Comments on: German POWs and the Art of Survival http://www.historynet.com/german-pows-and-the-art-of-survival.htm From the World's Largest History Magazine Publisher Sun, 21 Mar 2010 13:50:23 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Kurt http://www.historynet.com/german-pows-and-the-art-of-survival.htm/comment-page-1#comment-165552 Kurt Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:26:43 +0000 #comment-165552 Daphne Gilbertson, www.quikmaneuvers.com is bringing out two highly researched books about German POWs held by the USSR in January 2010. The two books were heavily contributed to by surviving German , former POWs. In the meantime visit www.quikmaneuvers.com. It is the only US publisher extant, brave enough to expose Soviet atrocities Americans have never heard of. Foir example, the Soviets left their own dead, by the millions, on WW2 battlefields within the USSR until 1991. Reports by people who visted such battlefields and viewed mile upon mile of Soviet skeletons, were later suppressed by the Marxist European Union. However, they did not stop quikmaneuvers. In the early 1990s the reds began to buildoze those boneyards to literally cover up their crimes against humanity. At the same time they sponsored several diversionary ops including: (1) recruiting certain US Marxist professors at several US universities to write "histories" denying the crime. (2) Suppressing European citizens who had photos of the bone fields as "nazis." (3) Forming a number of Soviet youth groups that pretended to search for the "alleged boneyards and never found them." Daphne Gilbertson, http://www.quikmaneuvers.com is bringing out two highly researched books about German POWs held by the USSR in January 2010. The two books were heavily contributed to by surviving German , former POWs.

In the meantime visit http://www.quikmaneuvers.com. It is the only US publisher extant, brave enough to expose Soviet atrocities Americans have never heard of. Foir example, the Soviets left their own dead, by the millions, on WW2 battlefields within the USSR until 1991. Reports by people who visted such battlefields and viewed mile upon mile of Soviet skeletons, were later suppressed by the Marxist European Union. However, they did not stop quikmaneuvers. In the early 1990s the reds began to buildoze those boneyards to literally cover up their crimes against humanity. At the same time they sponsored several diversionary ops including: (1) recruiting certain US Marxist professors at several US universities to write "histories" denying the crime. (2) Suppressing European citizens who had photos of the bone fields as "nazis." (3) Forming a number of Soviet youth groups that pretended to search for the "alleged boneyards and never found them."

]]> By: La MEMORIA desmemoriada. - P?gina 3 - psicofxp.com http://www.historynet.com/german-pows-and-the-art-of-survival.htm/comment-page-1#comment-115364 La MEMORIA desmemoriada. - P?gina 3 - psicofxp.com Thu, 10 Sep 2009 01:05:16 +0000 #comment-115364 [...] [...] [...] [...]

]]> By: Post war Germans in Soviet captivity - World War II Forums http://www.historynet.com/german-pows-and-the-art-of-survival.htm/comment-page-1#comment-114638 Post war Germans in Soviet captivity - World War II Forums Wed, 09 Sep 2009 01:27:10 +0000 #comment-114638 [...] just gone through 6 months of hell. Most if not all were undernourished and exhausted. There are other references. [...] [...] just gone through 6 months of hell. Most if not all were undernourished and exhausted. There are other references. [...]

]]> By: Mark LV http://www.historynet.com/german-pows-and-the-art-of-survival.htm/comment-page-1#comment-96672 Mark LV Sat, 08 Aug 2009 00:21:47 +0000 #comment-96672 I'm not sure that only 56,000 German prisoners died in US captivity. The writer James Bacque in his book 'Other Losses' mentions around a million fatalities. I do think this is exaggerated, but i reckon the truth is somewhere in between. The French were particularly vicious in their treatment of German prisoners, and they had much less reason to hate them than the Russians. I should also mention that in WW1 German prisoners were also very badly treated by the Russians, so it wasn't something you could just blame on the Communists. I guess it's a Slavic thing - just look at the war in Bosnia in the 1990s. I'm not sure that only 56,000 German prisoners died in US captivity. The writer James Bacque in his book 'Other Losses' mentions around a million fatalities. I do think this is exaggerated, but i reckon the truth is somewhere in between. The French were particularly vicious in their treatment of German prisoners, and they had much less reason to hate them than the Russians. I should also mention that in WW1 German prisoners were also very badly treated by the Russians, so it wasn't something you could just blame on the Communists. I guess it's a Slavic thing – just look at the war in Bosnia in the 1990s.

]]> By: Charles Rice http://www.historynet.com/german-pows-and-the-art-of-survival.htm/comment-page-1#comment-72517 Charles Rice Thu, 04 Jun 2009 01:44:45 +0000 #comment-72517 My father was in the 186th FA Battalion, US First Army from Normandy to the war's end. After VE Day, they were scheduled to return to the US and prepare for the invasion of Japan. Thankfully, the bombs made that unnecessary. As my father had prior service, he had enough points to get an early discharge. He was sent west from Czechoslovakia to Cherbourg for his return home in September 1945. As he crossed Germany, he noticed railway trains packed with German prisoners also heading west. He asked where they were going, and was told they were being sent to work in France - as slave laborers! He told me that made him very angry, saying "That was the sort of thing we had been fighting to stop." He was a conscript himself, and said so had most of the German soldiers been. They had not wanted the war. He said it was right to make Germany pay reparations, but it was wrong to turn ordinary Germans into slaves. Yet such was the fate of many prisoners for years after the war, and not only in the East. My dad had met the Russians on the Elbe and later in Czechoslovakia. He told of pulling back from captured villages, then seeing the Russians move in and immediately begin looting (or worse). My mother told me one of the first things my father said about the war was that the US quit too soon. He said the US was the only country with the atomic bomb, and should have told Stalin the war was over and the Russians should go back to their own borders. He mentioned how both Hitler and Stalin had attacked Poland and begun WWII as allies. It has always amazed me that Britain and France declared war only on Hitler. Were they afraid of Stalin? Future historians may well regard the mid-20th Century as a time when civilization went backwards, instead of forwards. It was a return to barbarism. My father was in the 186th FA Battalion, US First Army from Normandy to the war's end. After VE Day, they were scheduled to return to the US and prepare for the invasion of Japan. Thankfully, the bombs made that unnecessary. As my father had prior service, he had enough points to get an early discharge. He was sent west from Czechoslovakia to Cherbourg for his return home in September 1945.

As he crossed Germany, he noticed railway trains packed with German prisoners also heading west. He asked where they were going, and was told they were being sent to work in France – as slave laborers! He told me that made him very angry, saying "That was the sort of thing we had been fighting to stop." He was a conscript himself, and said so had most of the German soldiers been. They had not wanted the war. He said it was right to make Germany pay reparations, but it was wrong to turn ordinary Germans into slaves. Yet such was the fate of many prisoners for years after the war, and not only in the East.

My dad had met the Russians on the Elbe and later in Czechoslovakia. He told of pulling back from captured villages, then seeing the Russians move in and immediately begin looting (or worse). My mother told me one of the first things my father said about the war was that the US quit too soon. He said the US was the only country with the atomic bomb, and should have told Stalin the war was over and the Russians should go back to their own borders. He mentioned how both Hitler and Stalin had attacked Poland and begun WWII as allies. It has always amazed me that Britain and France declared war only on Hitler. Were they afraid of Stalin?

Future historians may well regard the mid-20th Century as a time when civilization went backwards, instead of forwards. It was a return to barbarism.

]]> By: christopher paul weber http://www.historynet.com/german-pows-and-the-art-of-survival.htm/comment-page-1#comment-65805 christopher paul weber Tue, 26 May 2009 05:28:25 +0000 #comment-65805 it is sad that so many german soldiers were missing after the war,the russians were truly ruthless toward the german soldier and with good reason,however all these german soldiers who surrendered should have had the chance to start over their lives, many lives were cut short,much suffering was present,to not know the fate of loved ones who fought in the war is simply intolerable. it is sad that so many german soldiers were missing after the war,the russians were truly ruthless toward the german soldier and with good reason,however all these german soldiers who surrendered should have had the chance to start over their lives, many lives were cut short,much suffering was present,to not know the fate of loved ones who fought in the war is simply intolerable.

]]> By: Adam http://www.historynet.com/german-pows-and-the-art-of-survival.htm/comment-page-1#comment-64842 Adam Sun, 24 May 2009 11:44:17 +0000 #comment-64842 Interesting to hear about your father in law ; I am making a book about lost German prisoners in Russia and USA and already found some interesting stories Could you please contact me on my email Adam.all@mail.ru Regards Adam Interesting to hear about your father in law ; I am making a book about lost German prisoners in Russia and USA and already found some interesting stories
Could you please contact me on my email Adam.all@mail.ru

Regards
Adam

]]> By: Seattle Mike http://www.historynet.com/german-pows-and-the-art-of-survival.htm/comment-page-1#comment-63337 Seattle Mike Thu, 21 May 2009 15:14:19 +0000 #comment-63337 My father-in-law was a German SS officerand POW who was held in Tennesee. Hremained in the USA after the war. He married my wife's mother and still lives in Montana at age 90 with her. He receives veteren benefits from Germany every month still! He said he worked on a flower farm as a prisoner and was treated so well he wanted to remain here. He was a panzer commander for the SS Totenkopf division but was not a war criminal. He does have the tattoo under his armpit. He has only returned to germany maybe 2 times. He loves the USA. My father-in-law was a German SS officerand POW who was held in Tennesee. Hremained in the USA after the war. He married my wife's mother and still lives in Montana at age 90 with her. He receives veteren benefits from Germany every month still! He said he worked on a flower farm as a prisoner and was treated so well he wanted to remain here. He was a panzer commander for the SS Totenkopf division but was not a war criminal. He does have the tattoo under his armpit. He has only returned to germany maybe 2 times. He loves the USA.

]]> By: Larry Burgess http://www.historynet.com/german-pows-and-the-art-of-survival.htm/comment-page-1#comment-63119 Larry Burgess Wed, 20 May 2009 18:21:06 +0000 #comment-63119 Its not surprising that most of the German POW's that ended up in the hands of the Russian didn't survive.....There would not have been a war crimes trial after the war if Stalin had had his way.....he wanted to line all the Nazi leaders up and shoot them... He told Truman and Churchill that holding a trial was a total waste of time...... I believe the Russians looked upon German POW's as less than human and basically wanted revenge for what the Germans had done to the Russians earlier....With that being said, the Russians had very little compassion or empathy for any of the people they "liberated" in Eastern Europe. I use the term "liberated" very loosely.... Look at the Katyn incident that happened early on...over 20,000 Poles were line up and shot by the Russians and then buried in mass graves.... Stalin was determined to expand/extend communism over the "liberated" nations of Eastern Europe. He promised both FDR and Churchill that "free elections" would be held in Eastern Europe once the war was over, but he never really planned to follow through with his promise....Churchill knew that and said that very thing to FDR but FDR was determined to give "Uncle Joe" the benefit of the doubt..... The conquest/partition of Poland had been on the drawing board for both Stalin and Hitler for a long time.....years before the German attack on Poland in 1939. The neutrality treaty signed by both Stalin and Hitler prior to the war, clearly out-lined what was going to happen to Poland and what part of Poland was going to the Russians and what part would be given to Germany..... Keep in mind that Poland had been recreated at the end of World War I and most of the land that was set aside for the new Poland came from previous German and Russian territory... Its not surprising that most of the German POW's that ended up in the hands of the Russian didn't survive…..There would not have been a war crimes trial after the war if Stalin had had his way…..he wanted to line all the Nazi leaders up and shoot them…
He told Truman and Churchill that holding a trial was a total waste of time……

I believe the Russians looked upon German POW's as less than human and basically wanted revenge for what the Germans had done to the Russians earlier….With that being said, the Russians had very little compassion or empathy for any of the people they "liberated" in Eastern Europe. I use the term "liberated" very loosely….

Look at the Katyn incident that happened early on…over 20,000 Poles were line up and shot by the Russians and then buried in mass graves….

Stalin was determined to expand/extend communism over the "liberated" nations of Eastern Europe. He promised both FDR and Churchill that "free elections" would be held in Eastern Europe once the war was over, but he never really planned to follow through with his promise….Churchill knew that and said that very thing to FDR but FDR was determined to give "Uncle Joe" the benefit of the doubt…..

The conquest/partition of Poland had been on the drawing board for both Stalin and Hitler for a long time…..years before the German attack on Poland in 1939.

The neutrality treaty signed by both Stalin and Hitler prior to the war, clearly out-lined what was going to happen to Poland and what part of Poland was going to the Russians and what part would be given to Germany…..

Keep in mind that Poland had been recreated at the end of World War I and most of the land that was set aside for the new Poland came from previous German and Russian territory…

]]> By: Orgo http://www.historynet.com/german-pows-and-the-art-of-survival.htm/comment-page-1#comment-20924 Orgo Tue, 09 Dec 2008 01:16:49 +0000 #comment-20924 Those switched russian pows or general Vlasov soldiers sent to gulags further they sent to various hard labor camps. One group of them came to Mongolia during early 50's and built Mongolian railroad. Also japanese pows used in various hard labor camps in several Mongolian locations. Those switched russian pows or general Vlasov soldiers sent to gulags further they sent to various hard labor camps. One group of them came to Mongolia during early 50's and built Mongolian railroad. Also japanese pows used in various hard labor camps in several Mongolian locations.

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