Were Volkssturm soldiers taken captive in 45 sent to Russia?

[Vince]

Just read about the the tireless efforts of Chancellor Adenauer
in getting POW's returned to Germany. It's truly tragic to think that some did not get home until 1955.

This got me to thinking about how the Russians treated members of the Volksturm when they were taken captive. From the Seelow Heights defense to total collapse in Berlin many must have become POW's.

Were they shipped to Russian Gulags like the rest of the Wehrmacht taken in the East or were they released when the war ended?


Regards,

Vince

[Jason Pipes]

Versus what? Allowed to go home instead? I don't have the exact figures, I'm not sure anyone in the world does, but I imagine that anyone and everyone captured by the Soviets in 1945 were taken POW and sent east to rot and die unless they were lucky enough to return in 1955. Not many were.

[Kurasier]

Hi,
I have at home an essayfrom my father's grandfather, who was a KOmpanietruppführer in the Volkssturm. His unit was sent to Slovakia were he was captured by rthe russians. He and some friends had the luck to be realeased after some months, bu when he wrote that essay in 1946 there were still 5 comrades as Pow's somewere in the Kaukasus.
I read also somewhere, that 12 and 14 year old "Soldiers" were taken to Powcamps.
Cheers
Christoph

[Vince]

In everything I've read about post-war POW camps in the East, including first hand accounts, I have never seen mention of children imprisoned. I have read about old men and even trainloads of ethnic German women sent East but never children.

I am guessing that even the Russians had a policy of non-internment regarding idividuals younger than 16.


What do you think?


Vince

[Bruno]

From the book Stalins Kriegs-gefangene The third group of POWS approximately one million "verschleppten" were made up of Men , Women, and children. They became Arbeitssklaven. Sadly they had the highest casualties, they were only civilians and not soldiers who were trained to endure hardships.

[Vince]

I had never heard about the interned million. I think calling them POW's might be a misnomer as that term is military in context and theoretically imparts certain basic rights. Of course the Russians could care less about the treatment metted out to their defeated enemies. I wonder if young Volksturm (13-16) were sent to military or civilian camps.

Thanks for the info.

Vince,

[Wurger]

One of the things that I've found during the reading that I've done is that the behavior of Red Army troops varied a great deal during the final battles in Germany. Some soldiers shot any German who surrendered out of hand, others sent them to be interned in the rear. Of coure, there were all sorts of variations between these two extremes.

Interestingly, in the case of Volksturm members, both young and old, the Russians often just disarmed them and sent them packing for home with either a slap across the head or a kick in the pants. This was especially true during the battle of Berlin.

Regards,

Wurger

[battalionsfuhrer tiburzy]

hello,

I agree with wurger. From the readings that i've done, most of these or perhaps all of these volkssturm battalions were commanded by members of NSDAP with distinctive party uniforms with an armband thrown on them. my point is that it was probably the higher ranking officers that the russians wanted. check out Osprey military- men at arms series #254 it well tell you the whole story!! great book

[KampfgruppeMeyer]

unfortunatey, i find myself in agreement with wurger. he seems to describe more or less the accuracy of what took place

[behblc]

Kgm.
No need for there to be any misfortune about agreeing with my comrade Wurger.
If Wurger is right and you agree...result no misfortune or injury ......................so "REJOICE "