I picked this up last night off of eBay. It was advertised as a SS tag which I think is wrong. Searching around the internet I found one from the 3./Pz.Ers.Abt.35 and there was a tag listed on another site but I was not a member so no picture was seen. I'm pretty sure this is for a replacement battalion so any help is greatly appreciated.
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Thanks and the tag was brought back by a U.S. vet and sold at a estate sale which the information on where he got it was lost. Am I correct that they were in France when they were brought into action.Originally posted by brooksbz View PostComment
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The tag came in today and I was very pleased with it. It was very well worn and there is something written on the back which is interesting but it might be impossible to read. It's so sunny out that it was hard to photograph the writing that was lightly scratched on. Most likely the soldier did it but it could have been the vet who brought it back. Paz.Ers.Abt.35 was moved to Southern France and eventually added to the 11 Panzer Division which did send one Battalion to Normandy just before the landings and the rest fought through the Rhone Valley. Then they were in support during the Battle of The Bulge which they were in the Seventh Army section and seen a lot of action at the failure of the Campaign to make it to Antwerp. Eventually they were moved to the southern section of the western front and were encircled and moved south east and eventually surrendered to U.S. at the area around Passau on 5/2/1945.Comment
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Nice tag
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How late did the Germans use aluminum as a tag. I know with early ww2 tags in the U.S. that were acid etched it depended on where they were issued as to what year they stopped. Were the Germans operating roughly the same way with material that was used for tags slowly being phased out depending on the group issuing them.Comment
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The tag was most likely brought home by a member of the 45th Infantry Division. He had several items from the Italian Campaign that I didn't get. I did run across some photo's of the aftermath of the encounter with the 11th Panzer Division at Meximieux France where the 11th had some tanks knocked out.Comment
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I bet the odd are that roughly this time frame is when the tag was brought home.Comment
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Hello muddyboots !
Normally, I would think it impossible to draw a straight line from an EKM/dogtag to the field-unit
the soldier served in, without any additional informations. If, as in your case, you know at what
place and time the dogtag is taken, I would agree that this soldier was at that time in 11. Pz.Div.
However, I would like to point out the fact, that he might have been in one (or more) other units as well.
Why I think so :
The dogtag says 4.[Kp]/Pz.Ers.(atz)-Abt.[eilung].
In October 1942, all replacement units were split into a training (Ausbildungs) and a replacement (Ersatz) compartment.
The Ersatz compartment usually had a St.(amm)-, a Gen.(esenden) and a M.(arsch)-Kp.
At least from that time on, the draftees would usually be inducted at the St.Kp. and
get a dogtag starting with - a number- St.Kp.PzE.A. 35.
So from that fact alone, I would think, that this EKM was issued prior to Oct. 1942.
In addition, this dogtag has the number 100, which I would consider a rather low one.
As I think this is a running number, it points to a draft time early in the war.
Therefore I think, it is possible that he was drafted already in 1940 (maybe even earlier).
I found an example here in WMA forum of a soldier drafted in March 1943 to Stamm-Kp. Pz.E.A. 35,
and already has a number -5132- for example (btw, that soldier was sent to Pz.Rgt. 36).
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...09&postcount=1
So, maybe "your" soldier saw much more action, than you thought of !
Perhaps some of the dogtag experts can help to shed some more light on this.
Cheers,
ArchiComment
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I agree with all that but it is next to impossible to tell where he served for sure. The only thing I know for sure is that it was picked up by a U.S. Army soldier who did time in the Italian Campaign and then into the invasion of Southern France which is most likely the place it was acquired. And thanks for confirming what I was thinking about the number 100 and it would be great to confirm everything he did but I believe it would be next to impossible without his booklets that show everywhere he went. And it did come with a belt buckle that dates to 1940 but it could have come from either campaign. One thing for sure is I bet he took part in the Russian Campaign most likely the Battle of Kursk in 1943 if I remember correctly. I pretty sure that this unit participated in that.Originally posted by Archi View PostComment
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