SS Div. "30. Januar" or "The World is small"

[HERMSDORF]

Dear Friends,

A few Years ago Me and my Girlfriend found the badly Remains of a small wooden Case in an Area where most of the 32. SS Division "30. Januar" did surrender in the last Days of April 1945. It has preserved some Remains of dissolved Papers, Pencils, Pencil Sharpener in Form of a Russian Bear (you stick the Pencil in the Bears A...), an Eraser, some (IMO unissued) Dog Tags from the Stab I. SS Frw. Grent Rgt. 86 and one worn Dog Tag from SS Totenkopf Division and a Gum-Stamp. Unfortunately the Soldiers burned it down, so the Condition was accordingly bad. The first Pics shows this "old Find" from me, I found Years ago....

Actually my Girlfriend and I found a little Hoard of Dog Tags from the same Unit (Stab 1. Bataillon SS Freiwilligen Gren, Regiment 86 (Schill). Ok, so far so good -I thought, but what really really confused me, was the Fact, that Area is about 20 Kilometers away from the "Old Place" and the Numbers are Serial

So in the "Old place" Years ago I found the Numbers "81" "82" "83" and now in that new Area, which is 20 Kilometers away, I found the following "84"..
Obviously it was the same Unit or a "Mix up".. It beats me

So is it Coincidence or Destiny?
Have a Look at the Pics, I hope you understand my Surprise in that Case..
I appreciate your Opinion

By the way, I am very Happy about the Dog Tags, especially in that good Condition now. IMO not so common Tags from One of the latest SS Units... Some of them have Traces of red Protective Laquer on the Back. Obviously they are Self made from the Unit, made from former Aluminium Machine Gun Boxes, so thickness of the Material and the Remains Coating fits to that Theory...

So now, have a look a the Pics I want to Share it with you

Best Regards

Andy

[HERMSDORF]

The New Find and a Comparison..

[HERMSDORF]

IMO Generally those Hoard Finds of such following Tags are unissued, what do you think?
Please note the Remain of the scratched off Coating on the Backside. Self made Dog Tags or improved / recycled from old Material are not uncommon for those late Units...

For the Fakers: I think it will be a hard Job for you if you want to Copy it

Best

Andy

[meskalin]

Da muss ich gleich auf DEUTSCH schreiben!!! andy ich bin wie immer begeistert. ;-)

great tags!

[Jean-Loup]

I am not sure about how to interpret the serials, but that is one exellent hoard you found!! The fact that the tags are self made makes it all the more interesting (and could maybe be used as evidence in the famous real or fake Dirwanger tags?).

JL

[HERMSDORF]

Thank you Jean-Loup, Thank you Lars,

It´s always a Pleasure to dig out something like that.. and it was really a Surprise for me to find Serials on another Place, Years ago

Jean-Loup, not just the Tags are looking Self-Made, the Letters looking also "Self made, very crudely, inside the Letters there are File traces. It´s not the same like the Dirlewanger Tags but another Example how those lade Units made their Items by Improvisation

Best Regards

Andy

[Luft 76]

Not my field and center of interest but these are great finds. Congratulations.
They are typical of secretar /administrativ items, sometimes found. But you are particulary lucky !!

[Fronturlauber]

The dogtags look like they are made from the early style aluminum? That would be rare, indeed.

[Milan Gard]

Friends

I have num 61 in my hands now and IMO this all ID tags are 101% originals.

I am looking with metal detector too and I have some aluminium ID tags, personal finds. They are corroded same, condition if you find it and condition after some days, it is all same.

Thank you very much for very nice piece of history

[pmodesti]

Andy,
I know it has been a while since you posted your finding on 30 Januar but I am hoping you can help me. My uncle served with 30 Januar, his body was never found so I have been researching as much as possible for my mother- now 84.

When you say 'around where they surrendered..." what is that area? and any dates would be great.

With that, have you documented the dog tags or any other information- names etc? His name was Kurt Both.

My mother has received limited information from people over the years along with what I have researched over the internet but nothing. I have even written to the various authorities regarding lost german solders and they don't even have him on record. He was recruited out of Romania (yes he was German, I have the family documents). Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you. Phillip

[christof]

I have a quasi full liste of member for the 6./SS-Gren. Rgt. 86.

[mr.dogtag]

Great hoard! Congratulations.
And - oh yes! - let me know when you decide to get rid of one of them ;-)
Al

[leibregiment]

Has anyone the details of this dogtag, found in the Halbe

[christof]

This tag was delivred in february 1943. Tag n° 643 and 1407 (from same unit) to men of Das Reich Division.

[leibregiment]

Many many thanks Christof