Conscripted to German Army, then the British Polish Free Army. How?

Conscripted to German Army, then the British Polish Free Army. How?

Lawrence Wawrzyniec ye Bobrowicz, 18/08/1925 - 08/04/2006.

My father lived in a town just to the NW of Lublin. He was 14 when the Germans occupied that district in Nov 1939. He told me that, "He was forced to join the German Army." However, he fought at the battle of Mote Cassino with the Polish Free Army, II Corps, on 12th May 1944, at the age of 19.

I am trying to find out how he came to leave the German Army, and then how he came to join the Polish Free.

Probably as a so-called "Volksdeutscher".
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volksdeutsche#During_World_War_II


Either deserted or captured, then switched sides.

Thank you "TheOther." Yes, I have read that wikipedia article in my research, but it lacks detail. My father did indeed desert "probably" from the "Volksdeutscher." I remember him telling me that he went to Switzerland.

As with most WW II vets, he would not talk of the war. The problem I have is trying to understand, and find information of the procedures of,

1. How Volksdeurscher's transferred to the Polish Free, and in my fathers case in what year.
2. How long was he in the Volksdeutscher?
3. Did he see action while with the German Army?
4. After deserting, did he go strait to Italy, or the UK?

I just do not know how find any records of the above, if they exist at all, or where to look. It is the details that I am looking for.

You cannot desert from the "Volksdeutsche". These were a group of Polish citizens that were considered ethnic Germans by the Nazis, and as such were conscripted to the German military. You need to read up on the whole concept to really understand what it was all about. There is a longish thread about this topic somewhere in PF's archives, if I recall correctly.


Write to the so-called "Deutsche Dienststelle" in Berlin and provide all relevant information. At the moment, it takes more than a year for them to respond due to the large number of research requests. If they have a military record of your father on file, they will send it to you together with copies of personal documents they might have in their archive (such as an ID card that identified him as "volksdeutsch", his military ID card, and so on).

dd-wast.de/en/home.html


Depends on whom you ask. Many Poles consider(ed) these ethnic Germans (the Volksdeutsche) traitors, and they were treated as such. Since your father fought in the British Polish Free Army, things are most likely a bit different.

This might be the one you mean. Worth a read for the OP anyway and gives good background information:-

https://polishforums.com/history/conscripts-german-army-55499/

Yes, that's the one. Thank you, Chemikiem!

You should have asked him. I'm sure he would be able to provide you with the most accurate information. You can't expect complete strangers to know about your father life more than you with a much of a detail? Are you for real?


Where exactly? Anyway check that for yourself might be helpful:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poles_in_the_Wehrmacht


You too, would benefit from reading that wiki note.

Why? Because I used "Volksdeutsche" instead of "Volksliste"? I don't write lengthy essays about the different categories of the Deutsche Volksliste when there is a thread about that topic already in the archive.

TheOther, thank you for the information regarding "Deutsche Dienststelle" helpful. My father spoke little of his past, and I have always suspected that some would think him a traitor, which among other things, is one reason why I believe he would not talk about things at all.

I have read the other thread mentioned by Chemikiem. Thank you both.

Ironside, my father passed away some time ago, but even so, he would not have talked of his past. In all of my life he probably only made 6 comments to me about his life in Poland and the War. Not for a minuet do I expect "Complete strangers" to know of my father better than I. Yes, I am very much for real, and find that negative statement unwarranted. As I stated in this post, "I do not know how find any records of the above, if they exist at all, or where to look." I obviously expect to research for myself, and do not expect others to do it for me; my post is/was, as to where I might find that information, from those that know better than I.

My Uncle Zbignief was in what he called the Polishe Freicorps. He was conscripted in Poland : the fate of anyone who stood up to the SS was the concentration camp as witnessed by him in his home village. He tells me (he is 93) that he and a couple of others managed to surrender to British forces, but he has never told me where.

He became a polish para and was a member of the SOE
Simon

Many Polish soldiers forced to fight for Germany some came over to the allied side, some captured prisoners were given tags of fallen Polish soldiers, some in the British command were surprised how a unit could go out on an action and return with a few extra members, no one really asked any questions , after all we did have a bear serving within the Polish ranks.

Very similar story to my father. Surname Kirstein. Have you any more information