Cool little grouping from the weekend

[afrikasandman]

So here is an interesting little pickup from the course of the weekend. This is how I got it from the house clearer at a little flea market. These pieces were the only items that were military and everything else was typical flea market junk. I was there really early and someone else apparently beat me to the photo album. The cleaners had put the photo album out and a guy came by and bought it but didn't bother to ask if they had more as they were still setting up. I came by shortly there after and saw said photo that had apparently fallen out of the album. I asked if they had any more and was told the story about the photo album selling shortly before I got there. Who knows but that is the story.

The lady said there were more photos of the guy in the album but that is neither here nor there as its gone now. All came from the same house hold but these were the only items (cuff title, two medals, and photo album). Wish there had been a wrapper!

What I find interesting is that the medals are in the Austrian mount which is apparently controversial or something to that effect for some people. Either way cool little grouping. I can't really read the slides well, looks to be a 19 and maybe a 7... who knows. Matt

[afrikasandman]

a

[afrikasandman]

I believe the EK is a Souval, an Austrian maker if I'm not mistaken. Not sure how they would have mounted these when folded like this but still pretty cool to pick up. I don't run across these tri folds that often. Only shame is the ring popped off a bit on the back of the EK2. Didn't notice that until after I had bought the set, didn't want it to sit too long and have it get snapped up by someone else. Matt

[afrikasandman]

cuff title is a nice full length one with no signs of being sewn on but has glue from being an the album. Wish I had the album but we can't have it all.

[RobertE]

EXTREMELY cool. Your flea markets are definitely a sight better than mine!

Too bad that album got away, but it's nice you do have a photo of the original recipient of the cufftitle.

s/f Robert

[afrikasandman]

I can't rule out the remote possibility that it could be just a hodge podge of stuff the people had picked up over time but it seems rather unlikely. Anyways its was the highlight pick up of the weekend.

[afrikasandman]

I need to get into my STUG books as I can't remember off the top of my head which stug unit if any went to Afrika. Its the only thing that is throwing me off about the set.... I would guess a transfer to a different unit or something would be a possibility but who knows. The other thing I find interesting is that there are no awards worn in the photo, I would think a guy with an Ek2, Czech medal would have worn them in the pic and possibly an Afrika medal as well. So maybe taken before he left for Czech? Just lots of interesting possibilities all from one postcard photo and a few medals. Hope you guys enjoy it. Matt

[afrikasandman]

EXTREMELY cool. Your flea markets are definitely a sight better than mine!

Too bad that album got away, but it's nice you do have a photo of the original recipient of the cufftitle.

s/f Robert

Robert,

surely just fluke luck! Im still sad I couldn't seal the deal for a reasonable price for that PAB 25, PAB, EK1, EK2 grouping that came out of your area. Ah well, we can't win them all, but I do like to try Matt

[derka]

I need to get into my STUG books as I can't remember off the top of my head which stug unit if any went to Afrika. Matt

I found only 2 units :
Sturmgeschütz-Zug 288, 2 Stug III Ausf. D only reached North Africa and fought with 5/Panzerjäger 288.
Sturmgeschütz-Batterie 90, 4 Stug 40 Ausf. F8 reached Tunisia and fought as 13/Pz-Art-Rgt 90, and later as support of FJ units.

The probability that the guy in the pic belonged to those tiny units is very low imo.
derka

[Johnny R]

Very nice. I miss living in Germany. All we find here now 99% of the time are WWII GI blankets and mess tins.

The trifolds are very nice, this is the traditional Austro-Hungarian way of mounting awards and also the way K.u.K. and Hungarians wore German medals when awarded-

http://s123.photobucket.com/user/eri..._0203.jpg.html

[afrikasandman]

Derka,

I agree, likely a family members cuff with the pic. But either way a cool little find. It's worth the value of the individual pieces but still nice to find, way better than my usually boring EK2 finds. Matt

[Tim O'Keefe]

Hi Matt

Great little group there...derka is correct. A platoon of STGIIId assigned to SV288made it to Afrika in time for the Gazala battles, first used at Bir Hakiem in June '42.

Also the 10Pz Div had the 90th Art Regt with the 4th Co with 8 STGIIId used in Tunisia. They did not wear wraps while in Afrika. Agree, seems unlikely that this group is from either unit, but without the photo album we will never know for certain...

Heia Safari !
Tim

[Bryant U.]

Great find Matt.

[Stepdale]

Matt,
Just send me all those boring EKs!

Nice find!
Dale

[90th Light]

Hello Matt,

you will find that your Austrian artillery soldier was in either "Afrika Artillery Regiment 1" or "Afrika Artillery Regiment 2". These units were basically formed from a hots-potch of units to be "Heeres-Küstenbatterie" on the coast of Italy and Afrika to defend DAK facilities. However due to losses in Afrika and the need for replacements, they were transferred over to Army Afrika in 1942 and became field forces. See the outline below.

In 1943, a lot of them got out of Afrika because they were sent back to Italy first to defend the coast against pending Allied attacks and the hope of holding the coast of Tunisia for evacuation of Army Afrika before it was too late.

By 1944, many members of these artillery units were transferred back to Germany for training and reform into mobile Panzer Artillery units. This is why you have a photo of this Austrian artillery soldier wearing a field grey panzer wrap. Those who qualified, did not get their "Afrika" cuff-titles until some time in 1944. This might explain why your man is not wearing a CT on his wrap at that stage of the war.

I have some Wehrpass, Soldbuch and photos to these Arika Artillery units.
When I get a chance, I will look out some of my documents and tell you the exact Panzer Artillery units they became in 44.


"Reorganization of the Army Artillery Panzer Armee Afrika 23 September 1942

New Designation (Left- Hand side) Old Designation (Right side)

ARMY ARKO AFRIKA 104TH ARKO

Staff/1st Afrika Artillery Regiment Staff/221st Artillery Regiment
1st Battalion Staff, 2/1115th Artillery Regiment
1st Btry 87.6mm English Guns 3rd Btry/533rd Artill
ery Regiment
2nd Btry 100mm K18 guns 3rd Btry/408th Artillery Regiment
3rd Btry 210mm Mörsers 6th Btry/115th Artillery Regiment
2nd Battalion Staff/533rd Artillery Battalion
4th Btry 87.6mm English Guns 1st Btry/533rd Artillery Regiment
5th Btry 100mm K18 guns 2nd Btry/408th Artillery Regiment
6th Btry 210mm Mörsers 5th Btry/115th Artillery Regiment
3rd Battalion
Staff/408th Artillery Battalion
7th Btry 87.6mm English Guns 2nd Btry/533rd Artillery Regiment
8th Btry 150mm sFH Howitzers 1st Btry/408th Artillery Regiment
9th Btry 210mm Mörsers 4th Btry
/115th Artillery Regiment
10th Btry 76.2mm (r) Guns 364th Battery

Staff/2nd Afrika Artillery Regiment
1st Battalion
1st Btry 170mm guns 502nd Artillery Battery
2nd Btry 170mm gun
s 4th Btry/148th Artillery Regiment
3rd Btry 170mm guns 362nd Artillery Battery
2nd Battalion Staff/528th Artillery Battalion
4th Btry 155mm French guns 1st Btry/528th Artillery
Regiment
1
5th Btry 155mm French guns 2nd Btry/528th Artillery Regiment
6th Btry 155mm French guns 3rd Btry/528th Artillery Regiment
3rd Battalion Staff/523rd Artillery Battalion
7th Btry 114mm English Guns 1st Btry/523rd Artillery Regiment
8th Btry 155mm French guns newly raised
9th Btry 155mm French guns 3rd Btry/523
rd Artillery Regiment
4th Battalion Staff/529th Artillery Battalion
10th Btry 105mm guns 1st Btry/529th Artillery Regiment
2
11th Btry 105mm guns 2nd Btry/529th Artill
ery Regiment*
12th Btry 105mm guns 3rd Btry/529th Artillery Regiment*

(Records of Headquarters, German Army High Command, National Archives)"