Digging in KURLAND

**Steve T** · 07-04-2010, 10:27 AM

Here we go YET again......

I have reviewed this post and can see NOTHING at all to suggest that therr is grave robbing taking place here. Many of the holes dug are extremely shallow, and none of the deeper holes indicate remains of any description.

I have counted the number of dogtags in the pictures and saw 48. Are you seriously suggesting that inf div 121 has uncovered the remains of 48 soldiers ? Most relic hunters in Europe will certainly find one or two soldiers remains, but not 48 !

Also, I really do have to take issue with the assumption that volume of finds is equivalent to grave robbing. If you follow this line, then I too must be guilty of grave robbing given the number of buttons and belt buckles I've found. Oh wait......they were in ENGLAND and just down to everyday losses of equipment. If I find 10 buttons on one trip in England, these were outside of the pressures of battle. Finding 40 or 50 on a battlefield is totally understandable.

I have also found 2 German dog tags in England, and a wound badge, all at an old POW camp. Are you going to suggest that I have dug up a couple of unmarked graves ??? Of course not.

This forum is for serious LEGAL relic collectors. It will NEVER condone any illegal act. I can see no evidence of an illegal act taking place here.

Indeed, one of our other forum members recently found over 100 American dogtags in an army dump, along with a lot of buttons etc. Dog tags can be dropped or removed for any number of reasons. Just because you find one doesn't make you a grave robber.

One last point, if Inf Div 121 was grave robbing, why on EARTH would he post pictures here and attract attention to himself ???!!!

Now please leave the grave robbing comments out of the thread. If you wish to take issue with the finds, do so via a PM.

Steve T

PS Perhaps next we will have someone accuse him of robbing a post office due to the fact he found a box of rubber stamps !!!

**Inf Div 121** · 07-04-2010, 10:49 AM

Hi, Guys.

Of course it looks like grave robbing, if it would be in Russia, but this is Kurland in Latvia. Here in the end of war in 08.05.1945 surrendered 300000 Germans, but before surrending they threw out different stuff, specially awards was thrown away because they thought that if he will had a lot of awards, Russian will kill him. Simmilar was with ID tags. A lot of ID tags was found at places where Russians made POW camps where they decided what to do with each German soldier.

A lot of stuff was found in bunkers, where Germans just lost their personal items (buttons, coins, lighters...)

Also in last evening Germans made fireplaces where they was burning their uniforms (a lot of buttons, belt hooks, coins, awards).

And also Germans was throwing out all broken items.

P.S. All photos what I show You are from places which are many kilometers behind frontline, there was no battles, no graves and no killed soldiers.

**Inf Div 121** · 07-04-2010, 10:54 AM

by Steve T

Here we go YET again......

I have reviewed this post and can see NOTHING at all to suggest that therr is grave robbing taking place here. Many of the holes dug are extremely shallow, and none of the deeper holes indicate remains of any description.

I have counted the number of dogtags in the pictures and saw 48. Are you seriously suggesting that inf div 121 has uncovered the remains of 48 soldiers ? Most relic hunters in Europe will certainly find one or two soldiers remains, but not 48 !

Also, I really do have to take issue with the assumption that volume of finds is equivalent to grave robbing. If you follow this line, then I too must be guilty of grave robbing given the number of buttons and belt buckles I've found. Oh wait......they were in ENGLAND and just down to everyday losses of equipment. If I find 10 buttons on one trip in England, these were outside of the pressures of battle. Finding 40 or 50 on a battlefield is totally understandable.

I have also found 2 German dog tags in England, and a wound badge, all at an old POW camp. Are you going to suggest that I have dug up a couple of unmarked graves ??? Of course not.

This forum is for serious LEGAL relic collectors. It will NEVER condone any illegal act. I can see no evidence of an illegal act taking place here.

Indeed, one of our other forum members recently found over 100 American dogtags in an army dump, along with a lot of buttons etc. Dog tags can be dropped or removed for any number of reasons. Just because you find one doesn't make you a grave robber.

One last point, if Inf Div 121 was grave robbing, why on EARTH would he post pictures here and attract attention to himself ???!!!

Now please leave the grave robbing comments out of the thread. If you wish to take issue with the finds, do so via a PM.

Steve T

PS Perhaps next we will have someone accuse him of robbing a post office due to the fact he found a box of rubber stamps !!!

Thanks a lot, Steve!

My English is not so good to explain all what I think, but You explained all.

Regards,
Andris

**Paul D** · 07-04-2010, 01:04 PM

Andris unfortunately these threads always attract these sort of comments from the those who have little understanding of the area you are reporting on and what exactly happened there and jump to ridiculous conclusions.

To our new members i can only concur with Steve's comments jumping in with your first few posts accusing people of being grave robbers does you no credit.