Russians Taking Watches

gavmeister13 · Post by **gavmeister13** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 1:54 pm

Why did Russian soldiers take the watches from Germans they killed/captured?

Patrick · Post by **Patrick** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 4:38 pm

Maybe they could use them like currency? Or possibly sell them oncce they got back home?

Most accounts that I've read of German POWs in the East (that don't get killed, that is) do seem to start with watches being stolen but I hadn't really thought about it until just now.

books1924 · Post by **books1924** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 6:48 am

Why did US/UK/CN, etc. take watches and other personal items from German prisoners? Nationality was not an issue I assure you.. As for the Russians soldiers I met in Austria, many had multiple wirst watches up both arms. Why? Sell, trade, take home, etc.

James

derGespenst · Post by **derGespenst** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 9:10 am

Think about it. Watches are probably the easiest kind of loot to transport in quantity and to dispose of. in addition, they make a great souvenir that you can actually use if you like rather than stash away in a drawer.

gavmeister13 · Post by **gavmeister13** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 11:35 pm

fair enough, cheers

LukeMiguez · Post by **LukeMiguez** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 5:45 pm

I know that Russian command actually had problems with Russians soldiers injuring themselves while riding looted bicycles. I'm guessing that many russians hadn't rode bicycles in their lives, i wouldn't know though

Helmut · Post by **Helmut** » Mon Dec 08, 2003 9:45 am

Servus,
When I was stationed in Berlin, back when there was still a wall, there was a Soviet monument just down from the Brandenburg gate. It showed a Soviet Soldier holding a small child in one arm and stretching the other arm out in a protective gesture. Officially the Soviet interpretation was that the soldier was casting his protective arm over the liberated German people. the cynical Berliners, however, said that he just couldn't raise his hand any higher due to the weight of the stolen watches.

Regards,
Helmut

101stDoc · Post by **101stDoc** » Mon Dec 22, 2003 8:32 pm

gavmeister13 wrote:Why did Russian soldiers take the watches from Germans they killed/captured?

The same reasons the Germans, Americans, British, Canadian, japanese, Aussies...well you get the picture.

Doc

dragos03 · Post by **dragos03** » Sun Jan 04, 2004 5:43 pm

The russians took watches because the majority of them were uneducated and poor. They considered the watches are very valuable "little machines". Their tank crews were called "engineers" because they thought that any man using a machine is an engineer.
When they entered Romania, they didn't take only watches, they even drinked perfume from shops thinking it's some kind of votka.
In Bucharest there is a statue of the russian soldier too. About it romanians used to say : "russian soldier, why did they put you so high? was it because you liberated the people or because your feet stink so hard?".
I don't think that we can compare the russian soldier with any other in ww2.

Dragos

derGespenst · Post by **derGespenst** » Sun Jan 04, 2004 7:38 pm

I remember hearing a story once (no idea if it's true) about Russian soldiers in East Prussia thinking the toilet was a device for keeping food cold, then killing the family in reprisal after the soldiers accidentally flushed.

Ramirezzz · Post by **Ramirezzz** » Sat Jan 10, 2004 6:07 am

Hi,
I´m new member here. interesting forum i would say.

The russians took watches because the majority of them were uneducated and poor.

Just like as Americans, Britons, Germans et cetera too

Their tank crews were called "engineers" because they thought that any man using a machine is an engineer.

Well, never heard about that. Yes, they were simple guys and they haven´t heard about Chopin, but ... Maybe you should read some memoirs of the russian soldiers, here, for example: http://www.iremember.ru

In Bucharest there is a statue of the russian soldier too. About it romanians used to say : "russian soldier, why did they put you so high? was it because you liberated the people or because your feet stink so hard?".
I don't think that we can compare the russian soldier with any other in ww2.

dragos03, I understand, 45 years under the Soviet regime and all that, but for me the whole thing looks like as one more of these tales about the barbaric asiatic hordes which-will-destroy-our-old-European-civilisation.
Lots of stories such art are just rumors, believe me. Maybe just like a lots of the stories about the Romanian soldiers in Russia.

I don't think that we can compare the russian soldier with any other in ww2.

Oh, that´s true..

Cheers

Sorry for my English. Haven´t written or spoke it since 2 years

derGespenst · Post by **derGespenst** » Sat Jan 10, 2004 8:23 am

I actually think it more likely that the average Russian knew about Chopin than modern mechanical devices. The soul of a Russian is a poet, after all.

Ramirezzz · Post by **Ramirezzz** » Sat Jan 10, 2004 9:35 am

Well, the Russian soul is a big mistery, especially for themselves

In pre-war Soviet Union in almost every single Kolchoz was MTS, "mechanized tractor station" or so, and a lot of young men could drive tractors and other mechanized things.Fast all of them were tankers later.
Maybe some of the Kalmykians, yakutians or citizens from Asian part of soviet union don´t knew how tank looks like, but majority of the population wasn´t in such unknowlege.
Don´t forget propaganda factor, for example in cinemas in villages, towns were shown Red Army parades, tanks also

dragos03 · Post by **dragos03** » Sat Jan 10, 2004 2:13 pm

My grandfather was an officer in the Romanian Army during the war and i don't think he lied about the "engineer" story. Other veterans told me that some russians even wrote "engineer" after their names when they signed. I have nothing personal against russians but these are the facts.
Veterans also told me that there were asians in the russian army who didn't speak russian and their officers had problems communicating with them.
I am sure there are stories about Romanian soldiers in Russia but i don't think they are about how barbaric was the Romanian soldier. My grandfather told me that russian civilians were very happy when they encountered Romanians instead of germans. He slept many times in their houses without fear of being killed by them.

Dragos

Ramirezzz · Post by **Ramirezzz** » Tue Jan 13, 2004 6:04 am

Hi,

Dragos, I don´t want to say that your grandfather lied you telling that , Ijust´n haven´t heard such stories. Tankists in the Soviet Army were called "tankists" :-) Other variants are unknown to me.

About a signature. I don´t see anything strange when russian officers signed as a engineers . For example, "Ivanov, Engineer" sounds to me just like a "D-r Schmidt". When you´re talking about a military ranks , it could be "Ivanov, kapitan ingenernyh voisk", "Ivanov, captain of the Engineering Forces or Combat Engineers", don´t know exactly.

And one thing. With respect to the romanian veterans who have told you that, I´ve heard a lot things from the russian veterans which sounded unbelievable to me.

Dragos wrote :

Veterans also told me that there were asians in the russian army who didn't speak russian and their officers had problems communicating with them.

That´ true.

Dragos wrote:

I am sure there are stories about Romanian soldiers in Russia but i don't think they are about how barbaric was the Romanian soldier. My grandfather told me that russian civilians were very happy when they encountered Romanians instead of germans. He slept many times in their houses without fear of being killed by them.

Well, I think I´ve seen some but don´t know exactly where . Now, they aren´t about it , there was something about Romanian prisoners. Their condition was bad, their clothes were dirty and all of them were hungry (what I think is typical for all prisoners just-captured). Some of them told iterrogating officer that relationship between officers and privates is very poor, officers beat soldiers when they not obey their orders and they become not a same food rations as a soldiers. Something like that.
If I find this memories in Net, I ´ll give a source

Cheers

Feldgrau.net

Russians Taking Watches

Russians Taking Watches

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