Thousands of Poles forcibly conscripted by Nazis ended up fighting for the allies | Letters

"However, the article fails to mention that around 90,000 Poles who had been forcibly conscripted into the Wehrmacht later ended up fighting for the Polish Armed Forces in the west. These men would have deserted and crossed over into allied lines or else been captured by allied forces during fighting and taken as prisoners of war. A thorough intelligence debriefing would have followed, and the majority of those deemed suitable then fought against the Nazis."

"Krzysztof Nowakowski Vice-chairman, Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum My former boss was Polish. Faced with the unenviable choice between death in a concentration camp and service under the Wehrmacht, he chose the latter. He told me that much of his time was spent sabotaging his own equipment, a risky occupation in which he and his comrades regularly engaged. Dr Allan Dodds Bramcote, Nottinghamshire"

Around 90,000 Poles were forcibly conscripted into the Wehrmacht and later served with the Polish Armed Forces in the West. These individuals often deserted or were captured by Allied forces and underwent thorough intelligence debriefings before being accepted to fight against the Nazis. Many of the conscripts had faced choices between deportation or death in concentration camps and temporary service under German command. Some used Wehrmacht service as cover while engaging in sabotage of their own equipment, taking significant personal risk to undermine German military efforts.

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