[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Russian

[Lloyd Friedrick]

Hello John

Yup, you are right. Here is my family story. My family lived very near 
Rosysszcze in the heart of old Volhynia.
My Uncle Gottleib was drafted into the Russian Army in 1904, he told us that 
the first few years as a young recruit was a terrible experience. Young 
draftees were subjected to considerable and hard hazing. He did manage to 
move into the bridge and building section of the military and had a much 
easier time.

My Uncle Karl was drafted in 1906, also at the age of 18. Under the advice 
of his older brother, he strived and managed to learn to play a coronet and 
got into the Military band. He was able to desert later and told us the 
story of walking all the way to Germany. He emigrated to Canada sometime 
later but always lived in fear that someone from the Russian military would 
come and get him.

My father, Ferdinand was almost 18 in April , 1914 when the family heard 
that the village schultz was instructed to produce 50 recruits for the 
Russians.
The family panicked as they realized that it was going to be a terrible war. 
They arranged his passage to Canada with the assistance of a local Jewish 
merchant, which could be described as an early travel agent. He was smuggled 
over the border to Poland in a load of hay and then onward by train and 
steamship.
All details were arranged, including a few Canadian dollars sewn into the 
lining of his coat and letters of introduction all the way to a Jewish 
boarding house in Winnipeg. His 18th birthday occurred while he was in the 
mid Atlantic. He too, always feared that the Russians would come some day to 
get him to serve in their military.

lloyd friedrick in Victoria, BC

-----Original Message----- 
From: gpvjem
Sent: Friday, February 03, 2012 5:16 AM
To: Marg Driechel ; ger-poland-volhynia at eclipse.sggee.org
Subject: Re: [Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Russian

    My Grandfather Emil Marsch, returned to Poland from Volhynia to serve in 
the Russian Army from 1879 to 1884.  In a short account of this he described 
it as "necessary to fulfill his military duty" , i.e. drafted.  There was no 
war at that time. It appears the Russian army in Poland was really an 
occupation army.

John Marsch

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