at the hands of your own country.”

I`d like to think, that I gave for the authors some new ihformation to think about.

Hi Sturmfuhrer!

OK let’s start again:

  1. Your English is not poor! Don’t think like that and put yourself down! Your English is improving every day and you know about that.
    I can say the same about my English … so what…? We understand each other and this is what matter. Perhaps it is easier for Pole and Rus to talk English and understand each other, than blab in their native, “close to each other”, languages and fight…
    We should not repeat mistakes of our grandfathers.

  2. I heard that despite Leningrad is now St. Petersburg, Russian Federation military terminology still says: “Leningrad Military District”. Is this true?
    Or some bullshit? I would really like to know.

I understand. But I also think that there is no difference between any young man drafted to the army in any circumstances and any war, let’s say: Russian, Hungarian, American, Argentinian, Romanian, Polish, Slovenian, German, Welsh, Scottish, English, Serbian, Croatian and etc, etc, etc.

They won or they lost.
Who cares, we all are only pawns on God’s chessboard, (btw I,m an atheist…), but every human which willingly or not was forced to risk his/her life for ephemeric politicians crap, should deserve a bit of human treatment and compassion.
War ended, we won, …“can I go for two weeks to see mom, dad, sisters?”

  • “No, you have to go to rebuild the bridge in xxxxx.”
    or - “We need you in X to dig out all mines from the fields”.

Do you like it? Would you like to be in this position?
Do you understand that state and it’s administration should be a servant for the people which defend this state? For simple soldiers, doesn’t matter if from Ohio or from Krasnodar.

Look, my father told me a lot about WWII, he told me about shooting of German SS man on the spot, about fellows which volunteered to do it, about strict orders to use coded words, about “not taking prisoners” in radio commmunications, about “clever moves” to disguise shooting of surrendering Germans and flattening their bodies with Staghound AC, just to mislead omnipresent British Intelligence…

And so, what? I still love and respect my father. He passed away in 1989.
He never seen his dream - he never seen collapse of USSR - thing about which he dreamed perhaps every night since 1947.
Can you apply any modern morality to this?

Sturmfuhrer, I will give you a bit better or, say, different, data about Russian POWs, give me some time.

Cheers,

Lancer44

Hi Lancer,

Sorry for the long reply, I lost this thread.

You asked:

I heard that despite Leningrad is now St. Petersburg, Russian Federation military terminology still says: “Leningrad Military District”. Is this true?
Or some bullshit? I would really like to know.

As far as I know it’s called North-West Military District. There is another curios thing. My native city now is called Sant-Petersburg but region around S-Pb is Leningrad region. This situation has no political ground just economical and adminestative.
BTW the decision to rename Leningrad back to S-Pb was taken on referendum for all the citizens.

Sturmfuhrer, I will give you a bit better or, say, different, data about Russian POWs, give me some time
.

Ok will wait.
Can help you. Try Soljenicin, Novodvorskaya and etc. There will be lots of cries about millions you want to hear about but no historical docs or data.

Your MOD have other view…
http://www.mil.ru/eng/1862/12068/12089/12231/index.shtml

Ok. I wrote “as far as I know”, so I was mistaken. Never was interested like Lancer. I worked in Ministry of Intirior Affairs. Anyway this name has no political background as I said before.