Help in Identification of Disc or Tag?

[Markratz1]

Hi,

Picked up a few things thru a contact while doing a public works project north of Volograd. Three items turned up, this ring, German identification disc, looks like a Pioneer Unit, and clearly a Soviet Disc.

My question is on the Soviet Disc, does anyone have any idea what it is? If I had to guess, I would say a vehicle or equipment tag. Any insight or help would be appreciated.

Mark

[CARL]

In my opinion, the German disc is a replica, but wait for other opinions...it is not my area.

[Markratz1]

In my opinion, the German disc is a replica, but wait for other opinions...it is not my area.

I'm just curious, they didn't cost me anything, free!

I am always carefull on German items and no longer collect German, stopped years ago due to the fakery. Be interesting to get other opinions, if its fake, great to know.

[Matt L]

Well if your question is about the Soviet piece, this isn't the right place- this is German stuff, so you'd have to go to the Soviet section.

The German one is real- it's Pionier-Park-Kompanie/ Brückenbau-Bataillon 683:


Brückenbau-Bataillon 683

1. Aufstellung:

* 28.8.1939 im WK XII; Pionier-Brücken-Bataillon 683 seit 19.8.1943.


2. Unterstellung:

Heerestruppe: Westen (Kommandant der Rheinübergänge); 1941 Rußland, 1942 18. Armee
(Heeresgruppe Nord), 1944/45 2. Armee Narew, Westpreußen


3. Ersatz:

68 (Eisenbahn) Rehagen, WK III; 22.2.1940 E 3 (Brückenbau) Brieg, Neiße, Metz, WK VIII/XII

I couldn't say just what a 'Pionier-Park-Kompanie' is exactly, but there were 10 Bataillone of them plus a number of other units with Pionier-Park-Kompanien in them. The unit isn't listed as having gone to Stalingrad, so this soldier must have been transferred at some point; there were a lot of small Pionier units used in the battle- perhaps he was 'lent' for that...

[Datrus]

Matt L: Pionier/engineer Park is the the unit within a regiment as an example, which is responsible for all the specialized vehicles. Diggers, off road forklifts, trucks carrying mines and equipment and so forth. So in this case it will have been a entire Kompanie made up like this. In the Danish army there will be a Park "Abteilung" in a Pionier/Engineer Regiment. I hope it clarifies the term. Hope my English is not too muddy for explanation.

[Paul D]

Quite an interesting and unusual EK , 6th Armee had a mass of differnet Pionier units attached to it any idea of the exact location that it was found ?

[Matt L]

Matt L: Pionier/engineer Park is the the unit within a regiment as an example, which is responsible for all the specialized vehicles. Diggers, off road forklifts, trucks carrying mines and equipment and so forth. So in this case it will have been a entire Kompanie made up like this. In the Danish army there will be a Park "Abteilung" in a Pionier/Engineer Regiment. I hope it clarifies the term. Hope my English is not too muddy for explanation.

Ah, thanks very much Datrus- I knew 'Park' referred to a vehicle park, but for some reason couldn't think of just what Pioniers would have to do with that; of course heavy machinery makes perfect sense- I should have realized that LOL

[Markratz1]

Thanks all! All I know it was from the northern end of the City. I will try to find out the exact location. Still curious on the Soviet tag?

[Matt L]

Sure thing- and as I wrote, this is the German identity disc section- if you want to know about Soviet stuff, you have to try the Soviet section...

[Stacez]

Matt L: Pionier/engineer Park is the the unit within a regiment as an example, which is responsible for all the specialized vehicles. Diggers, off road forklifts, trucks carrying mines and equipment and so forth. So in this case it will have been a entire Kompanie made up like this. In the Danish army there will be a Park "Abteilung" in a Pionier/Engineer Regiment. I hope it clarifies the term. Hope my English is not too muddy for explanation.

Hello,

Well, actually the question was about the Pionier-Park-Kompanie not Pionier-Park itself cause it makes a little difference...

Pionier-Parks (like other army parks) were established at army level. There was not any Pionier-Park at the regiment level! Pionier-Park was located mainly to the rear of the army railheads. It was responsible for repairs but it also was supposed to maintain a reserve of between 5-10 percent of the construction materials as well as engineer equipment of the army, and to forward this equipment either directly or through collecting points to units.

Jumping now to the Pionier-Park-Kompanie (engineer equipment park company). Matt already mentioned one important thing - theye were part of Brückenbau-Bataillon. Normally, such battalion consisted of four construction companies and one Pionier-Park-Kompanie. I can add only one thing that this company was composed of personnel assigned to Pionier-Park.