CHOLM photo group with censor stamp at the back?

[m-e-h-t]

Hi,

I´ve got a noce CHOLM group which includes some nice photos of the battle. Many of them have on the back stamps "Freigegeben" (means, they are confered right to use) and a Feldpost stamp from 26889.

Does it mean the man could get the photos only in hand after they were censored??? Any ideas?

[m-e-h-t]

vet:

[Ed Taylor]

I think a better translation would be "declassified" or "cleared" by the censor.

[jmark]

Well, this is very interesting! FPN 26889 is for Marinebefehlshaber Ostland, which at first does not make any sense, but there were elements of 3 naval transport columns caught in Cholm, and they were all part of this command (I discuss these units in my book about Cholm called "Besieged"). The strange thing is, the veteran in your photo does not look like he belongs to the Kriegsmarine. Can you show some other photos from the group?

The assault gun was one of the first to break through to the surrounded garrison and belongs to Stug.Abt.184.

Really interesting to me! Do you know the veteran's name?

Jason

[m-e-h-t]

Well, this is very interesting! FPN 26889 is for Marinebefehlshaber Ostland, which at first does not make any sense, but there were elements of 3 naval transport columns caught in Cholm, and they were all part of this command (I discuss these units in my book about Cholm called "Besieged"). The strange thing is, the veteran in your photo does not look like he belongs to the Kriegsmarine. Can you show some other photos from the group?

The assault gun was one of the first to break through to the surrounded garrison and belongs to Stug.Abt.184.

Really interesting to me! Do you know the veteran's name?

Jason

will do tomorrow, Jason.

There are some photos in the group related to Kriegsmarine. Here is one:

[m-e-h-t]

and more back shots:

[m-e-h-t]

here are more pics.

This is the whole group:

[m-e-h-t]

Cholm photos:

[m-e-h-t]

more

[m-e-h-t]

still more:

[m-e-h-t]

and more:

[m-e-h-t]

some photos from before and after Cholm, also with WM soldiers:

[m-e-h-t]

series from a (to me) unknown town.

[jmark]

Wow, some really interesting pics there! Based on your first photo of the Stug., I thought these might have been made by famous Pk photographer Richard Muck, but having seen the rest, they appear to be private photos. My guess would be that one of the Kriegsmarine guys in Cholm had a camera and after the battle copies were made for other survivors of the unit, distributed and approved by Marinebefehlshaber Ostland.

Is the French truck with WM numberplate (post #5) in Cholm?

Is there anything unusual about their uniforms in the Cholm photos? Anything that would positively ID them as Kriegsmarine?

Really excellent photos, in my opinion! I wish they'd been available when I wrote my book about Cholm.

All the best,
Jason

[m-e-h-t]

one of the post Cholm photos showing the men in WM tunics with the Cholm shield in wear.
What unit exactly? What does the sign on the boards saying? Buttons with the anchor are clearly visible, but the are wearing field gray tunics. Normal for WM transport units?

Thanks for input!