Hi,
I'm interested in this question of anti-Semitism in the Anders Army but do not know all that much about it at this point.
Personally I'd be rather surprised if Jews in the Anders did not with some frequency encounter incidents of anti-semitism during their service. Both my parents were in the American Army during WW II and both of them have a number of personal accounts of anti-semitism in the American Army during and after the war. My father worked for the defense department after the war, and at one point was denied a promotion simply because the commanding officer was determined that a Jew would not hold the position in question as long as he could help it. My father had to wait until this officer was reassigned to gain the position.
First, to me it's a question of weather the goals and objectives of the Anders Army included ones that could be considered anti-semitic. I think the answer to that is no. The Anders Army was not an "anti semitic army"!
Second, were Jews subjected to a high level of abuse that was tolerated or encouraged by the officer corps? I haven't seen anything yet from Jewish sources that would indicate this.
Were there policies or attitudes in the Anders Army that discriminated toward Jews regarding things such as promotion?
Admittedly based on very limited knowledge right now I'm inclined to think that anti-semitism within Anders Army was pretty much on a par with what existed in other allied armies where Jews served. This is not to minimize or trivialize it. My mother served in the US Women's Army Corps. She insists that when she enlisted in basic training Jewish women were intentionally concentrated in particular units, and therefore sort of semi segregated.
I think you have to look at this issue in historical context, and not just from a 21 century concept of human rights and political correctness.
If anyone has anymore information on this issue I'd be happy to hear it.
Tilford Bartman
