I need some WW2 buffs to help me understand why my great grandfather died so far away from Germany.
Why the hell was he in some place called "Gorodok" that I can't even find any info on?
pic is related.
Why the fuck were German troops in Belarus?
(Sorry, I am not a student history, and quite uneducated)
wtf does Rank:Obergefreiter mean?
I found this one site that says:
Periods of Nazi occupation of Belarusian localities
Gorodok - 2 years and 5,5 months (10.7.1941 - 24.12.1943)
Please tell me he wasn't a Jew killer or something.
I hope this is another shitty bait thread
>>1289435
It's dead serial.
Educate me plz.
Because Belarus was part of the Soviet Union and Nazis invaded the Soviet Union
As for Obergefreiter, that means "corporal"
>>1289431
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%93%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%BA_(%D0%92%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%B1%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D1%8C)
wiki says:
During World War II, from 9 July 1941 to 24 December 1943, the town was occupied by German troops. [3] Soviet troops liberated the 11th Guards Army of the 1st Baltic Front during the offensive Gorodok.
>>1289431
There were troops of all countries EVERYWHERE.
For example. The first US soldier killed in WW2 was in Finland during the Soviet-Finnish war. German soldiers were also there.
Doesn't mean they were combatants, just observers.
Obergefreiter means he fought lpnger then 6 years as a Wehrmachtssoldier.
Cant say if your grandpa was therefore involved in atrocities tho.
Some just marched through and fought for what they were taught was rightful while leaving the messy shit to the SS or their more brutish collegues.
>>1289431
I'll raise you one better
>great grandfather was ss guard at dachau
>grandfather was polejew at dachau
>escaped on a coal train to munich
>met and fucked grandmother
>daughter of aforementioned guard
>great grandfather and grandfather had a reunion in which they fought and gramps and granny ran off to England and then straya and finally america
Wish he were still alive and wish I could write good
>>1289504
>in which they fought
They hit each other?
>>1289513
With their fists
>>1289521
Has polejew talked about the camps?
Im curious, some "survivers" were bullshitters and wanted attention in gullible postwar america, I also cant bear the fucking soapstories meant to fasten denazification anymore.
There was however a genocide.
Did he talk about what happened?
How did guard grandpa justified the thing?
>>1289526
Unfortunately he always refused to talk about it, would always get this thousand yard stare going on. Dad said he never talked about the camp. I never met great gramps, he died in the 60's according to granny. Gramps only told the happy romance stuff.
>>1289535
Ok then : /
My grandpa only started talking about silesia and the soviets when drunk and strucken by dementia, sometimes it may be best to hinder your curiosity and leave their minds rest in piece I guess.
>>1289539
Like I said, he's dead anyways, has been for 12 years. I think he only told the good stuff because I was a kid but even granny says he just never talked about the camp
>>1289431
Here's a movie about what the Germans did in Belarus, written by someone who survived (based on his experiences in the war). Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDq9fL--Avw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYIaDYRipoM
>>1289465
>Cant say if your grandpa was therefore involved in atrocities tho.
Lad, he was on the eastern front. Of course he was.
>>1289431
What site is this?
>>1289671
Nevermind found it
http://www.volksbund.de/en/graebersuche.html
Also found out that my great granduncle was in the SS
