Russian army of liberation identity disc..... from Jersey, Channel Islands.

[JERSEY 34]

This is an identity disc left behind after the German Occupation of Jersey. It belonged to a man from the 2.Kp Ost.Btl 643, which was part of Gren Rgt.582 of the 319 I.D. The unit Feldpost number was 26631 and the officer in charge was Major Raunecke and they were based on the north coast of the Island. These Russian/Ukrainians swapped sides after capture in Russia and went on to join the Russian Army of Liberation and wore the arm shield with ROA on it. The locals read the ROA as POA and so these men were referred to as "Pals of Adolf". At the end of the Occupation these men would have been really keen to totally dissasociate themselves as having been a willing member of the German armed forces and this is how perhaps this I/D disc came to be left here. As it was a Major Gruzdev arrived in the Island to round up any "Russians" and repatriate them to the Motherland wether they were ex wehrmacht or hidden slave workers...both would have been sent to the Gulag or just shot out of hand.
Such a small piece of our Islands history that has been saved for the future.
All the best from Jersey,
D.

[Adrian Stevenson]

I like anything to do with the "POA" so it was nice to see this one.

I too wonder if the owner survived?

Cheers, Ade.

[CARL]

Another very interesting item from your collection/museum D. Thanks again for taking the time to show it here.

Cheers,

Carl

[Matt L]

Wow, very interesting- I'd never have expected an Ost-Bataillon man to be stationed in the extreme west; then again it's logical to use less than front-line troops for occupation duty in quiet locations. Given what I understand was the Soviet policy towards being surrendering or just being captured, I'd doubt this guy fared terribly well if they found him.

[JERSEY 34]

Last year I bought a superb lot all collected by one family who during the Occupation lived within the military zone on the north coast of the island in amongst the lot was a few items of insignia, one of which was a lovely ROA sleeve patch and the other a single collar patch, shame it was not the pair. These are the only other items I have from those Russian men.
I am well pleased with the arm shield.
All the best from Jersey,
D.

[Jerry B]

Wow, very interesting- I'd never have expected an Ost-Bataillon man to be stationed in the extreme west; then again it's logical to use less than front-line troops for occupation duty in quiet locations. Given what I understand was the Soviet policy towards being surrendering or just being captured, I'd doubt this guy fared terribly well if they found him.

As far as I remember there were Ost troop units in Normandy and also the last combat to take place on the Western front (possibly in the European theater) was on the Dutch Island of Texel where Ost troops rebelled and fought against the remaining Germans.

From Wikipedia;

The Georgian Uprising on Texel (Dutch: Opstand der Georgiërs) (5 April 1945 – 20 May 1945) was an insurrection by the 882nd Infantry Battalion Königin Tamara (Queen Tamar or Tamara) of the Georgian Legion of the German Army (Wehrmacht Heer) stationed on the German occupied Dutch island of Texel (pronounced Tessel). The battalion was made up of 800 Georgians and 400 Germans, with mainly German officers. The event has been described as Europe's last battlefield (see wikipedia for more info).