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  • Soviet conscript shares his experiences

    This is a 94 year old WWII veteran born in present day Armenia who was drafted into the Soviet Army. He shares his experiences and thoughts in this Reddit AMA.

    Some of what he says

    I did feel this way. A million people could die, and they didn't care. They sent us like a heard of sheep to the frontline to die. Thousands were killed.
    In the Soviet army, they were very poor. Very little food, the boots were poor, and the discipline was not good. For example, we walked in the Caucasus Mountains with blisters on your feet. You could barely walk, and had to go so slow. Officers on horseback would come by with a whip and say "comrade, you're walking too slow, you must walk fast. You must walk fast for this country and for Stalin." Once someone fought back against an officer, and was shot. This scared us into keep walking, no matter what. When we fought in the mountains, the food was very poor. After walking many miles, there would be barely anything in the kitchens. We had cabbage soup and special dried bread. That's all. We had no shelter in the Mountains, sleeping in open fields, in the cold and snow even. A lot of people died in the cold.




    I didn't hear that story. They gave us both a rifle and bullets, but no food!
    Yes, by the Wermacht. At first when I was a prisoner, they didn't treat us too well. They captured us in the Mountains in November, late in the afternoon. There was snow on the ground, and it was cold. Even though we were wounded, they took our overcoats, and covered their own soldiers. A lot of people froze to death at night.
    When I marched with them, they treated us pretty well. They were more gentle than the Soviets. They didn't beat us, and fed us 3 meals a day. They were pretty nice people.
    In the Soviet army, they were very poor. Very little food, the boots were poor, and the discipline was not good. For example, we walked in the Caucasus Mountains with blisters on your feet. You could barely walk, and had to go so slow. Officers on horseback would come by with a whip and say "comrade, you're walking too slow, you must walk fast. You must walk fast for this country and for Stalin." Once someone fought back against an officer, and was shot. This scared us into keep walking, no matter what.
    When we fought in the mountains, the food was very poor. After walking many miles, there would be barely anything in the kitchens. We had cabbage soup and special dried bread. That's all. We had no shelter in the Mountains, sleeping in open fields, in the cold and snow even. A lot of people died in the cold.
    I was captured in these mountains. I was wounded in an explosion (shrapnel in my head). I lost my conscious (and a finger), and when I woke up a German was beating my back. I did not think I would be rescued by the Soviets. In the Russian army, you were never supposed to fall to prisoner, you were supposed to shoot yourself, instead. When I was in prison camp in Maykop (in southern Russia) the Russians advanced on the Germans. Fearing for my life, I marched on with the Germans.
    The beginning of the blog:
    overview for OldSoldierOpa

  • #2
    In a previous life I used to interview ex WARPAC and Soviet emigres wanting to establish themselves in Australia

    Some of their stories were horrendous - those who were jewish invariably had harrowing stories - they regarded the sov military elites as no better than the nazis.

    it never ceased to amaze me at the absolute venom and contempt they had for the russians, and then east germans (in that order). The east germans were nicknamed "robots"
    Linkeden:
    http://au.linkedin.com/pub/gary-fairlie/1/28a/2a2
    http://cofda.wordpress.com/

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