SS tag

[Kepi Blanc]

Hello

I have this in my collection for about 10 years.

Are there any who have some infos about it. What SS unit ect.

Thanks

Here are the inscription on the tag: F./2K/5 SS J.R

[Stacez]

Hello,

This ID tag belonged for sure to:
2K/5 SS J.R = 2 Kompanie/ 5 SS-Infanterie-Regiment - 2nd Company/ 5th SS Infantry Regiment

Lexikon der Wehrmacht - SS-Infanterie-Regiment

The only concern I've got with this identification is the letter "F" in the beginning. It might have been an abbreviation of "Freiwilliger" (foreign volunteer) who served in this company.

[Kepi Blanc]

Hello Stacez

Thanks for your reply. So it have been a 'freiwilliger' in div Wiking ?

[Matt L]

This is all over a weird one. Normally that 5 would notbe the Regiment number as by convention that comes at the end- it would properly be 'SS. I R 5'; a number at the beginning denotes a Brigade, Division, etc., e.g. 5. SS-Panzer-Division. However in this case I can find no SS unit that includes 'Infanterie' with the number 5 other than that Stacez has suggested, so there is no alternative that makes sense.

Also a 'Freiwilliger' marking wouldn't usually appear in the formal text of the unit designation unless it were actually part of the unit's name, and slashes specifically separate formal unit structure elements, which 'Freiwilliger' is not. But with the weird placement of the 5, maybe it is. Or it could be 'E' for 'Ersatz'- I have an image of a disc from an SS Polizei Regiment marked: '1/E/SS Pol. Inf. Rgt. 1'., so much like yours Kepi. However, it is little odd having the E first too. There are no listings for what the Ersatz formations of any of the SS-Infanterie-Regimenter had, but since so many units had their own, maybe these guys did too; they only existed for about 6 months, though so who knows... It's not Wiking though, SS-Inf. Rgt. 5 is listed as RFSS.

[Kepi Blanc]

That is very interesting with this tag. And specielly if it only existed for 6 month.
To be sure the tag owner had been a part of the RFSS ??

But i have study the tag, and think it is an E and not F.

Thanks for your help.

[Stacez]

But i have study the tag, and think it is an E and not F.

If you see so, it makes more sense than shortcut of "Freiwilliger" in the same line of unit name.
I was also considering possibility that it might be "E" but repeating again after Matt L post - it is a little against the all examples we can find. Normally, "E" (Ersatz) goes after company number. Your EKM may be just another exception.
So, taking into consideration that:

• SS-Infanterie-Regiment 5 (mot) was formed from SS-Totenkopf-Standarte-5;
• original Standarten were transformed in 1939 into field regiments and they left behind Ersatz-Bataillone (replacement battalions) which carried their names.

I'd say now that your ID tag comes from:
E/2K/5 SS J.R = Ersatz (Bataillon)/ 2 Kompanie/ 5 SS-Infanterie-Regiment - 2nd Company/ Replacement Battalion/ 5th SS Infantry Regiment
Nevertheless, in my opinion it's really weird way to stamp battalion before its company...

To be sure the tag owner had been a part of the RFSS ??

Not exactly, he was a soldier of 5th SS Infantry Regiment which was under RFSS command.

[Matt L]

I'd say now that your ID tag comes from:
E/2K/5 SS J.R = Ersatz (Bataillon)/ 2 Kompanie/ 5 SS-Infanterie-Regiment - 2nd Company/ Replacement Battalion/ 5th SS Infantry Regiment
Nevertheless, in my opinion it's really weird way to stamp battalion before its company...

It's far more weird to have a Regiment's number up front- have you ever seen a formal example (document or other wartime piece) of this order anywhere Stacez? I've not myself, but then I look at Wehrmacht unit structure as a way to understand Erkennungsmarken and I believe you said you do the opposite, so you probably know better than I do. The main reason I'm curious is that I've used things like what seems to be an incorrect order of title elements to identify fakes- and a Regiment number in what seems to be the wrong place would to me be an obvious flaw. This disc could be showing that's not the case, although it's an odd one so I'd accept it as such: the exception to the rule. That is unless you know of other places it happens...

[Stacez]

It's far more weird to have a Regiment's number up front- have you ever seen a formal example (document or other wartime piece) of this order anywhere Stacez?

Affirmative Matt, I've seen already such order even in Wehrmacht regiments - see attached example below (from emarken.de). And I agree it's not a common way to stamp the regiment's number.

[Matt L]

Ah, very interesting. I never noticed that one before, but it's certainly real and clear proof. Thanks