Hello.
I am attaching copies of WWII pictures that I found in my father's files. My father lived in Poland and was in forced labor under Hitler.
Any thoughts on the pictures would be appreciated!
1) WWII soldiers being led by soldier on horseback
2) WWII soldiers in discussion on street
3) WWII soldiers standing in line on field
Mar 29, 2019 12:43 PM
Dear Ms. Dash,
Thank you for posting your question on the History Hub!
If it was part of the “captured” records in the National Archives Collection of Foreign Records Seized (Record Group 242), the photograph of record would be considered permanent and in the custody of the National Archives at College Park -Still Picture (RDSS). Please contact RDSS via email at stillpix@nara.gov. Their web site is https://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/college-park/photographs-dc.html.
We also suggest that you contact the State Archives of Poland via https://www.archiwa.gov.pl/pl/ for Polish military information. For German military information, you may wish to contact the Bundesarchiv Abt. VI - Militärarchiv, Wiesentalstraße 10, 79115 Freiburg, Germany.
We hope this information is helpful. Best of luck with your family research!
Mar 29, 2019 3:05 PM
Ms. Dash,
The first and third photos in your query appear to be troops of the Polish 1st or 2nd Army, troop formations equipped and commanded by the Red Army during their westward movement toward the heart of the Third Reich in 1944 and 1945. The clues in the images include the rogatywka field cap with Polish eagle insignia and the mixture of Soviet, German, and British weapons--in the first picture the troops are carrying Soviet PPSH-41 and British Sten submachine guns, along with a fairly rare German Sturmgewehr 44 assault rifle. In the third picture, at least one soldiers is carrying a German Karabiner 98k rifle.
The second image is bit more sobering as I believe it was taken during the Warsaw Uprising in the summer of 1944. The uniforms here appear to be all German, and the presence of women in uniform would be consistent with the diversity of the fighters in the Warsaw ghetto during the uprising. Finally, the building debris in the background of the photo as well as the atmosphere of the scene tells me that fighting is happening close by.
I hope you will find these observations helpful.