Figure 1.-- This German photograph is undated and unidentified. But clearly Soviet children are helping Germany soldiers carry their gear. They seem to be doing it hapily withour coersion. Perhaps they will receive tips are food rewards. We would guess that this photograph was taken in Summer 1941 early in the German invasion of the Soviet Union, probasbly in the western Ukraine.

Children like adults also aided the Germans. This varied regionally. It was probably most extensive in the Baltics, but also occuured in the Western Ukraine, especially early in the War when some of the Soviet population saw the Germans as liberators. This was the case in the Ukraine before the Ukranians undersood what the Germans were planning. Of course any one associated with the NAZIs is today looked down upon. Given what the Soviets did in the Baltics and Ukraine, however, it is understandable that many might have seen the Germans as liberators. Older Balts and Ukranians remember the more civilized German Army of the World War I era which had occupied the area. It should be remembered that Arny Group Center only in the Fall entered Russia proper, areas of the Soviet Union populated by ethnic Russians and were driven from these areas by the Red Army offensive before Moscow (December 1941). For the rest of the War the areas of the Soviet Union held by the Germans were areas populated by people other than ethnic Russians.

Child Workers

A reader writes, "Interesting photograph here. In the background is a solder who appears to be negotiating with a boy to carry his belongings. This might be an railway depot or the city market and the boys are transporting the soldiers gear or items they have bought in a market. I suspect that they are regular barrow boys that are always in attendence at a train station or market and that the boys are only too ready to earn a little money to carry the soldiers' items." The Germans advanced very rapidly during the first weeks of the invasion. Towns a coities were often taken without much damage as the shatered forward elements of the Red Army retreated or surrendered. This may have been te case here, although there soes seem to be some rubble to the left. The areas first taken by the Germans were not populated by Russians, but ny Balts, Poles, and Ukranians.

Mascot

Here are two German photographs from German soldiers in the Soviet Union. All we know about the boy is what can be deduced from the imafes which were taken during the Wunter. The photographs were probably taken in the Wunter of 1941-42 or 1942-43. They show a boy mascot adopted by the German soldiers. We do not know where the photographs were taken. Nor do we know who the boy was. He could have been a Baltic or Ukranian boy who the soldiers adopted. Or perhaps he was a Volk Deitsche boy. I'm not sure how likely this was because when the NAZIs invaded, the Soviets deported the Volk Deutsche to Central Asia and Siberia.

Created: 7:01 AM 7/30/2006
Last updated: 3:03 AM 3/13/2007