Interesting Ground find at Grafenwohr

[djpool]

My friend Bill Petz was stationed at Grafenwohr and found the following during one of the frequent trenching/renovations going on there. At first he thought he had himself another butter dish until he opened it and :

[djpool]

Heres another shot but theres also one other item.

[djpool]

Now folded up inside there was this HG CT.

[djpool]

Unfortunately moisture had gotten into the container and damaged everything inside.The CT became very stiff once it dried.

[djpool]

While it loses its collecting value it remains a wonderful piece of history.The back.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Jim, what a fantastic find! I bet Bill was very pleased to discover something like this; I know I would be? What a great peice of history.

Cheers, Ade.

[panzerzacker]

Wow! What a find! I'd assume that was an Allied soldier's souvenir collection? No reason for a German to be carrying around all that I'd assume. Who knows! Really great find...I don't think he should break it up or sell it, it's a hell of a thing to find. I just wish that we could "read" the stories of some of the things we own. Not only would there be great stories...but we wouldn't have to worry about reproductions!

[W Petz]

Ground Dug find at Grafenwoehr

Hi Panzerzacker,

Pleased is an understatement since I collect HG Division items. So I was rather surprised to find those items. When I checked with the local Stadt Museum in Graf I found out that a small contingent of the HG Divison was there during that time frame training on new Panther Tanks. Actually no GI had this little find. There was an allied bombing raid on Grafenwoehr in March of 1945. A number of old WW1 vintage barracks were destroyed across from the famous water tower observation tower and in front of the now Headquarters of the 7th Army Training Command/100th Area Support Group. Apparently the barracks were beyond repair and were bulldozed into the ground after the allied forces took over the GTA. That area became part of a Golf Course. Anytime construction was being done on ex-German Military installations in areas where I lived or worked I would be there with my metal detector. I didn't need one for this because the site was mainly sandy and I kicked it up with the toe of my shoe. The HG NCO or Officer apparently used the fat container for multipurposes...i.e. sewing kit/medal holder and a place for his extra insignia (Panzer skulls/HG cufftitle). Bill

[panzerzacker]

I see I see! When first I looked all I could see was the skulls (all my eyes let me see ). Looking now I see the thread and the medal and the buttons, etc., so I suppose you are right. That is a find my friend, enjoy it!

[Robin Lumsden]

Also nice to see all the zinc skulls with the later 'edge tabs' rather than the usual pins on the back.

[Brig]

awesome find!

[Chris_Werner]

I love ground dug stuff!
What is so compelling to me is the fact that you have literally bridged a 60 year gap in history. Imagine the fact that your eyes are the first to see these items in 60 years, and that the last person to touch them was the original owner.
No E-Bay, no dealers, etc. Right from the HG Division member to you.
Way cool!!!

[W Petz]

Ground Dug Stuff

Chris,

What I thought was incredible was how the cloth HG cufftitle survived after being in the ground for almost 60 years. The fat container definitely saved it from total destruction and apparently the little bit of moisture actually preserved it. The sewing needle (discarded), the Eastern front medal, and eastern front ribbon bar suffered much more due to rust/corrosion damage which you can also see some of the corrosion that stuck to various areas of the Cufftitle as well. Bill

[Chris_Werner]

Fantastic find. I'd keep it all together just as it is. It kind of reminds me of my German Grandmother's sewing box, with all the odds and ends together. Must be a "German" thing.