Polish soldiers executing German POW's
 

Hi, all

According to information from local sources in the Narvik area in Norway, several incidents were Polish soldiers summary executed German POW's happened there.

Does anyone know if there were any legal aftermath to this? Any sources from allied war diaries mentioning this?

Two alleged such killings were the crew of a Stuka from I./St.G.1 taken POW after an emergency landing near Beisfjord. Others were mountain troops taken prisoner by Norwegian forces and then shot and dumped in the sea by Polish soldiers while being transported out of the battle zone.

Regards,
Andreas B

Re: Polish soldiers executing German POW's
 

Hi
As far know, there were no any official actions towards such Polish soldiers, such incidents were not surface in Poland up to "now", including Polish books ect. Such killing, especially towards LW crew's, are quite possible because such airmen were not "popular / friends" among Polish soldiers after IX 39 and for example destruction of big part of Warsaw after terror air attack on 25 IX 39.
For LW's crews to get into Polish hands were not very nice and pleasure expirience indeed. The same attitide could be in France or in BoB in 1940, aslo in France in 1944.

Regards,
MirekW

Re: Polish soldiers executing German POW's
 

France in 1944.

Not a all in France people welcomed the men you threw bombs on them

Rémi

killings remains killings, every man hv lot of good reasons to kill some others, that's why they are rules, infringing them could lead to retaliation, during the 30 Years war 1618/1648 one hv the strange idea to kill all the people of an hamlet, retaliation after retaliation, the story ended with the slaughter of all the inhabitants of Magdeburg 20 to 30.000 men/women

Re: Polish soldiers executing German POW's
 

These sorts of incidents happened throughout the conflict, and involved all combatant nations. I think it is a lucid insight to bring up the Thirty Years' War, and the slaughter of the population of Magdeburg. Indeed, this conflict was the first in Europe wherein civilian deaths outnumbered military, and it took Germany generations to recover from this.

Re: Polish soldiers executing German POW's
 

Guys:

Let's keep the focus on the original issue of POWs being executed by Polish soldiers in Norway. Other issues are not germane to this thread.

Re: Polish soldiers executing German POW's
 

Perhaps some one could explain the presence of Polish troops in Norway?

Escape after Germany invaded Poland?

Re: Polish soldiers executing German POW's
 

There is not much to explain:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_...ghland_Brigade

Re: Polish soldiers executing German POW's
 

Steven.
Before the capitulation of Poland, Polish forces troops started to form abroad. The exiled government of Poland in Paris announced it would fight alongside the Allies and created a Polish army in France. This was the beginning of the Polskie Sily Zbrojne (PSZ – Polish Armed Forces) in the West which fought until May 1945 in three theatres: Western Europe (1940 and 1944-1945), Norway (1940) and Mediterranean (North Africa in 1940-1942, Italy 1944-1945). The first Commander-in-Chief was General Wladyslaw Sikorski, who was also the Prime Minister of the government in exile. After his death (July 1943), his post was assigned to General Kazimierz Sosnkowski, dismissed in September 1944. After him General Tadeusz Komorowski, the AK Commanding Officer served until he became a German POW after the defeat of the Warsaw Uprising.

A stream of Polish soldiers and officers reached France through Romania, Hungary, Lithuania and Latvia. 43,000 were officially evacuated from Poland, while the rest made their own way. Poles living in France also volunteered for the army. Within a few months the Polish Army numbered 84,000 soldiers in four infantry divisions and two brigades. Also formed were four squadrons of aircraft and AA units amounting to about 7,000 troops. In addition, some Polish troops found their way to Syria (administrated by the French) where Samodzielna Brygada Strzelców Karpackich was formed (Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade).
During the battle of France in May 1940 Polish units fought in the southern sector: the Polish Grenadier Division after one week of fighting was dissolved when the French-German armistice talks began; soldiers of the Brygada Kawalerii Pancerno-Motorowej (Armoured Cavalry Brigade) after the battles of Champaubert and Montbard destroyed their equipment on the order of their commander, General Maczek and withdrew south (later Maczek took the surrender of Wilhelmshaven on May 6, 1945); 2 Dywizja Strzelców (2nd Riflemen Division) stopped the German attack on the Clos-du-Doubs hills and on June 19 crossed into Switzerland to be interned. The Samodzielna Brygada Strzelców Podhalanskich (Independent Podhalan Riflemen Brigade) was included in the Allied force sent to Norway in May 1940 and took part in the battle of Narvik. Altogether, about 50,000 Polish soldiers fought defending France, 1,400 were killed, and more than 4,500 were wounded. Polish fighter pilots achieved 50 confirmed and 5 probable kills of enemy aircraft. After the defeat of France only about 20,000 men were able to withdraw to England.
Summarised from: http://my.barackobama.com/page/commu...chbajan/gG5GhR

Tony

Re: Polish soldiers executing German POW's
 

Andreas,
One incident in the Narvik area is mentioned by an interviewed Norwegian in the DVD "Nödlandning i Lappland" , 2009, KI Michael Johansson. I suppose you have registered that source already....
Cheers
Göran

Re: Polish soldiers executing German POW's
 

Thank you for that information. I was aware of the reformation of Polish AF and ground units in France, but unaware of the expedition to Norway.

If the allegations are true, given time and place, understandable.