German POW's kept long after the war

[Kimmo]

Yep...

I knew that I should have choosen my words more carefully and add a smiley to end of that last sentence, like this :)

What I meant with honor, was that he had an obsession of doing what he had said. No matter what, things he had said and written in late 1890's had to be done, altough times had changed.

This is what I meant with honor, obsession of doing what he had said or written. This is also the reason why he didn't have a good relationship with other members in the small bolshevik party.

So I do believe that Lenin did release the German POW's after the bolsheviks did get in power. After all, it was Lenin who granted the indepence to Finland and Baltic states...altough he didn't have no means of keeping them under the new Soviet rule.

Also most of the prisoners in Ohrana prisons, were released after bolsheviks took the power in Russia, even if these prisoners would have been against bolsheviks. Well, they were picked up back to prison quite soon :)

[Jez]

Nice one Kimmo!

Bloody hell mate, you had me worried then for a minute!

Regards, Jez

[Rosomak]

I remember hearing on the news that the last POW released
was in the l990's from Russia.

At that age he had no one left to go to and no one remembered him
but some kindly family took in this elderly Veteran. Not only that when he returned it was to a world he knew nothing of .....television the cars everything. How frightening to have survived all these years in an Russian prison and then face a new world where you know no one and no one knows you.

Annelie

That is truth but not the whole truth. The last Soviet's POW (so far) was not German but Hungarian one. He really almost forget his "home" language, had no relatives to cling to, and had to be cared by a random Hungarian family. Maybe, there were (or are) some more POW's in SU (now Russia). But they were not revealed so far. I hope that there are some Hungarians on the forum to talk more about this soldier.

[Annelie]

Rosamak:

Thankyou for correcting me if I was mistaken.
I recountered from memory.



Annelie




[/quote]

[Sam H.]

Makes one wonder if any American POW's were sent to the Soviet Union during Vietnam.

[M. Tburg]

I seem to remember that the prisoner released in 1990 apparently was from an area of Europe that spoke a dialect that was not well known. Because of this he was transferred, years ago, to a mental institution because the people he was in the custody of didn't think his "elevator went all the way to the top". While still captive someone recognized his speech as a dialect, and not jibberish, starting an investigation where it was determined he was indeed a prisoner of war. Efforts were made, and were successful, to return him to his former homeland.

M. Thornburg

[Sam H.]

I believe the person you are thinking about was from Hungary.

[101stDoc]

I've read articles of German veteran soldiers who served as POW's. Their story states that they were kept as POW's for well 3 years after the war before being released.

Indeed some German POWs were held for LONG periods of time after the war. Some have unresolved cases tothis day (almost all almost certainly killed).

I have a few wehrpassen to German POWs of the Soviets who were not sent presumptive findings of death or the like til the 1950s. I think the longest imprisoned POW in my wehrpass/soldbuch collection was 1947.

Doc

[101stDoc]

Makes one wonder if any American POW's were sent to the Soviet Union during Vietnam.

It's possible.

Soviets were also found KIA at times in Vietnam, though we are getting off topic here.

Doc

[C. Udentz]

101stDoc,

You have what?

[101stDoc]

101stDoc,

You have what?

Uh what did you not understand? Wehrpassen and Soldbuchen. ID papers. Among the things I collect. Is that was you were reffering to, or was it something else?

Doc

[behblc]

Can't help but think that POW's detained in the UK were perhaps exploited as cheap labour and should have been returned to germany sooner.
Russia holding people prisoner until 1955 odd...criminal nothing more.
CAn anyone recommend anything inprint about the experiences post war of German POW's....would seem that the poor men led by the Russians had a bad time.

[C. Udentz]

Just found that out have you?

Anything else you do not know? But of course you will have NO knowledge of Germany.

[behblc]

No Cal. aware of it for some considerable time...anything else ?

[sid guttridge]

Hi Noel,

It is worth pointing out that all British-held German POWs were sent home in less time than German-held Polish, French and Serb POWs.

Cheers,

Sid.