Researching Red Army/Navy Units

[ANZAC]

Next question is does your dad remember what tank he was in T-34, BT etc?

That can narrow down a unit if we can id that as well.

Brendan

[Norm Braddock]

Mate, Kanev and Dukla = T34. I believe that the tank factory was at Kharkov which isn't too far from Kanev so it seems to make sense.

Bessarabia = ?

:thumbsup

PS, Esteban, you are very welcome.:thumbsup

[Norm Braddock]

After capture at Kanev, many men were marched to Bila Tserkva. They were loaded onto trains-many box cars and flatbed cars. My dad was on a flatbed. My dad said that it was heavily guarded until the train gained speed.

When the train lost speed going up a hill, my dad et al bailed off and ran like hell into the forest.

He spent the remiander of 41 and 42 (approximately) with the Uke partisans-fighting the Germans. Eventually his unit came into contact with Czech army men. Due to his previous tank experience, they immediately "drafted" him into Czech Army-namely the 1st Czech Tank Brigade with the 1st Ukrainian Front.

Everytime that my dad mentions Dukla, his eyes and his facial expression turn to "agony". He always pauses prior to speaking, often looking down and shaking his head. The first thing that he mentions is the HORRIBLE screams of the horses, then the bodies, confusion, noise, etc. The Germans had the high ground and pounded them with artillery, etc.

While helping to load shells into his tank, scrapnel from German artillery hit my dad in the face, neck and a very bad wound to the leg. They wanted to hack off his leg but he would not let them. Anyway, he spent months in the hospital thus ending the war recuperating.

If more info comes to light that I have forgotten to write, I will fill in the gaps. Just wanted to share his storey with you all and I finally found the balls to do so.

There's other fellas here who were in the Soviet Army. Doesn't have to be the GPW but why not share some of your experiences? I'm sure many people would appreciate it. I know that I suuuuuuuuuuure would!:thumbsup

[desantnik]

Originally Posted by Kapusta Norm

Bessarabia = ?

Bessarabia = present day Moldova

[Norm Braddock]

During the time that my dad was a partisan, he came into contact with a Jewish family hiding in the forest. There was the father Gaetz, his wife and 10 year old son. They were petrified of my father and very very hungry.

My dad assured them of no harm and led them to a nearby farm whose inhabitants were good people. For the next few months my dad and the farm family helped to hide and feed these people. My dad's task was to bring them food where they were hiding.

Time elapsed and that is when my dad met the men from the Czech Army and had to leave. Before going, Gaetz told my dad, in tears, that his name would always be gold to them.

Several years after the war, my dad wrote the farm family to inquire about the well being of Gaetz and his family. He received a reply stating that they eventually made it to what is now Israel.

For years we tried to find these people via Yad Vashem. Regretably, we hit a dead end. I now understand that many European Jews changed their last names in the camps in Israel. Yad Vashem said that Gaetz's last name also had many variations in spelling. Also, they could have gone to a totally different country.

Fellas, this is a true storey. Don't believe it? Then ask Katya at Yad Vashem.

[Norm Braddock]

Just a footnote to the whole storey:

I typically deal with facts and precise dates, etc. at work. When asking my dad on his experiences, he once explained it like this:

I'll translate it from Ukrainian.

He said, "you guys want it in black or white but nothing in between. And it wasn't like that for many people during the war."

I came to the realization the precision and facts that I deal with at work go out the door when dealing with this matter. And it makes sense if you think about it.

[ANZAC]

Very very interesting and even better when history is alive:thumbsup

Brendan

[Norm Braddock]

Ok, I just asked him prior to posting this so here goes.

In 41, they received their tanks at Dnipropetrovsk and were put on a train to Kishinev. It was between these two places that the following occurred. Two messerschmitts started to strafe the train. My dad and tank were on the train with many others.

My dad said that when they started to get buzzed by the messerschmitts, men hid and jumped off, etc. Now 5 minutes ago he said it was his "Sloozba" to man one of the mounted "Maxims"(?). He said while the others bailed he just didn't care if he died or not. He managed to shoot down one of the messerschmitts which crashed.

He said that the officers and men were very happy and that he was given an award. The trouble is that he can't remember properly which award it was.
This is a whole other storey.

I tried to research my dad via a fine gentleman here on the forum. There is no record of him in there. Complicating the research is that after the war, my dad defected to the west. Apparently, defector's records were destroyed in the archives.

So, there it is.;)

[desantnik]

Originally Posted by Kapusta Norm

mounted "Maxims"(?).

Norm, a Maxim is a famous watercooled machinegun with a shield. I'm sure someone can post a pic.

[Norm Braddock]

Ok, my bad-my assumption on the Maxim.

He wants to dedicate the following to one member here-sung 10 minutes ago:

Krasno armayetz bill heroi
Narazvetskool on hadill
sho nachatsvool dolazeel
Hay, hay krasno heroi
Narazvetskool boyavoy.

I think that the first line is
"In the Red Army there was a hero"

Can you guys help out with this pls?