Fallschirmjäger EKM hoard

[WARNACH]

Hi all
I would like to share with you the story of 11 EKM, of the same Fallschirmjäger-Coy, found together in 1976.

First the pictures (the first 10; Nr 11 lower in the thread):
,

Now the technical details:

1. General

In 1976 in the village of Biesfeld in the “Bergische Land“, region of Nordrhein-Westfalen (Germany), a hoard consisting of 11 German Erkennungsmarken (Identity Discs) was found buried near by a barn. They all had the same MOB-Nr. (mobilisation number), 217416, identifying them as being from the 13. Kompanie, Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5, then of the 3. Fallschirmjäger-Division. The Stammrollennummern (roll or roster numbers) on these discs were: 159, 169, 237, 310, 311, 312, 314, 319, 322, 325 and 329.

2.Physical Details

a.Material and Condition

i. Discs with the Stammrollennummern 159, 237, 311 and 329 are made of zinc.
ii. Discs with the Stammrollennummern 169, 310, 312, 314, 319, 322 and 325 are
made of aluminium.
iii.All discs have surface corrosion consistent with having been buried for a long
time.
iv.The corrosion present on the discs is appropriate for their materials based on
comparison with other known examples of long-buried discs of the same
materials.
v. Disc Stammrollennummer 237 is particularly corroded.

b.Stampings and Markings

i. Discs with the Stammrollennummern 169, 237, 310, 311, 312, 314, 319, 322,
325 and 329 were all marked with the same stamp set.
ii. Disc Stammrollennummer 159 was marked with a different stamp set than the
others.
iii. Each of the aluminum discs has a name on it, written in pencil, in varying states
of preservation; one, Stammrollennummer 310, has a rank (OGfr) as well.

c. Blood Groups

i. None of the discs has a blood group letter stamp on it.

3. Historical Background

a.Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5

The orignal FJR 5 was created in May, 1942 and after operations in Africa, and a redesignation to Jäger-Regiment Hermann Göring in early 1943, it was destroyed by May, 1943 in Tunisia. II./FJR 5 was reformed in October, 1943 and saw action in Russia, fighting in Zhitomir and ultimately again being destroyed in Kirovograd in January, 1944- it’s surviving troops went to form the new FJR 16. In later January and February, 1944, an entirely new FJR 5 was created in Reims and the Bretagne east of Brest, France from the remnants of III./ FJR 1. This new regiment was also ultimately destroyed in Normandy and the Falaise Pocket.

b. Final Re-formation

This last FJR 5 was re-formed in Oldenzaal, Holland, in October, 1944. It continued to fight during the withdrawl east in the Ardennes, Eifel and finally in Remagen in the Ruhr Pocket where its survivors largely went into American captivity in April, 1945.

4. Authenticity Evaluation

a. The corrosion patterns on these discs are consistent with extended burial
corrosion patterns for their materials. The significant corrosion of disc
Stammrollennummer 237 in particuar strongly suggests it was in fact buried for
an extended period of time. It also argues for differing pre-burial conditions as
would be consistent with the discs having been carried by different individuals-
i.e., worn inside a shirt, outside a shirt, carried in a pouch or not, etc.; the discs
weren’t simply made together, and deposited together- they had some kind of
different treatment prior to deposition.
b. The corrosion patterns being immediately around some sections of the pencil
markings and through others suggests they were applied prior to burial, not
after retrieval. Other examples of discs with pencil-written names exist- some
in the period, but no longer used, Sütterlin script suggesting they are original.

Now comes the best part:




c. The 1951–1975 Suchlisten des Bundes des Deutschen Fallschirmjäger and the
Deutsches Rotes Kreuz - Vermisstenbildliste III - band LA provided the name,
data and picture of a missing soldier, Jäger Günter Schulte, whose reported
Erkennunsmarke matches one of those found: 217416/311.

1957 - Suchliste 6 :





d. The small range of Stammrollennummern on nearly half of the discs and all but
one being greater than the authorized strength of a 13.Fallschirmjäger
Kompanie in 1944 is consistent with there having been a large number of new
replacement troops in FJR 5 in the period immediately preceeding the alleged
burial of these discs,
e. The different number type on disc Stammrollennummer 159 could reflect one
remaining member of the previous incarnation of FJR 5 as the authorized
strength of a 13.Fallschirmjäger Kompanie at the time was around 160 men. A
different number type for the higher numbered discs could be consistent with
the unit’s near complete destruction in the Falaise Pocket and having been then
re-formed in a different location.
f. There are no features of any of the discs that appears artifical or is consistent
with any known method of forgery.

5. Conclusions

The story of the burial and recovery of these discs is consistent with the physical
details and historical background of the unit in question, leading to the
conclusion that the discs are likely authentic and the story true.

Thanks to Matt L.
Peter

[ObKrieger]

Wow, great stuff and thanks for sharing!

[WARNACH]

How they are on display today ...

1 was sold on ebay ...(pitty)
Cheers
Peter

[curtiss92]

Dear forum,

First of all this is a very intresting page, well done. I am searching for codes of the II./FJR 5 since these were posted in North Africa and even were going to participate in Operation Hercules, which at the moment I am doin ga research on.

Regards
Kurt.

[WARNACH]

Hello Kurt
"...I am searching for codes of the II./FJR 5..."
Ever considered to buy the Jean Hoïdal - book: "Deutsche Erkennungsmarken"?
It holds a list of 98% of the Luftwaffe EKM codes
Costs 59 €Peter

[don_kihotis7]

Excellent detailed and constructive thread.
Congrats on your nice FJ erkennungsmarken grouping and thanks for sharing with us.

[curtiss92]

Never heard of it, Thanks

Regards
Kurt.

[KMMorris]

Nice ID tags, its nice to see a face with the name.
Morris