The 1st Independent Polish Parachute Brigade

(1 Samodzielna Brygada Spadochronowa)

CASPIAN SEA SHIPS

Ship No 11 (Wave 1)
Name Unknown

Overview

The ship was an unknown type (Chicheryn?) and was owned by an unknown entity.

It was one of the official ships (unofficial flotillas of fishing boats were also involved) organised by Stalin in 1942 at Krasnovodsk (Russian: Красноводск) (Modern day Türkmenbaşy) to transport Polish exiles (also mistakenly called "deportees") who had been held captive in Siberia/Kazakhstan labour camps over the Caspian Sea to Pahlevi (Pahlavi) now called Banzar-e Anzali which is in modern day Northwest Iran.

Ship Movements

From passenger testimonies & any other available data this is a "best educated guess" of the ships movements.

  • Embark: 1942 | Time: ?
  • Depart: 01/04/42 (Kazimierz Kaczanowski) | Time: 9PM (Back calculated from account of Kazimierz Kaczanowski)
  • Arrive: 02/04/42 (Ross report) | Time: Midnight (Kazimierz Kaczanowski)

Extract From "The Ross Report"

According to the Ross Report, here is who was on this ship;

Division
Unit
Officers
O.Rs
ATS
TOTAL
Scouts
Adults
Children
Total
7th Division
R.E
9
490
-
499
-
-
-
499
7th Division
H.Q
4
82
-
86
-
125
70
281
Airmen & Sailors
-
-
14
77
91
-
-
-
91
10th Division
Scouts
2
10
-
12
26
261
80
379
TOTAL
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1250

Related Accounts

  • Account Of Captain Ludwik Stanisław Sosabowski (Not to be confused with General Sosabowski)  Full text here - "February I reported to the 9th. Artillery Regiment in Gorczakow…I left the U.S.S.R. on the 1st. April 1942, on the second transport of the 9th. Division of the Polish Army, from Kasnowodsk, across the Black Sea to Pahlevi in Persia." (Editors Note: This chap has the wrong sea, it was the Caspian Sea they crossed not the Black Sea. 9th Division were recorded as being on ships 3,9 &10 by Colonel Ross. Based purely on a leave date of 1st April, he would have to have to of been on on ship 11 or later. His testimony as such should not be taken at face value until it can be further proven because there is too much doubt on every aspect of it).
  • Account Of Kazimierz Kaczanowski: Joined 7th Heavy Art. Reg. 18.02.1942. Left Keremine March 29...go on a ship at Krasnovodsk and… ship journey from Krasnovodsk took 27 hours to reach Pahlevi…arrived at midnight April 2nd.