A Cossack Polizei unit in the Balkans?

[Ivan Ž.]

I think that I have KUZOP files on (at least) one Squadron, plus several other partisan documents on them. I'll try to find it. Basically, Kuzop for Štajerska got personnel list for them and then wrote indictments for all the men on the list. Later, they realized that they "charged" people that were killed before and had to dismiss all the indictments. Very strange affair.

Do you perhaps have/know any Serbian/Serbo-Croat source on it, especially before Slovenia?

I'm afraid I don't, as far as I can remember at the moment. I'll search for it. If I find anything I will let you know of course. Please see if you can find the documents you mentioned, they seem very interesting!

A big cheers,
Ivan

[K.Kocjancic]

Excellent, Klemen! Thank you very much.

I believe we got it now: the Cossack Polizei unit photographed by Stanek was, apparently, the 3. Schwadron, Polizei-Reiter-Abteilung Serbien. (The date, September 1944, also matches now.)

Cheers,
Ivan

More info:
- the unit came to Slovenia in Autumn (September?) of 1944. One source (partisan) states that it was not a whole Abt., but just Abt.-Stab and one Squadron (III), German document lists all 3 Squadrons as in Slovenia (in Febr. 45). Perhaps 2 others came to Slovenia later as the III.?
- in April 1945 moved to Austria
- German officers were attached/lead the unit; personnel (and other CO/NCOs) came from Russia, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia, Turkey, Greece
- as CO I have Maj. d. Schupo Lehman(n). But in another document, he is listed as "Kommandeur der Polizei-Reiterschwadron Alpenland 2". Is it possible that the unit was renamed in Slovenia? Or just a case of mistaken identity?

I see, that I don't have the KUZUP files. Most likely, I didn't film them, as there were so many and all were the same (just different names).

[Ivan Ž.]

Yes, apparently, only the 3rd squadron arrived in (around) September 1944 in Slovenia. The others, I assume, followed later (if they survived).

Novembra 1944 godine stigao je u područje Ljutomera, povlačeći se iz jugoslovenskog prostora, kozački eskadron Wehrmacht-a [...].

Pripadali so III. eskadronu policijskega jahalnega srbskega oddelka [...]. Septembra 1944 jih je prispelo skupaj 346.

Izvedeli smo, da so kozaki pripadali nemškemu odredu Polizeireiterabteilung - Serbien 3. Skvadron.

All of the aforementioned sources also mention that the unit (3rd squadron) was as a Cossack unit.

Regarding the renaming; I've found the same thing in footnote 64, p. 231 of "Zbornik dokumenata...", vol. VI, bk 17.

U Štajerskoj je polovinom 1944. obrazovana pod neposrednim rukovodstvom Gestapoa jedna kvislinška teroristička vojna formacija u sastavu »Polizeireiterabteilung Serbien« a kasnije »Polizeireiterschwadron Alpenland 2«.

Note that, judging by the text, it seems that the entire battalion (Abteilung) was stationed in Lower Styria in mid-1944. But it's also possible that they only referred to the battalion's 3rd squadron. (Their footnotes are far from perfect.) What's strange is this: if the battalion was redesignated - why was it designated a squadron (Schwadron), that is, why was it downgraded? You wrote that you saw the full battalion listed in a Feb. 1945 document (with all three squadrons). What is the date of the document mentioning Lehmann as commander of Pol.Reit.Schw. Alpenland 2?

Cheers,
Ivan

[K.Kocjancic]

What is the date of the document mentioning Lehmann as commander of Pol.Reit.Schw. Alpenland 2?

Cheers,
Ivan

It's a post-war KUZOP document on the war criminals.

[K.Kocjancic]

Note that, judging by the text, it seems that the entire battalion (Abteilung) was stationed in Lower Styria in mid-1944. But it's also possible that they only referred to the battalion's 3rd squadron. (Their footnotes are far from perfect.) What's strange is this: if the battalion was redesignated - why was it designated a squadron (Schwadron), that is, why was it downgraded?

I would assume, that two other squadrons were destroyed (in Serbia) and that's why would be downgraded. But it's possible that "Alpenland" and "Serbien" were two different units, working at the same time in the same area.

Found another KOZUP document, that lists "I. Lehmann" as the commander of "Serbien".

That Febr. 1945 German document (from 15 Febr 45), which deals with establishing security zones in WK XVIII, lists "Pol-Reiterabteilung 'Serbien' (soweit im Schutzgebiet.)" under the "Polizei-Kräfte", as part of the "Kräfte des Schutzgebetskommandanten". Then in the definition/description of the "Sicherungssabschnitt I" (HQ: Pettau/Ptuj), among the "Kräfte, die zur Bandenkampfung dauernd zur Verfügung stehen" ss

Polizei-Reiter-Abtlg. "Serbien" 3. Schwadron, Luttenberg
1 Zug 1. Schwadron [Stainztal]
1 Zug 2. Schwadron [Mala Nedelja]

The same documents then lists "III./Pol. Freiw. Rgt. 2 "Serbien" Btl.-Stab Petersdorf. (under Sicherungsabschnitt V)

In Sicherungsabschnitt VII (Leutschach) is listed "2. Jagdkommando (Kosaken)", stationed in Unterhaag.

To complicate matters, in April 45 there was a report of a III. Btl. of destroyed "2. Pol. Rgt. Serbien", with almost 400 men, came from Šabac-Hungary-Graz-Sp. Savinjska dolina in Nov. 1944

In Febr. 1945, they reported that in Febr. 45 came to sector Ptuj-Rogatec 3. Pol. Freiw. Rgt. "Serbien" (most likely the mis-ID-ed previous). They located its I. Btl. in Petrovče.

At the same time they located a II. Btl., 5. Pol. Frw. Rgt. "Serbien" in Zagorje ob Savi.

[Ivan Ž.]

Thank you very much for the detailed reply, Klemen.

Judging by the quote "...u sastavu Polizeireiterabteilung Serbien a kasnije Polizeireiterschwadron Alpenland 2", it appears that it was the same unit. But there is room for different interpretations.

Actually, I've just found another quote mentioning the same formations (a Chetnik collaborationist unit attached to Pol.Reit.Abt. Serbien):

Zimi 1944/1945. Nemci su na području Slovenskih gorica organizovali četničku grupu, pod rukovodstvom Jožeta Melahera Zmagoslava, koja je bila sastavni deo Policijskog konjičkog odreda »Srbija« (Polizei Reiterabteilung Serbien), a zatim u sastavu Policijskog konjičkog eskadrona »Alpenland 2« (Polizei Reiter[schw]adron Alpenland 2).

(Footnote 8, p. 520, "Zbornik dokumenata...", vol. VI, bk 18; it's the same collaborationist unit as the one from footnote 64, p. 231, bk 17; notice that in the previous book they mentioned mid-1944 and now it's winter 1944/45!)

We should also try finding out what did the number 2 (Roman: II) signify: was it a 2nd squadron (if so, there should have been a 1st squadron), or did the number perhaps refer to a Sicherungsabschnitt (or something else)?

All those police units are still rather obscure and they should be researched. I'm glad you brought the others up too, I find them all very interesting. I'll keep my eyes open for any document on them.

Cheers,
Ivan

[ASAM]

Do you perhaps know what was the correct spelling of the captain's name? There's von Schidlovsky, Šidrovski (Schidrovsky) and Shlidowski.

Cheers,
Ivan

Von Schidlovsky (Михаил Шидловский on Russian).
I wrote about him in one of my articles (Самцевич А. Батальон хипо фон Семенова - "образцовая часть" русских фольксдойче // Воjноисториjский гласник 1/2017 pp. 137-155).

[Ivan Ž.]

Thank you, ASAM (found the article!)

Cheers,
Ivan