The 52nd Lowland Division and enforced repatriation - Operation Keelhaul

Hi
I wonder if anyone can shed light on this topic. I have searched this site and elsewhere on the internet and have a general picture of 'Operation Keelhaul' and the enforced repatriation of unwilling subjects to the Soviet Union. I am hoping to pin down the specific role of the Cameronians in this period.

My uncle, Joseph Halsall 14551418, dob 19.10.24, was enlisted into the Cameronians on 4.3.43. He returned from the war very traumatised and spoke little of his experiences, in common with so many others. I have read 'Mountain & Flood' which was fascinating regarding the history of the Cameronians, but gives little information of the role of the Cameronians after Bremen. The little he did recount of the period post-hostilities included a harrowing experience in having to 'force' unwilling persons (possibly Ukrainian) to 'return' to the Soviet Union. Not clear how, but perhaps by train or marching. He found this experience painful and devastating and I am confident that it was a major contributing factor to the mental anguish he suffered after the war.

If anyone can shed light on the role of the Cameronians in the post-war period, and especially in Operation Keelhaul I would be tremendously grateful.

NB. I have yet to obtain his service record for the simple reason that he has a surviving sister in possession of his death certificate who has herself been bereaved recently (a second sister), and so I feel I need to allow some time before broaching that topic with her.

Pete

 

Just checked the unit histories for 6th & 7th Battalions who were the 2 Cameronians Battalions in the 52nd, Joseph is listed in the roll for the 6th (Lanarkshire) Battalion both books basically end abruptly after Bremen. Sorry not really much help but you can rule those 2 books out as a source of info and at least it confirms which Battalion he was with.

War Diaries may be the way to go, I'm guessing they continued for a little after VE Day

Alistair

 

Thanks Alistair, very generous of you to look that up, and with such speed.
I suspected 6th Battalion from the information I had, so nice to confirm that.
Saved me a lot of time checking those unit histories too, and it also confirms my finding that rather little is recorded outside of military action, inevitable I suppose. Fingers crossed someone can fill in the missing chapter....

Pete

 

Pete,

I can only imagine what your uncle went through.

Some years ago I became aware of the forced repatriations and our lads had to guard and supervise people who knew what their fates would be. I pulled up the war diary of a Canadian unit involved in this mess only to read how mothers were killing their children before killing themselves. Grim stuff.

When this all ended (I'm going back almost 30 years here so don't have notes handy) someone had written on the final page of the war diary "Never has a Canadian military unit been tasked to do something so distasteful"

I'd recommend having a read of Count Nikolai Tolstoy's works on the topic but given what happened to him after the publication of his "The Minister and the Massacres" I'd let google fill you in:

FRUS: Foreign relations of the United States, 1946. The British of Commonwealth, Western and Central Europe: Europe: regional

The last secret of WW2: Operation Keelhaul – Betrayal of the Cossacks in Lienz

DP Camps in Austria, D-G

‘The Last Secret’ of World War II

Regards,

Dave

 

Pete

If you need then there is nothing stopping you from going to the Registers Offcie and for a small fee obtaining a copy of his death certificate for yourself - his sister etc need know nothing about it

TD

 

A tremendous response alieneyes, fascinating and helpful sources. A grim story indeed. I am still hoping to actually 'place' the Cameronians at some point in this story in order to avoid making unjustified assumptions about their role. All I know so far is that my uncle was drawn into some element of enforced repatriation, but where, when, and to what extent is not yet clear.

I can see one possibility worth exploring further. Your third link 'DP camps in Austria..' includes a place called Esterwegen. This seems to have been used to house various populations over the period, including Displaced Persons. I do not yet known which Company of the 6th Battalion, Cameronians my uncle was in but I can see here 156th Infantry Brigade that each of A, B, and C companies were on duty at Esterwegen at times between April and June 1946.

Pete

Thanks Tricky Dicky. Hadn't thought of that, although my understanding was that I also had to be next of kin to get the full version of the record?

 

That would depend when he died - read the guidelines - Request records of deceased service personnel - it also depends on IF you need a full copy for your purposes

TD

 

Pete,

One of the problems researching the whole "forced repatriation" episodes is that a lot of good info is on sites like IHR, so the question emerges. If we accept the forced repat information, do we also then accept the whole "denial" thing these sites cater to?

This site doesn't fall in that ilk and mentions British units:

Cossacks in Lienz

The Regiments and Companies involved in deportation of the Cossack camps in the Upper Drau valley were:
8th Argyll and Sutherland – Y Company (Major Davis) &
5th Batl. Royal East Kent (known as the 'Buffs', at Peggetz)
6th Royal West Kents – B Company
2nd Inniskillings – A & D Companies

Dave

 

Not exactly on target, but related, is the David Niven movie from 1968 Before Winter Comes. It also stars Topol, Anna Karina, John Hurt, and Anthony Quayle. It is listed as a comedy/drama and deals with the British role in an Austrian camp for displaced people. Topol is an interpreter that helps mediate with the Russians. I remember seeing this when I was 18 and it first came out.

 

The full movie is located here:



I have always remembered the scene where David Niven puts on his dress blues for a mess dinner in the movie.

 

Dave,
Thats really good advice, most appreciated. I had noted that a substantial number of the sites providing 'information' on enforced repatriation were fairly extreme in their views and I did treat them with caution. The one you have provided seems more balanced and valid than most of the ones I'd seen. No involvement of the Cameronians there, but interesting to see the relevant Companies detailed. Cheers.

Dryan67,
That's a great link! I hadn't seen that film before though Topol is familiar from 'Fiddler on the Roof'. Very welcome, thanks.

Pete

 

Forced Repatriation to the Soviet Union: The Secret Betrayal

The Secret Betrayal (Review)

https://h-france.net/rude/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/vol7_Burgess.pdf

Nothing on Cameronians I'm afraid but do provide a view on what happened
TD

 

Thanks TD, gave me plenty of good reading material there! I was also interested to find that some of the books referenced in the third link (Tolstoy, Bethel etc) are available on Amazon at reasonable prices so I will be able to really get to grips with the topic.
As far as the Cameronians go, the nearest I can see them being involved in this story is the camp at Esterwegen. Very little online about that but it was used for civilian internment so its the closest thing I've got at the moment.

Thanks again, your help is much appreciated.

Pete

 

Pete

If its reading you want its reading you will have
Search results: keelhaul | The National Archives

We have members here you offer TNA file copying service for a very modest fee

TD

 

Thanks TD, I might well take you up on that!

Pete

 

Pete,

I have this theory (and I may be quite wrong) but are the "alleged war criminals" referred to here, the Cossack XVth Corps?

Regards,

Dave

 

I haven't read it, but others have said that Carol Mather's book is interesting:

In retirement, he wrote Aftermath of War: Everyone Must Go Home, published in 1992. A memoir of his duties in Germany in 1945, visiting camps holding Axis prisoners, including Cossacks and Yugoslavs who fought for the Germans and who were returned to face an uncertain future under Stalin and Tito, the book was also a defence of Harold Macmillan against allegations of treachery made by Nikolai Tolstoy.

Source:
Carol Mather - Wikipedia
​

He was Scots Guards, "L" Detachment, one of Monty's liaison officers and a Tory M.P. post war.

 

Hi Charley,

A great tip, thanks for that. I've just located a copy on amazon for the princely sum of £1.44 so I will be reading that by the end of the week! His second book 'When the grass stops growing' also looks like a good read so I may move on to that later.

Cheers

Pete

 

I have that second book and it is very good. interesting stories from 'inside the tent' engagingly old.

As you can see, he covers a lot of ground, but some is light on depth:

 

Dave,

Thanks for that. Had a look at the link. I really could do with finding a way of getting to Kew, It seems difficult to use the page check system unless you have a very specific question. An interesting alternative to the Cossacks might be Georgians from the revolt at Texel, Esterwegen being en route from Texel to the USSR. There is a very vague verbal history in the family that the unfortunates concerned were Russian / Ukranian so either the Cossacks or Georgians could fit the bill.

Cheers