[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Russian Army Records

[Earl.Schultz]

My grandfather, Emil Leichnitz, and his brother Julius from Rypin, Plock
served in the Russian Army around 1904.  I have a picture of them in their
uniforms but can't be sure of the year.  Julius emigrated to Canada about
1910.

My uncle, William Schultz, born about 1904 in New Jersey and returned as a
child to Rypin, also served in the Russian Army and apparently was the
reason the US refused him admittance even though he was a US Citizen.

I would appreciate any information about how I can access their military
records or any comments that would help me understand the times.  Bill
apparently was drafted and I can assume with a high degree of accuracy that
both Emil and Julius were drafted.

Earl

-----Original Message-----
From: ger-poland-volhynia-bounces at eclipse.sggee.org
[mailto:ger-poland-volhynia-bounces at eclipse.sggee.org] On Behalf Of Richard
Benert
Sent: October-31-07 12:20 PM
To: ger-poland-volhynia at eclipse.sggee.org; kaiser116 at aol.com
Subject: Re: [Ger-Poland-Volhynia] WWI and War Wives

Kurt, you wrote:
> I've heard many stories of ethnic Germans (Volksdeutsche) serving the
> Russians or serving with >the Germans in WWI and WWII. It all depended on
> circumstance and personal preference, for >good (not much of that it
> seems) or evil.

I can't say anything about WW II, but in 1914 a lot of Germans in Russia
were still German citizens and owed military duty to Germany.  So it really
wasn't a matter of "preference".  And if such a person elected to stay in
Russia, he would likely have been sent to Siberia with all the other German
citizens of draft age as soon as the war broke out.  Circumstance yes but
preference probably not!

Dick Benert
_______________________________________________