Report of Russian battlefield discovery found buried after 70 years

Discussion in 'WW2 Battlefields Today' started by Harry Ree, Nov 3, 2016.

  1. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

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  2. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    I find I do always hope such discoveries prove genuine. Everybody likes a decent time capsule.
    There's always that layer of doubt or cynicism though, such things being so potentially valuable.

    Doubtless the uniform and militaria specialists are already staring at the photos to make their appraisal.
     
  3. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    I note that they quote:

    "Judging by the badges of ranks on the shoulder straps, the addressee was supposed to be an officer of the Financial Service of the Third Reich in the rank not lower than a field officer."

    But to me the insignia on the shoulder is that of the Medical Corps or am I completely off the mark??
    [​IMG]

    Edited to add:
    I am off the mark:
    ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICIAL SHOULDER BOARD CYPHERS
    The Collector's Guild

    BACKGROUND: The German army had a tradition, dating from the 1700's, of maintaining a separate branch of Administrative Officials attached to the army to oversee all administrative functions, thus freeing up active army Officers and allowing them to concentrate on actual military matters. The Officials were responsible for a wide variety of administrative tasks from Court Martial, Librarian, Supply, Technical and Meteorological Services, to School, Barracks, and Hospital administration. Most Officials careers consisted of four varying grades, of high, elevated, medium and low grade with slightly differing identifying insignia for each grade. The grade of the career was determined by the education and/or experience of the individual. During the Reichswehr, (National Defence Force, Circa 1919-1933), era the Officials were divided into military and civilian personnel until December 22ND 1934 when the German High Command did away with the differentiation and consolidate all the officials into the newly formed Wehrmachtbeamte-Heer, (Armed Forces Officials-Army). Originally only the civilian Officials utilized the distinctive, "HV", shoulder board cyphers indicating, Heeres Verwaltung, (Army Administration), until the regulations of December 22ND 1934 stipulated that the "HV" cyphers were to be worn by all Officials with a couple of exceptions. Regulations of March 12TH 1937 reorganized the Officials and instituted the new Beamte auf Kriegsdauer a.K., (Wartime Officials for the duration of the war), to be activated in times of mobilization. Originally the uniformed Officials were allotted identifying, dark green waffenfarbe, (Branch of Service Color), with a nebenfarbe, (Secondary Color), to indicate their actual career. Of Note: Regulations of March 21ST 1940, replaced the assorted nebenfarbe colors with a secondary color of light grey for all Officials regardless of career or function. In January 1944 the Army instituted a new career for Officers and certain Officials, entitled, TSD, "Truppen Sonder Dienst", (Special Service). This new career used light blue waffenfarbe and did away with secondary colors as worn by Officials in the other careers. On May 1ST 1944 all high grade career Administrative Officials were transferred to the TSD and utilized the Caduceus, (Dual serpents entwined on a Mercurial staff), cypher.

    PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Fire gilted, die stamped, alloy cyphers consisting of dual serpents entwined on a Mercurial staff. The hollow reverse of the cyphers are a mirror image of the front that has both soldered prongs intact.
     
    Last edited: Nov 3, 2016
  4. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    T.D you appear to be correct if it follows the medical insignia,certainly of the RAF....the serpent intertwined around a sword....not known if the insignia is of universal use in western power military forces.

    Perhaps the liquor was for medicinal use....genuine find,that why I posted as "claimed"
     
  5. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    Hmm. The location has 428mm of rainfall annually. It's less than western Europe but I can't believe that the paint is still on a sheet steel box buried at a depth of 2" or so. Certainly not deep enough to have been anaerobic or anything.

    Some fan-boy or neo will pay vastly over the odds for the contents and toast the Fuhrer in something distilled from turnips in a shed last year.
     
  6. RCG

    RCG Senior Member, Deceased

    3 interesting postings on this site

    Kiste eines Wehrmachtsoldaten ausgegraben - Forum der Wehrmacht

    1. To the uniform: The shoulder caps belong to a veterinarian, a vetarine officer. This can also be seen in the identification mark: "H.St.V Insterburg 14" - Army Staff Vetärinär Insterburg 14.

    2. The pictures are from 2007 and were at that time regarded as a fake.

    3. Uh. One should already look carefully, since I've probably corrupted in the Mailflut of my British friend.Naja, eh no cigars anyway. Let's put the lid on it again and moth.


    Similar views on a Russian site in 2008, they name the soldier.
    This belonged to Captain kitelek Quartermaster Corps.
     
    Last edited: Nov 3, 2016
  7. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

  8. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    I also note from the collar straps that these lead to confusion as well:

    Uniforms of the Wehrmacht

    Crimson - General Staff, Veterenarians
    Cornflower Blue - Medical
    Light Blue - TSD - Transport, Administrative services

    Which colour (or color) would you say it is ??

    TD

    edited to add:
    If you scroll further down the page of the link above there are photos of all the relevant straps
     
  9. James S

    James S Very Senior Member

    Unfortunately a "fake find" which has been doing the rounds for a while.
     
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