9/29/2012 Dear Olga,
Spending the last couple years collecting documents and information on my parents WW II experiences, I've compiled my story, thanks to ITS, U.S. Holocaust Museum, dpcamps.org and others. On reviewing your site recently, I've noticed others mention some of my parent's camps in Austria. [Carol inquiring about Pongau, my parents spent a few years there, my sister was born there]. 60 Years (below) tells our story in general.On the 60 year story their liberation was by the 90th Recon as the poster shows, not an armored unit who followed handing out chocolate -- loved them Americans. Mother says the German people were afraid of them but some helped.
Back to DP Camps. Mother lost a baby boy a few weeks old probably in Markt Pongau [UNRRA No. 18]. Are there any records available now of births in the camps? I know many records are now becoming public [after 50 years] which is a big help. You understand when mother does talk about things, she mixes them up. Old age too. I recently found another brother who died in childbirth here in the U.S. I put a marker on his grave. Don't mean to ramble but don't know where to begin to search UNRRA or IRO records. Any help you can give would be deeply appreciated. Hope this may help others.
Sincerely yours, Dushanka Vlajic Donner davenduke@gmail.comOlga's reply: Fill out form G639. See also US searches on address page http://www.dpcamps.org/addressesN-Z.html
Click to enlarge photos.
Hello,
My name is Carol and my parents lived in one of the dp camps in Austria in 1945. My mother is 81 now and does not remember a lot of the camp. The name that both she and my late father keep coming up with is "Pongow". It was what they called the American zone in Austria. They first were placed in the British zone (perhaps because he was a pilot in the Royal Air Force) and later moved to the American zone. I can not seem to find that name in the camps I have looked at on your website. Do you have any knowledge of this or is it a name perhaps they came up with in fading memories? Thank you very much for any information you may have. CarolOlga's reply: See Markt-Pongau, St. Johan im Pongau, Land Salzburg (U.S.) Sankt Johann im Pongau or St. Johann/Pg. is a small town in the middle of Salzburg, Austria. It is the capital for the district of Pongau. PONGAU IN THE SALZBURGERLAND - The Pongau is one of the five districts of the Salzburg region and is home to many famous ski and winter sport resorts. In summer, the Pongau has many attractions and highlights on offer. http://www.pongau-salzburg.at/
English: http://www.pongau-salzburg.at/index.php?lang=en&werber=
E-Mail: pongau-salzburg@upps.att"We finally arrived at Markt Pongau prison camp, where the German guards offered us their rifles. The date was the 10th of May, 1945. The war had been over for two days." See: http://www.btinternet.com/~stalag18A/end.html