1. POLISH AND DISCHARGE OF THE 1929 CLASS 2. 16TH POLISH LAB OR SERVICE BRIGADE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A002100060008-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 15, 2005
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: July 16, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

C~:~t1N? RY
Appro';6 FIPAM /14 : Cl
Mee- i
.MA___._- ___._._ .._REPORT NO.
olish and Discharge of the 1929 Class.
l sth Iblish Labor Service Brigade,
EVALUATION uee below 21 ACE n MAINE
I3
2X1A
DATE OF CONTENT
25X1 A 25X1
DATE, OBTAINFJ_.-.J IDATE PREPARED
REFERENCES_._._
2
PACES ENCLOSURES (NO. & 7YPE)-
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0
0
30
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4. The brigade was subordinate tc a headquarters which was stationed at
Rzeszow (R 51/1r 74) and supplied the unit with rations and ordnance0 From
May to October 1952, the brigade had to do blasting and excavating work
in a wooded area near Kreiowice, which was connected with an ammunition
installation whose construction had been started in this area by the Germans
during the war. Fellow workers said that underground installations 25X1
were in this area, 3
50 The brigade was organized into three companies and totalled about 500 men.
included about 80 percent Upper Silesians of German origin and
20 percent Upper Silesians of Polish origin. consisted of 70 to 25X1
80 percent Poles from the area around Lodz (Q 52/0 93) and 20 to 30 percent
Upper Silesians. included Poles and so-called Russians, from the East
Polish districts which were annexed by the USSR. In 1952, the standard period
of service in the Labor Service was fixed at six months, while the men had
.~ _ .~ ~. CLASSIFICATION 3FiET
Approved For Release 2005/12/14: CIA-RDP80-00810A002100060008-4
P
 Approved For Release 2005/12/14: CIA-RDP80-0081OA002100060008-4
SECRET
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previously served for eight or twelve weeks in the individual districts.
6. The duty schedule provided for daily military training from 5 to 8 p.m.,
and about half an hour's political indoctrination two or three times
weekly. Military training included basic training without rifles, salutes and
field sports,marknship training with rifles, field training, close combat
training and simple attack practices at platoon and company level. Each man
once received 20 rounds live ammunition during this training. While being
trained with weapons, each man had a short Soviet made rifle. The brigade
had a limited number of small-bore rifles. Before the discharge of the
servicemen, the weapons were returned to Rzeszow. Except for one record
practice with live ammunition for which each serviceman had 20 rounds in
the pockets of his trousers, marksmanship training was performed with blank
cartridges. Small-bore target practices were made only by officers and
NCOso
7. In 1952, the service color of the Polish Labor Services which consisted of
white-bordered red patches on the collar reverses, was abolished. Every
serviceman had a fatigue uniform and a dress uniform of olive drab denims
which consisted of a pair of 'ong trousers and a so-called Russian shirt
worn over the trousers. The belt was worn over the shirt. The shirt of
the dress uniform had epaulets with the color of the uniform. At training,
the pants were worn as ski trousers with short fabric puttees and sturdy laced
shoes. All members of the brigade except for the brigade leader wore garrison
caps. Every labor serviceman, in Polish "Junak", received 300 U. monthly for
his work, from which 298 Zl. were deducted for aecommodationegclothing and
.food. The rate of monthly pay was 00 Zl., so every serviceman had 62 Zl.
at his disposal.
8. Labor servicemen and NCOs were on terms of comradeship. I I no 25X1
spying and surveying activities. The servicemen only criticised the small
wages. Most of them enjoyed tent community life, sports and military
training and, specifically, marksmanship service. Political indoctrination
was held by the company leader in the form of short lectures as directed
by a special: political officer at the brigade headquarters. There were
almost no discussions. After indoctrination, the men also hardly talked
on what had been lectured.
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Gor)ment. See Par. 1, Co: ent to
opment. From the time before the war, an explosives factory
known to exist in Gorajowi.ce, 3 km north of Jamlo.
has been
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SECRET