Pavlo Shandruk

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Pavlo Shandruk
Павло Шандрук
February 28, 1889-February 15, 1979
Image:Szandruk.jpg
Pavlo Shandruk in General of the UNA
Place of birth Borsyku Ternopil Oblast Ukraine
Place of death Trenton, New Jersey USA
Service/branch Army
Rank General
Battles/wars First World War
Awards Virtuti Militari cross

Pavlo Shandruk (Ukrainian: Павло Шандрук, Polish: Pawło Szandruk) February 28, 1889 Volyn - February 15, 1979) Trenton, USA was a general in the army of the Ukrainian National Republic, a colonel of the Polish Army, and a general of the Ukrainian National Army, a military force that fought against the Soviets under German command at the close of World War II.

Contents

[edit] Biography

SHandruk was born in February 28, 1889 in the village of Borsuk, near Kremenetz in the Volyn region (currently in the Ternopil oblast). He completed his studies in 1911 at the Nizhyn Institute majoring in history and languages and later underwent post graduate studies at the Alexandrovsk Military Academy in Moscow.

Shandruk

[edit] Military career

In the First World War Shandruk was the commander of the IIIrd Battalion of the 232nd Reserve Infantry Regiment of the Russian Imperial Army. With the outbreak of the Russian Revolution he joined the Ukrainian National Republic in its struggle against both White and Red Russian forces. He was successively in command of the Zaporozhian Independent Rifle Battalion, the 9th Infantry Regiment and the 1st Recruit Regiment of the Ukrainian National Republic forces. After the reorganization of the army in 1920, he led the 4th Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division. After the failed Kiev Offensive and the subsequent collapse of the Ukrainian National republic, he was interned in Kalisz, Poland together with the remaining Ukrainian soldiers.

Until 1936, he worked in different positions for the Ukrainian National Republic government in exile initially led led by Simon Petlura. In 1936 he joined the Polish Army, after which he obtained further training in the Wyższa Szkoła Wojenna (Military High School). Upon the completion of his training he accepted a commission and was promoted to the rank of major in the Polish Army.

As a colonel he fought in the Polish Army in September 1939. On September 23 colonel Shandruk rescued a the 19th Polish brigade from annihilation in a trap. After the war fro this action he received the Virtuti Militari cross from Władysław Anders.

After capitulation, Shandruk, as an officer of the Polish army, was captured and sent to a German POW Camp, from where he was later released due to his injuries. After falling ill, he was arrested by the Gestapo but set free before the Germans attacked the Soviet Union.

[edit] The Ukrainian National Army

In February 1945 he accepted the position of the head of the Ukrainian National Committee and simultaneously became the commander of the newly-formed Ukrainian National Army into which all Ukrainian formations who had fought on the German side of the Eastern front were collected. (Approximately 220 thousand soldiers).

In April 1945 now General Shandruk joined the soldiers of the Ukrainian National Army located at the front in Austria. On the 28th of April the UNA swore an oath of allegence to Ukraine.

The UNA consisted of:

  • 1st division (made up of soldeirs from the 14th SS Galizien division
  • 2nd division (made up of anti-pantzer brigade "Free Ukraine" and the brigade commanded by Major Pituley, Group B under the command of Taras Bulba-Borovetz,), various police battalions, the Ukrainian personnel from the Luftwaffe and others.

Plans were made regarding the inclusion of the Ukrainian Freedom Army (120 thousand soldiers) Kiban Cossacks and Georgian military decisions.

[edit] Surrender

In May 1945 Shandruk and the 1st UNA Division surrendered to the US forces in Austria.

[edit] Post WWII

Later, he lived in Germany and the USA. Shandruk penned a number of works regarding military history in Ukrainian, Polish and English. Among them [* «Arms of Valor» (Нью-Йорк 1959) «Arms of Valor»] NY, 1959. He was the editor of the collection of documents regarding the Ukrainian-Russian war of 1920.

[edit] Sources

  • Паньківський К. Роки німецької окупації. Нью-Йорк — Торонто 1965.
  • P.Abbott, E.Pinak. Ukrainian Armies 1914-55, Men At Arms n°412, Osprey publishing, 2004 Leeds UK. ISBN 1-84176-668-2 (с 41)
  • Melnyk, Michal James (2002). To Battle, The History and Formation of the 14th Waffen SS Grenadier Division, second updated edition 2007, Helion and Co. ISBN 978-1-874622-19-2.