[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Re: Area around Novograd Volhynsk

[Richard Benert]

Good question, Virginia.  My father got out in 1911 with the aid of a Jewish
"smuggler".   He told the story only once, and at the time I wasn't into
writing things down, so I only remember the part about being told, when
almost at the border at night, to head for some lights in a farm house.  It
would be interesting to know how organized this "underground" was.  It must
have operated over the course of a good many years.  I, too, would be
delighted if anyone knows anything about this.

Dick Benert

----- Original Message -----
From: <GVLESS at aol.com>
To: <ger-poland-volhynia at eclipse.sggee.org>
Sent: Saturday, June 28, 2003 1:01 PM
Subject: [Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Re: Area around Novograd Volhynsk


> Looking for anyone who knows of a Jewish Underground movement that is
> supposed to be operating at the turn of the century to enable anyone who
wanted out
> of Volhynia, probably because of who they were but understand that
non-Jewish
> friends utilized this service as well.  I have a family story of my
husband's
> father, Friedrich Less, that I have no proof of yet.  It has been said
that he
> "escaped" out of Volhynia in 1903 and the only paper he had with him was
his
> confirmation paper as confirming his identity. His brother "went out" the
year
> before with wife & young child and their story is that they left middle of
> night, met a farmer near the border to Poland, waited until the guards met
and
> walked on.  One guard had been paid and would flick his cigarette when all
was
> well telling the "escapees" it was okay to move across.  Then brother
Erdmann
> Less & family met another farmer on the Polish side, stayed there until it
was
> safe to move on.  We feel that his brother, Freidrich, also left in this
way a
> year later.   Of course, there probably was money paid and family story
says
> the two brothers earned money making barrels etc.so they could eventually
go
> to America.  Erdmann was also on leave from his military duty so his
"escape"
> had to be because of that.  Now -
> The story I have heard is that the Jewish Underground existed around
Novograd
> Volhynsk.  My husband's father and brother lived not very many miles from
> there in the village of Warwarowka which is not far from the highway to
Novograd
> V.
> Okay - does anyone know of this Underground?  Sure would like to find out
> more.
> Thanks.
> Virginia Less
>
> _______________________________________________
> Ger-Poland-Volhynia Mailing List hosted by
> Society for German Genealogy in Eastern Europe http://www.sggee.org
> Mailing list info at http://www.sggee.org/listserv