This takes a few minutes to take off but in short the claim that the Soviets kept hundreds if not thousands of our boys. My cross checking is not going anywhere so far.

JJMt,

Not sure of your source, but I've seen an article about a downed US aviator who fought with the Russians, and if it's the same guy, the story I read said it was voluntary.

I am only aware of Americans of Polish or Eastern European descent who were kept by the Russians who did not believe that they were naturalized Americans. Beyond that, I've never heard of any stories.

This could be true, but there's also a lot of B.S. on the Internet. I don't believe it until I see a reputable source that can be cross-checked.

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/jrbeyrle.htm

Alexander Dolgun, an America civilian working in the US Embassy in Moscow in the 30's, was caught up in Stalin's purges in the 30s and tossed into the gulag.

Google his name and read his book. Warning: it will make your blood boil.

I have no doubt that individuals slipped through the crack, but not large numbers, and I'm pretty sure that most of them are Russian-, Polish- and Ukranian Americans who were not believed, or who were feared for other reasons. Like Alexander Dolgun, mentioned above, who was Polish-American.

Family friend was a pow in a German camp
It was liberated by the Russians and he said he preferred being a German POW to being "free" with the Russians.

Think he said he spent a few weeks with them before getting hooked up with an American unit.

He wrote a book that was popular locally about his experiences.

Joe Beryle was in the 101st Airborne, 506 PIR.
Captured and escaped to the Russians where he fought along side them for a month or 2 when the war ended
There's a book about him and his experiences which is a great read

JJMt said:

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aalan,

My source is my dad, and his source was his "friend". I talked to my dad about this today, and he said that the guy was more of an acquaintance than a friend. He met the guy in the 70s or 80s.

The guy was a P-47 pilot who was shot down three times and captured by the Germans after the third. I asked my dad today if he believed the acquaintance and he hesitated a bit. Who knows if the story is true or not. It is unusual, though.

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Pilots who were shot down behind enemy lines in WWII and got back safely to the US side were not usually allowed to fly again. They did not want them getting captured and revealing anything about the underground network in EU helping prisoners/aviators escape.

agracer said:

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JJMt said:

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aalan,

My source is my dad, and his source was his "friend". I talked to my dad about this today, and he said that the guy was more of an acquaintance than a friend. He met the guy in the 70s or 80s.

The guy was a P-47 pilot who was shot down three times and captured by the Germans after the third. I asked my dad today if he believed the acquaintance and he hesitated a bit. Who knows if the story is true or not. It is unusual, though.

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Pilots who were shot down behind enemy lines in WWII and got back safely to the US side were not usually allowed to fly again. They did not want them getting captured and revealing anything about the underground network in EU helping prisoners/aviators escape.

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JJMt didn't say the guy was shot down behind enemy lines.

And Chuck Yeager was one of the few who did fly again. I suspect it was because the lines had already receded past his escape route when he was allowed to fly again.

JJMt said:

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aalan,

My source is my dad, and his source was his "friend". I talked to my dad about this today, and he said that the guy was more of an acquaintance than a friend. He met the guy in the 70s or 80s.

The guy was a P-47 pilot who was shot down three times and captured by the Germans after the third. I asked my dad today if he believed the acquaintance and he hesitated a bit. Who knows if the story is true or not. It is unusual, though.

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Wait, so your dad didn't meet the guy who this happened to until the 1970s or 1980s? Your first post says your dad started his army career at the end of WW2 and then goes into the story of the friend, which would give the reader the impression that your dad met this guy during or soon after the end of ww2 (I know you didnt actually state that in the original post, just letting you know how it reads).

Well, I dont really think it was clear from the post, which was the point of my post asking you for clarification.

I'm sorry if my post somehow offended you. I found the thread to be an interesting historical discussion that I had not read about before in my time as an armchair history buff.

This is the history board. Not some "gotcha" thread on the football board. I am just interested in learning about the events being discussed.

Is that OK with you?

Its weird that you made a long and detailed post (full of big names and incredible claims that stretch belief) and then in the follow up post basically admitted it was a questionable 3rd hand story from a rando your dad met 30 yrs after it supposedly happened (and 40 yrs ago). Was the guy named Mark Barnes?

Well this is almost as interesting as the what the OP is about.

1945 - Talked to two Navy aerologists ( weatherman to you ) who were stationed with Russian soldiers
near Vladivostak during

WW2. No combat but had some great stories .