My father was with the British 2nd Army Third Division as a driver RASC Tipper attached to RE units. I can trace his route in the vanguard where he was mostly engaged in road and airport building/ repair all the way from Normandy to Hamburg. It has always puzzled me why on 6th June his platoon are sent to Magdeburg which I believe was in the American sector bordering the Russian sector. I have recently found out that Magdeburg was one of the assigned places where Russian displaced persons were handed over for repatriation. My father did tell me that he witnessed Russians being shot at by their own people when trying to flee but I presumed that this was in the Baltic area. I am now convinced that he was assigned to transport these people. Is this a possible explanation?
It is possible, many Russians were legitimate traitors and should have been turned over. Many were not, but were still returned. The Soviets also held many liberated western Pow's and so wanted to make sure that they were sent back
