[quote=Franek Grabowski;60042]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sylvester Stadler
But Stahlschmidt was killed before publishing the book, so he could not provide the authors with the account. I recall reading, that he cooperated with some war correspondents or journals, but cannot say if it is true.
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What difference does it make whether Stahlschmidt gave his report to a reporter or to his intelligence officer? His account is either true or false, or partly true and partly false. Evidently, Christopher Shores in his book,
Fighters over the Desert, on pages 96-97, considers the account as accurate.
Here is what Shores has to say: "Suddenly his engine cut during a pass, and he force-landed, ramming a truck. He was hauled from his cockpit by troops who turned out to be members of the Polish Brigade. The angry Poles beat him with rifle butts, and kicked him, ripping off his decorations, and making run the gauntlet of the column. He was then examined and interrogated by a Polish and a South African officer, before being sent to another camp. After midnight he managed to escape, and walked about five miles to the spot where he had originally crashed, finding there a German outpost which returned him to his unit without more ado, his return causing great jubilation. A few days later he returned to Germany on leave with Lt. Marseille."
It is certainly possible that Stahlschmidt was in no condition to return to a flight status with the injuries sustained from the treatment of the hands of the Polish soldiers. Gabrowski lives in a fantasy world where the Poles can do no wrong. The killing of thousands of German civilians in the first days of the war (September 1939) by Polish soldiers and civilians is evidence that the Poles could commit war atrocities (see the works of Alfred-Maurice de Zayas). Gabrowski presents no evidence that the beatings of Stahlschmidt did not take place, only presenting an un-named "witness" who was allegedly there. What we have here is the statement of a participant (Stahlschmidt) and no other participant has ever come forward to testify as to what he saw or did.