Kr.Gef./L.G.K.VIII

[kindzjal]

I would like to present one of mine more interesting dog tags:



It's a Kriegsgefangen Luftgaukommando VIII (Wehrkreis Breslau) dog tag.
As far as I know those dog tags were used in Stalag Luft III and Stalag Luft VIIIB. There is a discussion going on to whom it belonged: to the allied pilot POW's or to the Luftwaffe camp personel?
All opinions are welcome.

Bestreg.

kindzjal

[Matt L]

Well is there any concrete reason to believe a German-type disc would ever be issued to a prisoner? I expect the reason there's some question is that the marking does seem to suggest the 'unit' is 'POWs' of Luftgaukommando VIII. I would think though it might lead to very unwanted confusion were a POW to wear a German-type disc particularly when so many varied people did during the war- from foreign labourers to children. Doubtless the rectangular form came into being at some particular time- any idea when that was?

[kindzjal]

Well is there any concrete reason to believe a German-type disc would ever be issued to a prisoner?

The fact that POW's wore a German-type disc is not so special.
This happened often at all kinds of Stalags and Oflags.
Here You've got some examples:

Doubtless the rectangular form came into being at some particular time- any idea when that was?

By 1943, the famous camp for Allied flight personnel in Sagan - Stalag Luft III - had become so overcrowded that about 1,000, mostly non-commissioned flight personnel, were transferred to Stalag VIIIB. A part of Stalag VIII-B was separated by building new barbed-wire fences. Thus a camp within a camp was created.

[Matt L]

Well how about that- since they're not German, I never really look at POW discs and have only knowingly seen the rectangular ones. It's certainly rather easier to see the one you first posted as a general POW from LGKVIII as opposed to one from specifically this camp or that.

[kindzjal]

Now You know why I did cover up the numbers. Still it did not help
They already started faking those EKM's:

[kindzjal]

:

[Matt L]

Well luckily the oval ones don't look very realistic- even if I hadn't seen the originals, I wouldn't like those one bit. And now we have another couple of fonts to add to the bad list- anything else made with those, if they haven't been used already, are going to be recognizable Take that scumbag fakers LOL