Deserters family

[Stefan Overgaard]

Reading the KTB of Armeeabteilung Narwa I noticed that sometimes desertions was reported. What struck me as odd, was that the homeaddress of the deserter was listed. Anyone know why this was? Was it just so a notification could be given to the relatives, or would there be some sort of retalitory measures against the family of the deserter?

Example:
"c) Heimatanschriften der mit Tagesmeldung vom 23.3. gemeldeten Überläufer:
1.) Stiefvater Franz Fleith, Hagenau, Vierwindhof 3.
2.) Vater Emil Giold, Grube, Kreis Schletstadt."

[phylo_roadking]

I've over the years come across a lot of tales at the end of the war where deserters were intercepted heading home, or were found AT home - as frequently by the Americans and British after the end of the war as the chaindogs before VE Day. Ive seen a LOT of anecdotes where guys just walked away, made it home, and were arrested milking the cows or chopping wood on their own farms Duh!!!

[Stefan Overgaard]

yes, but the word "überlaufer" more gives the meaning of "going over to the enemy", in which case they wouldn't need to be looking for him in their own territory.

[phylo_roadking]

The term and its connotations would indeed have been established earlier in the war - when there actually ARE quite number of examples of this happening. There were quite a number of desertions on Crete, for example - some were eventually evacuated off the island by the British, some fought with partisan bands through to the end of the war there...one even helped trick a Gestapo agent into revealing himself and the agent was subsequently shot (The Cretan Runner, George Psycoundakis) The presence of a number of armed deserters in one kapitan's band was the reason for fighting breaking out between ELAS and EDES groups on one (of the many) occasions on Crete. There were also eventually quite a large number embedded with the Maquis in France, particularly the "standing" units in the countryside and bush.

It was only in the last half year of the war, as events rolled the German front line back towards or over German-speaking territory and the prospect of final collapse loomed, as well as administrative breakdown in Germany, that deserters simply started heading home. But I presume the same term would have been used?

[philippe_jehl]

From the quote of town names I can tell you this is an Alsatian soldier they are refering to. yes in the case of Alsatian deserters and draft evaders there were reprecutions against their family often times the relatives were sent to concentration camps, at the very least they would be payed a vist by the Gestapo

[John W. Howard]

This is a very interesting post; my father fought around Selestat and Haguenau during the war as a member of the US Army.

[phylo_roadking]

Given the number of former KPD members that must have been buried away in the Wehrmacht - are there any recorded instances of former German Communists going over to the Soviets After June 20th, 1941???

[Heimatschuss]

Given the number of former KPD members that must have been buried away in the Wehrmacht - are there any recorded instances of former German Communists going over to the Soviets After June 20th, 1941???

What about Heinz Keßler, the former GDR Minister of the Armed Forces? He defected in 1941 to the Russians.
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinz_Ke%C3%9Fler

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Torsten