Expedition to Poland investigates traces of Latvian Legion's 15th Division from WWII

A recent episode of the talk show "Spried ar Delfi" addressed the history of the Latvian Legion, a topic that continues to spark debate both about the soldiers' actions during World War II and about how these events are interpreted today, including within Russian propaganda narratives. Aivars Sinka, chairman of the Central Board of the Daugavas Vanagi association, said during the broadcast that Russian propaganda has been spreading falsehoods on this subject for eighty years, and stressed that historical research and documentation are necessary to counter these claims.

Expedition to Poland

In August, Sinka organized an expedition to Poland aimed at studying the movements of the Latvian Legion's 15th Division in what is now northern Poland. During World War II, this area, then part of Western Prussia, held a German armed forces training ground where Latvian soldiers were also stationed. The 15th Division spent roughly half a year in the region, though relatively little historical information about that period has survived.

Surviving evidence

Participants in the expedition found that traces of the Latvian presence remain visible in the area today, including Latvian names and the word "Latvija" preserved on building walls, as well as other soldier-related traces found in the surrounding forests. During the expedition, participants searched for and documented such evidence, along with possible burial sites of fallen Latvian soldiers.

The expedition also included Delfi journalist and historian Viesturs Radovics, whose collected material formed the basis of the article series "Leģiona pēdas meklējot" ("Searching for the Legion's Traces").