Bulgarian infrantry badge worn by German officer

[Jean-Loup]

I dont know how rare or interesting this is, but I thought some of you might want to see this.
In what circumstances would this medal have been awarded to a German officer. The strange thing is that he has almost no German awards.

[Jean-Loup]

On the Soldbuch photo, the badge is actualy slightly recognisable.

[peterm]

Hi!

To me it's a very interesting Soldbuch with a nice pic of the officer! Not so often seen...
To Germans more or less given as a sign of comradeship.

Kind regards, Peter

[markus]

Very interesting and unique!

Thanks for sharing this with us.

Markus

[Jean-Loup]

I also have a letter written by the officer, in which he says "Als ich aus Stalingrad zuruckkam", so he must have been somewhere in the southern Russian front area at the time this award was given to him.
I still find it very puzzling that the guy was given this badge, but does not have the German infantry assault badge, though he had been a soldier since the start of the war.

[peterm]

You didn't have to take part in real combat to be awarded this badge as a German soldier (bronze) or officer (silver). As I wrote before, it often was given "as a sign of the comradeship between Germans and Bulgarians and common duty".

Kind regards, Peter

[jmark]

I also have a letter written by the officer, in which he says "Als ich aus Stalingrad zuruckkam"...

Ooh, more details please. What unit was he with at Stalingrad? I believe some elements of 16. Panzer-Division, for example, were in Bulgaria in 1941, so maybe that's where he "earned" the medal.

Jason

[Jean-Loup]

He must have been in the first unit mentioned here at Stalingrad, as the Jäger unit is the one he was in in southern France.
Schwere Schutz Btl 376?
I would be interested to know more about this guys career.
Sorry, I will not post his name or any identifying info here as his daughter sent me scans of his SB, and I am not sure she would approve of me posting anything of this on the internet.

[jmark]

He must have been in the first unit mentioned here at Stalingrad, as the Jäger unit is the one he was in in southern France.
Schwere Schutz Btl 376?
I would be interested to know more about this guys career.
Sorry, I will not post his name or any identifying info here as his daughter sent me scans of his SB, and I am not sure she would approve of me posting anything of this on the internet.

No problem, I understand the need to handle information carefully.

Is it perhaps Lds.Schutz.Btl.376? I've got no idea if Landesschützen-Bataillon 376 was anywhere near Stalingrad:
(http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/...tzBat376-R.htm).

Jason

[Jean-Loup]

As far as I know the histories for such units are not well known or complete at all.
Here is here is the letter exctract where he says "when I returned from Stalingrad."
Perhaps he was using his imagination a bit, and he meant he was within 1000 miles of Stalingrad?

[peterm]

You are right, he says clearly "when I returned from Stalingrad".
Here is an image of the badge itself.

Kind regards, Peter

[peterm]

You are right, he says clearly "when I returned from Stalingrad".
Here is an image of the badge itself.

Kind regards, Peter

Pic didn't work, I'll try again.