Re: [Cz-L] Military and other records

Hi Lisa!
My father Simon Rosner was also enrolled by force into the Red Army when th=
e Soviets withdrew from Czernowitz in June 1941. I don=E2=80=99t know of an=
y Red Army Archives being available on the net. The little I know comes fro=
m what my father told us: here are a few paragraphs from my book, putting s=
ome faint light on this story=E2=80=A6
Regards,
Charles
=C2=A0
<=E2=80=A6=20
The Soviet occupation of Bukovina lasts one year, till Hitler reneges the p=
act with Stalin and launches operation Barbarossa on 22nd June 1941.
Before it leaves, the Red Army enrolls by force 3,000 young men from the ci=
ty, among whom Simon and his elder brother David: this probably saved their=
 life.
=C2=A0
Sixty-two years later, I met with the Yiddish writer Joseph Burg, who got e=
nrolled as well. Here is how he pictures the event =E2=80=9CThings were qui=
te simple: you were ordered to come and so you did. Otherwise, they would c=
ome and fetch you: either you accepted and got enrolled =E2=80=93 then you =
were given a uniform and a gun, but no cartridges =E2=80=93 or you didn=E2=
=80=99t and were immediately arrested and, at best, deported to Siberia=E2=
=80=9D=E2=80=A6
Among the archives left over by my parents, I found a few words scribbled b=
y Simon on a notebook.
=C2=A0
On June 23rd 1941, together with many others, Simon is called to the Reside=
nce and gets enrolled. They all spend the night there and, next morning, ar=
e taken to the former nuns=E2=80=99 convent in front of the Volksgarten. He=
 wants to inform Rusia, who is pregnant; he wants to tell her where he is a=
nd that they all hope to stay in Czernowitz. But it is difficult to get out=
, except for a very short permission, and they live too far. He knows many =
young men who are like him in the convent and, finally, he is able to send =
a short note to Rusia with one of them.
Next day, 25th of June, he writes again to her:
=E2=80=9CYesterday I could quickly inform mother and she will certainly com=
e and tell you where I am: just after the barracks in the Siebenb=C3=BCrger=
strasse in front of the Volksgarten. Maybe you can come today and, if I=E2=
=80=99m not allowed to go out, I will see you from the window=E2=80=A6 Also=
, I forgot to tell you that the rent will be lower now that you are alone: =
40 kopeks/sqm and only 3.35 instead of 6.75 for the water; don=E2=80=99t le=
t H. fool you, go and see K. at 25 Rathausstrasse, and if R. isn=E2=80=99t =
present, try to see S. My M=C3=A4derl, be strong and always remember your p=
romise=E2=80=A6 Pah, my Dear, and take good care of yourself, I want to ret=
rieve you in good health!=E2=80=9D
Later same day, Simon is embarked with many others in a train leaving north=
east, behind the front.
=E2=80=A6
Simon
=C2=A0
Simon understands progressively in 1941 that he will be away for more than =
a few weeks. He feels terribly lonely and he also writes some words in a no=
tebook, addressing them to Rusia=E2=80=A6
At first, he is appointed to the infirmary; close to the front line for a f=
ew months, he carries wounded soldiers on stretchers. He sees how soldiers =
leave for a battle with a gun plus a bottle of vodka, but no cartridges : J=
ust get some from a dead German! He is shown how to jump into the excavatio=
n made by the last bomb in order to escape the next one; and, when an alien=
 plane shoots on his convoy near a corn field, he runs along the field inst=
ead of trying to hide in the forest of stems. He loads and unloads trucks, =
carrying up to 100-kg-bags on his back. He is taught how to arrange a fire =
under trucks=E2=80=99 diesel engines, so that they can start in winter=E2=
=80=A6=20
=C2=A0
Stalin doesn=E2=80=99t trust those recruits from Bukovina who speak German:=
 he orders they shall be sent eastwards, as far as possible from the front =
line.=20
=C2=A0
Like many, Simon is sent to Alma Ata, by then the capital of Kazakhstan.
One day, he thinks of a way to get discharged from the army: he is shortsig=
hted and decides to learn by heart each line of the infirmary=E2=80=99s pos=
ter used in ophthalmology. He then complains that he doesn=E2=80=99t see we=
ll with his old glasses. And when they test him, first without his glasses =
and then with incredibly thick ones on his nose, he roughly guesses through=
 the fog the level of the line they point at and tells by heart the corresp=
onding line!
He is discharged.
=E2=80=A6

[Charles Rosner]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
This moderated discussion group is for information exchange on the subject of
 Czernowitz and Sadagora Jewish History and Genealogy. The opinions expressed
 in these posts are the opinions of the original poster only and not necessarily
 the opinions of the List Owner, the Webmaster or any other members
 or entities connected with this mailing list. The Czernowitz-L list has
 an associated web site at http://czernowitz.ehpes.com that includes a
 searchable archive of all messages posted to this list. As a result,
 Messages sent to the list are available to the general public within days
 of posting.

Please post in "Plain Text" if possible (help available at:
<http://www.jewishgen.org/InfoFiles/PlainText.html>).

To remove your address from this e-list follow the directions at:

<http://www.it.cornell.edu/services/elist/howto/user/leave.cfm>

To receive assistance for this e-list send an e-mail message to:
<owner-Czernowitz-L_at_list.cornell.edu>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Received on 2012-04-24 11:33:23