Poles in the 14SS

[ghost]

Ps: Wurger wrote "These measures excluded not only Poles, but also eastern Ukrainians from joining."

In this respect the practical results were even more dubious. When the survivors were interned in Rimini by the Brits, the 'Eastern Ukrainian' contingent formed their own 'enclave'. They were easily identifiyable by their regional accents. I have met some of them from the Kiev area. My conservative estimate is that ceratinly no less than 5% o f the internees at Rimini were of Eastern Ukrainian origin (although admittedly not all had served with the Division). A well informed veteran who was very prominent in the vets organisation in the post war years (and thus exceptionally well connected), gave me a figure of as many as 15% as having been eastern Ukrainians. Either way they were there in numbers - as undoubtedly were the Poles.

Mike Melnyk

[Benoit Douville]

Mike Melnyk said that it is a possibilty that Poles were in the 14 SS Galicia but I found it really hard to believe considering the facts that the Ukrainians and Poles really hated each other during World War II, the terrible Volhynia genocide comes to my mind first.

Regards

[ghost]

Hello again

Regarding the issue of Poles serving in the 14 Galician Division.

Consider this:

Following the cessation of hosilities the greater part of the surviors of the Galician Division were interned by the British in Italy at the POW enclave at Rimini where they were gaurded by 55 Lt. A.A. Regt.

The unit included some free 'POLES' who had escaped German occupation and made their way to England whereupon they enlisted in the second Polish Army Corps, commanded by Polish General Wladyslaw Anders.
One such 'POLE' found his own brother amongst the 'Ukrainian' prisoners.

best wishes

Mike Melnyk