12-11-2011, 11:09 AM
Marc, thanks - I vaguely remembered something along these lines. If the below is excerpt from the link you provided is valid, this ID in question is serial-numbered 284...:confused:
Interesting story from Lapa. At the end of WWII a lot of Russian soldiers who served in the German army have tried to escape and tried to join the local resistance. In Holland there was even a revolt of Georgian “Wehrmacht” soldiers.
On the Dutch island of Texel were at the spring of 1945, about 800 Georgian soldiers stationed. Most of them were ex-prisoners of war. These Georgian soldiers belonged to the 882nd Georgian battalion. At the end of March 1945 the German staff decided to send half of the Georgian battalion to the front in the east of Holland. What the Germans already expected was that the Georgian soldiers at the front should defect to the Allies. For that reason the other half of the Georgian battalion should stay on the island. When the Georgian battalion at the front should defect the Germans could punish the other half of the Georgian battalion, which was left behind on the island.
For that reason the officers of the Georgian battalion decided for a mutiny against their German leaders.
In the night of April 6th the Georgian soldiers started their revolt. They gave it the name; Operation Birthday. They hoped that they could clear the island from the Germans. About 180 German officers and soldiers were killed in that first night of the revolt.
Already on the first day of their revolt the Georgian soldiers saw that their situation was hopeless because the Germans got reinforcements from the mainland.
On April 21st the last group of 59 Georgian soldiers surrendered. Before they were executed by the Germans they had to dig their own graves. A lot of Georgian soldiers were hidden by the local population or they hid themselves in the woods.
Even after the official capitulation of the German forces in Holland there were still gunfights between the Georgians and the Germans. This dangerous situation ended at May 20th when Canadian soldiers landed on the island. 236 Georgian soldiers survived the battle. This Georgian revolt was the last battle in Holland. Almost 570 Georgians, 460 Germans and 89 Dutchmen were killed during this battle. On the island of Texel there is still today a Georgian war cemetery.
I thought it was in 2005, that the Georgian president Michail Saakasjvili and his Dutch wife Sandra Roelofs were at a commemoration of this battle, which was held on this cemetery.
I even heard that the Russians had made a film about this Georgian revolt. The title should be something like “The crucified island”. Has anyone heard about this Soviet film? The film should be made in the 1960’s.
Interesting story from Lapa. At the end of WWII a lot of Russian soldiers who served in the German army have tried to escape and tried to join the local resistance. In Holland there was even a revolt of Georgian “Wehrmacht” soldiers.
On the Dutch island of Texel were at the spring of 1945, about 800 Georgian soldiers stationed. Most of them were ex-prisoners of war. These Georgian soldiers belonged to the 882nd Georgian battalion. At the end of March 1945 the German staff decided to send half of the Georgian battalion to the front in the east of Holland. What the Germans already expected was that the Georgian soldiers at the front should defect to the Allies. For that reason the other half of the Georgian battalion should stay on the island. When the Georgian battalion at the front should defect the Germans could punish the other half of the Georgian battalion, which was left behind on the island.
For that reason the officers of the Georgian battalion decided for a mutiny against their German leaders.
In the night of April 6th the Georgian soldiers started their revolt. They gave it the name; Operation Birthday. They hoped that they could clear the island from the Germans. About 180 German officers and soldiers were killed in that first night of the revolt.
Already on the first day of their revolt the Georgian soldiers saw that their situation was hopeless because the Germans got reinforcements from the mainland.
On April 21st the last group of 59 Georgian soldiers surrendered. Before they were executed by the Germans they had to dig their own graves. A lot of Georgian soldiers were hidden by the local population or they hid themselves in the woods.
Even after the official capitulation of the German forces in Holland there were still gunfights between the Georgians and the Germans. This dangerous situation ended at May 20th when Canadian soldiers landed on the island. 236 Georgian soldiers survived the battle. This Georgian revolt was the last battle in Holland. Almost 570 Georgians, 460 Germans and 89 Dutchmen were killed during this battle. On the island of Texel there is still today a Georgian war cemetery.
I thought it was in 2005, that the Georgian president Michail Saakasjvili and his Dutch wife Sandra Roelofs were at a commemoration of this battle, which was held on this cemetery.
I even heard that the Russians had made a film about this Georgian revolt. The title should be something like “The crucified island”. Has anyone heard about this Soviet film? The film should be made in the 1960’s.
