Stalingrad: digging near Gorodisсhe & Gumrak

[martynv4]

This is GOOOOD news for us though Seastien!

Sorry about the job front though, it's not much better over here either. I'm still trying to get information from 'DAS FRAU' as to the identity of family lost in Stalingrad but the whole family seems to go quiet on me when the questions are raised. It's starting to look like I'll never know if one of your unearthed tags was from any of the same units served in by my kinsmen.

Steve T, I hope he does change his socks regularly and doesn't let them get into the same state as his BOOTS!

Martyn.

[Sebastien]

I have spent the last 4 hours carefully reading this fantastic thread. What an amazing guy and what an educative post on the personal side of life in the Kessel. I have one question regarding dogtags, is it common or uncommon to find them without a body. If so is there a reason for this? I would think a soldier would hold on to this ID for longer as his weapon in a combat situation. Just curious ? Keep up the good work and take care!

Cheers Jan (Finland)

Hello Jan,
Find German or Romanian dog tags without a body is not uncommon. Recently I not found a dog tag, now find something hard.
At Stalingrad, German soldiers were starving, freezing, and they were worried only about their lives...

[Sebastien]

Paulus well done to you for getting out there onto the Battlefields !! Any good finds to show ?
Paul

Not so good finds, sorry. Some k98 bullets, some luger bullets, medical items etc...

Paul, we had no more time...
Every minute from travel was busy affairs. We dug only three hours, it is very little time to dig up something interesting. But Paulus saw and felt how is hard searching war relics in Stalingrad steppe ...

We dug up two shells Flare Gun, some medical items, Dust cover for the machine gun MG-34...

[packin9]

Paulus, my friend, I'm glad that you're back home!!!
Yes guys, Paulus visited Stalingrad, and I was his guide.
By the way, I'll be with you for three months . Last Friday I went the recruiting office and the colonel refused to take me to the army this summer . I will go to the army in October this year
Now I am a young engineer, but without job ...

The same thing happened to one of my nephews. He was supposed to go into the Navy back in March. He quit his job,had a farewell party and was all set to go. Then they told him not till August. Stinks! I guess that can happen in any country. Good luck with finding a job. Ron

[paulus]

it was a great trip for me dont care about not finding an interesting item it was nice to meet up with sebastien thats all

[Matt L]

Hello Jan,
Find German or Romanian dog tags without a body is not uncommon. Recently I not found a dog tag, now find something hard.
At Stalingrad, German soldiers were starving, freezing, and they were worried only about their lives...

There are several sites in Europe where there were capitulations that lone identity discs are found regularly suggesting they were either discarded by the soldiers themselves at the end (perhaps to prevent them being identified?) or were confiscated and discarded by the Soviets (searching a guy, taking his ID, watch, etc. and presumably throwing away the valuless or uninteresting items).

[Ralph Lovett]

It is part of a WW2 Era German Artillery Aiming Circle. See this link:

aiming circle 1 pictures from history photos on webshots

R/

Ralph

[M18922]

I am sure if the soviets captured a solider with a bunch of medals like the iron cross 1st class and an close combat clasp they wouldent take to much pity on him so they must of just thrown them in a ditch or a lake to make them-selves like a normal solider. or mabey i am wrong.
welcome back sebastian!

[Paul D]

Paul, we had no more time...
Every minute from travel was busy affairs. We dug only three hours, it is very little time to dig up something interesting. But Paulus saw and felt how is hard searching war relics in Stalingrad steppe ...

We dug up two shells Flare Gun, some medical items, Dust cover for the machine gun MG-34...

I first dug on the Don steppe 10 years ago and i remember it was very hard work even in May !!!

[Terzio]

teaspoons...

Looking marking "Dos Leones" in Spanish of your spoon, I could find this brand manufactured handguns, ammunition, knives .... made ​​in Argentina ¡¡¡, congratulations on your excellent work, greetings from Spain,Andy.