We are excited to announce the upcoming appearance of a star lineup of authors
who write about Poland and WWII in English, during the Polish Book Fair, Film
Festival and Art Exhibit in Buffalo, N.Y. U.S.A.

The event will kick off on November 7 with a lecture by Dr. Timothy Snyder,
featuring his book "Bloodlands: Europe between Hitler and Stalin".

Nov. 15-18 will see lectures, writing workshops and a film by the following
survivors of Soviet camps or descendants of survivors:

Andy Bienkowski ("One Live to Give"/"Radical Gratitude")
Wes Adamczyk ("When God Looked the Other Way")
Krysia Jopek ("Maps and Shadows")
The film "In Darkness" about Jews hidden by a Catholic in the sewers of Lw�w.

Nov. 19:
Writer John Guzlowski will present his work about his parents' lives in Nazi
labor camps and as Displaced Persons in the U.S. Guzlowski's presentation will
be preceded by the film "Siege", a documentary by American journalist Julien
Bryan, who filmed Warsaw just before the Nazi attack in September '39.

We welcome everyone to what is the next in a series of recent "coming of age"
events on the part of Polish WWII survivors and their descendants who are intent
on bringing stories hitherto untold in English to a wider audience.

Books on a variety of Polish topics will be sold at the Book Fair, including the
offerings of Aquila Polonica, publishers who specialize in "publishing the
Polish experience of WWII".

More details at:
http://event.pingg.com/PolishFilmBookFest

Andy Golebiowski
Polish Legacy Project-WWII
Buffalo, New York
U.S.A.

Dear Mark T,

Oooh this is a good one. I like a challenge! Ok, here is my take, based purely on context, the forms we are looking at were printed by the Poles in the USSR to register new recruits... but a second scenario presents itself... conscription to the Polish Army under Soviet Command. I have nothing concrete to base this on other than it asks for military service:

2/3. Service in Polish Army

4. Service in Soviet Army

5. Service in Other Units (for example Anders/German)

This is an odd combination. There is a date on the form 1/V/44. I think this was the date of his medical exam. He seems to have been rejected "niezdolny" and removed from the roll. He was sent to the optician "Do okulisty" who writes in Russian... "astigmatism pravova glaza" so his right eye was a bit wonky and there is something medical which is beyond me with his "levova glaza" too.

The report is signed by the Voyen Vrach... the Military Doctor (also 1944) Why would a Russian Doctor be examining him in 1944? And what was he being conscripted to? My hunch is this is a Berling Army Form.

I further think that the area you should be looking at is Krzemieniec http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krzemieniec_(miasto)  

Although born in Lwow, he was living in the city before the war and It is listed as his last permanent address in the USSR. There is an address but I'm not good with old Polish cursive writing. It also gives which "Woyenkomat" (Voyenkomat=Soviet military recruiting centre) mobilized him and, again, it was Krzemieniec.

Now I know you wrote previously:

Looking for help to find sources of information for missing uncle Mieczyslaw Turkiewicz:

Officer Cadet School 4th Division - in Sumy

Conscripted to army in 1943; last news from Stadt Kremianek, Schmeidgergasse 2.

And how any of the above fits in I don't know. Why was the address written in German? I don't know what the German occupying authorities called Krzemieniec, but there is a similarity. It is Kremenez now, but that is a Germanization of the Ukrainian... it is possible that the one above was a (bad) Germanization of the Polish. just guessing here!

I hope this has given you something to think about. When I have a free moment I'll see if I can have another go with the Russian. I'll try and track down Sumy too. If you have any more details pass them on and we'll see what we can do.

Best regards, Mark Ostrowski

My guess: he was captured in eastern Poland, conscripted into the Red
Army, captured by the Germans and conscripted into the Heer, possibly
captured again by the British or Americans to serve on the western
front. I knew scores of Poles in Orleans, France, when I was stationed
there in 1956-1957. For some, the Polish Labor Corps of the U.S. Army
was their fifth national army. - Dan Ford US

On 11/4/2012 10:12 AM, Mark and Oyun wrote:
>
> 2/3. Service in Polish Army
>
> 4. Service in Soviet Army
>
> 5. Service in Other Units (for example Anders/German)
>

Dear Mark T,

BINGO! Sumy.
http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumy
W roku 1944 miejsce stacjonowania pododdzialow 1 Armii Polskiej w ZSRR.
In 1944 units of the 1st Polish Army were stationed there.

So Berling Army it is then.

Best regards, Mark Ostrowski

Dear Mark T,

I have a theory... based on no evidence...

Kremianek, Schmeidgergasse 2 comes from a German list taken from occupied records and it was the new German name for whatever street he lived on with his wife Felicja, their daughter and 72 year old mother. The old Polish address, or at least an address written in Polish as it could be the new Ukrainian/Russian address Polonized is on the form twice: Point 5. Last Address in USSR and again in Point 17 Marital status/family address. It looks like  Zaulek (the l is crossed) Tremkarski.  A Zaulek is a blind alley.

My Point? The house mentioned on the form is number 2. Coincidence?  

Could the German be "Schneidergasse"? Now I don't know if there was a street called that there... but Schmeidger  means nothing. Some old maps of the city may be useful. I think this could be the same address in two different languages.

My other point is that the Russian is beyond me. Soviet doctors' handwriting is as bad as English ones. However..."98 Negodyen s viklyucheniem s chota" the last line of full text above the signature is the same as the Polish version entered in Point 20: Unsuitable with removal from the roll.

I think he spent the war in Krzemieniec... Points 13/14/15 state that he did not serve in any army up to that point. The Germans were driven from the town on the 19^th March 1944 by the 1st Ukrainian front of the Red Army. Some 2000 citizens were then conscripted.

http://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%86%D1%8C

Three days prior to this [16^th March] the Polish 1^st Corps (under Soviet Command) began its expansion to become the 1^st Polish Army. The area chosen for training was Sumy and I think this why he was sent there. In July 1944 the training area was moved forward to Zhitomir.

http://pl.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Plik:1_armia_lwp.png&filetimestamp=20091016104728

http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polskie_Si%C5%82y_Zbrojne_w_ZSRR_(1943-1944)   

 Point 22 then deals with what happens next: he is to be released to the RWK in Krzewieniec [RVK] which is the Raiyonni Voyenni Komisariyat � Regional Military Commissariat. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_commissariat My guess is soon after May 1944 your uncle was back in Krzemieniec again. After that? No idea.

Best regards, Mark Ostrowski

Chris,
Please contact the coordinator of the Book Fair, Sophie Hodorowicz-Knab at
edsophieATverizon.net

Let me know in case you are not successful in contacting her. If you'd like her
phone number, please message me privately by email at andywbuffaloATyahoo.com

Andy Golebiowski
Buffalo, N.Y.

--- In Kresy-Siberia@yahoogroups.com, Chris Gniewosz <Chris@...> wrote:
>
> Andy,
> Is there any way to add books to the Polish Book Fair without going there?
> Chris Gniewosz
> Portland Oregon
>
> On Sun, Nov 4, 2012 at 6:03 AM, Andrzej w Buffalo <andywbuffalo@...>wrote:
>
> > **
> >
> >
> > We are excited to announce the upcoming appearance of a star lineup of
> > authors who write about Poland and WWII in English, during the Polish Book
> > Fair, Film Festival and Art Exhibit in Buffalo, N.Y. U.S.A.
> >
> > The event will kick off on November 7 with a lecture by Dr. Timothy
> > Snyder, featuring his book "Bloodlands: Europe between Hitler and Stalin".
> >
> > Nov. 15-18 will see lectures, writing workshops and a film by the
> > following survivors of Soviet camps or descendants of survivors:
> >
> > Andy Bienkowski ("One Live to Give"/"Radical Gratitude")
> > Wes Adamczyk ("When God Looked the Other Way")
> > Krysia Jopek ("Maps and Shadows")
> > The film "In Darkness" about Jews hidden by a Catholic in the sewers of
> > Lw�w.
> >
> > Nov. 19:
> > Writer John Guzlowski will present his work about his parents' lives in
> > Nazi labor camps and as Displaced Persons in the U.S. Guzlowski's
> > presentation will be preceded by the film "Siege", a documentary by
> > American journalist Julien Bryan, who filmed Warsaw just before the Nazi
> > attack in September '39.
> >
> > We welcome everyone to what is the next in a series of recent "coming of
> > age" events on the part of Polish WWII survivors and their descendants who
> > are intent on bringing stories hitherto untold in English to a wider
> > audience.
> >
> > Books on a variety of Polish topics will be sold at the Book Fair,
> > including the offerings of Aquila Polonica, publishers who specialize in
> > "publishing the Polish experience of WWII".
> >
> > More details at:
> > http://event.pingg.com/PolishFilmBookFest
> >
> > Andy Golebiowski
> > Polish Legacy Project-WWII
> > Buffalo, New York
> > U.S.A.
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Books Published by Chris Gniewosz
> "Noble Youth - Adventures of Fourteen Siblings Growing Up on a Polish
> Estate"
> "Noble Flight - A Family's Exodus and Survival During World War II"
> Books are available from Order@...
>

Dear Lenarda,

"Berling Army which became AK".  You've written this a couple of times so I thought I would offer the following:

When the Germans invaded Poland in 1939 the Poles never surrendered and vowed to carry on the fight. The ZWZ was established as the main resistance body [Zwiazek Walki Zbrojnej: Union of Armed Struggle] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwi%C4%85zek_Walki_Zbrojnej

In 1942 the ZWZ was renamed the AK [Armia Krajowa: Home Army] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armia_Krajowa It was the AK that carried on most of the resistance activity in Poland, although there were many other partisan units. The Warsaw rising was an AK enterprise and the AK was loyal to, and commanded by, the Polish Government-in-exile in London. As the Red Army swept into Poland in 1944 there was some co-operation between the two, but it was limited and short-lived. The AK officially disbanded in January 1945. The end of the war saw massive repression of the AK; first by Soviet and then by Polish authorities. Some units carried on their underground activities against the communist regime under various names, WiN [Wolnosc i Niezawislosc: Freedom and Independence] being the most famous. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolno%C5%9B%C4%87_i_Niezawis%C5%82o%C5%9B%C4%87  

The "Berling Army" on the other hand, misnamed as is the "Anders Army" existed from 1943, and was made up of Polish volunteers in the Soviet Union who did not manage to get out in the two evacuations to Iran. Colonel Zygmunt Berling was promoted to general by Stalin, who also put him in charge of the Polish 1st Tadeusz Kosciuszko Infantry Division. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_1st_Tadeusz_Ko%C5%9Bciuszko_Infantry_Division

Since his appointment, promotion and allegiance had nothing to do with the London Poles, he was branded a traitor and sentenced to death in absentia as a traitor toPoland. In August 1943 the Division was expanded to Corps strength [making him equal to General Anders in terms of command but not in size]. As the corps moved into Poland it began conscripting more Poles to its ranks. In March of 1944 the Corps was again upgraded to Army strength and became the First Polish Army. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Polish_Army_(1944%E2%80%931945) Now it was "Berling's Army"� but his tenure was short-lived. He was personally  relieved of his command  by Stalin who was angry at Berling's attempted assistance to the Warsaw Rising (although there is some disagreement as to whether this was the actual reason.) After the war the First Polish Army was disbanded and its units went on to make up the People's Army of Poland http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Army_of_Poland who were then given the job of actually fighting against the remnants of the AK who had not given up the struggle.

Best regards, Mark Ostrowski

----- Original Message -----

From: Mark and Oyun

To: Kresy-Siberia@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Monday, November 05, 2012 12:45 AM

Subject: Re: [www.Kresy-Siberia.org] Mieczyslaw Turkiewicz

Dear Lenarda,

"Berling Army which became AK".  You've written this a couple of times so I thought I would offer the following:

When the Germans invaded Poland in 1939 the Poles never surrendered and vowed to carry on the fight. The ZWZ was established as the main resistance body [Zwiazek Walki Zbrojnej: Union of Armed Struggle] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwi%C4%85zek_Walki_Zbrojnej

In 1942 the ZWZ was renamed the AK [Armia Krajowa: Home Army] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armia_Krajowa It was the AK that carried on most of the resistance activity in Poland, although there were many other partisan units. The Warsaw rising was an AK enterprise and the AK was loyal to, and commanded by, the Polish Government-in-exile in London. As the Red Army swept into Poland in 1944 there was some co-operation between the two, but it was limited and short-lived. The AK officially disbanded in January 1945. The end of the war saw massive repression of the AK; first by Soviet and then by Polish authorities. Some units carried on their underground activities against the communist regime under various names, WiN [Wolnosc i Niezawislosc: Freedom and Independence] being the most famous. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolno%C5%9B%C4%87_i_Niezawis%C5%82o%C5%9B%C4%87  

The "Berling Army" on the other hand, misnamed as is the "Anders Army" existed from 1943, and was made up of Polish volunteers in the Soviet Union who did not manage to get out in the two evacuations to Iran. Colonel Zygmunt Berling was promoted to general by Stalin, who also put him in charge of the Polish 1st Tadeusz Kosciuszko Infantry Division. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_1st_Tadeusz_Ko%C5%9Bciuszko_Infantry_Division

Since his appointment, promotion and allegiance had nothing to do with the London Poles, he was branded a traitor and sentenced to death in absentia as a traitor toPoland. In August 1943 the Division was expanded to Corps strength [making him equal to General Anders in terms of command but not in size]. As the corps moved into Poland it began conscripting more Poles to its ranks. In March of 1944 the Corps was again upgraded to Army strength and became the First Polish Army. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Polish_Army_(1944%E2%80%931945) Now it was "Berling's Army"� but his tenure was short-lived. He was personally  relieved of his command  by Stalin who was angry at Berling's attempted assistance to the Warsaw Rising (although there is some disagreement as to whether this was the actual reason.) After the war the First Polish Army was disbanded and its units went on to make up the People's Army of Poland http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Army_of_Poland who were then given the job of actually fighting against the remnants of the AK who had not given up the struggle.

Best regards, Mark Ostrowski