Winter war 1939-40 Leipäsuo combat- KIA Red Army soldiers recovered

[don_kihotis7]

Diggers keep the relics that were found with bodies because the organizations i.e. the Deutsche Volksbund are interested only in the bones. They throw away the dog tags, helmets etc. So it's a pity to let them go in the garbage when you can put them in a safe place or preserve them.

[Paul D]

My God..........very poignant images and video. I'm assuming they are digging in a peat bog which would account for the remarkable state of preservation. Glad those poor souls were found and were able to get a proper burial!!

I couldn't help but think about some of the artefacts that were found.....particularly those SSCH-36 helmets........if the helmet is found with a body, I would hope that everything would go into a coffin for burial, but I see a lot of "battlefield recovered" helmets on ebay. How do we know that the helmets being offered for sale were not dug out of the ground with a skull in it? I'm very wary about purchasing relics now because I don't want anything that may have been dug up with a body. Several years ago, I was shown a human skull that was dug up from a local battlefield from the American Revolution here in Boston. The skull was found many years before with a round piece of grape shot that killed the solider as well as a uniform button. The person who had custody of the skull told me he was thinking about keeping the grape shot ball and button as a momento and I pleaded with him not to. I feel that if such objects are found with human remains, then they should stay with the remains. Just my own personal feeling on that.

Cheers,
Tim

This has been brought up and debated many times before on this forum following comments such as yours which offer nothing new to this debate , one explanation for the recovery of relics has been explained by Chris , i don't want another thread on the recovery of remains and their identification and honourable reburial derailed by any more argument about this topic. If anyone wants to carry this on go through the old threads and learn !!

[rabbitface]

that was unbelievable.ive never seen anything like that before,they even take the kids,what a history lesson

[Dimas]

The peoples who work in such organisations, they mostly interested in the historical work, but not for a profit from the relics. In the youtube comments one guy offered money for the helmet, but they told him it's not for sale.
I don't think the peoples will make this job for just a couple bucks, win on the found helmet. Take a look at the blue faces of the workers, after 50 min in the video.
In beginning of 1990's I've visited the Volchow front area, where was a big meeting of such organizations, approx 400 men found thousands of the bodies. After their work, all found stuff was thrown in to the two big bombcraters, which is probably allready emtied by a scrap researchers and black diggers

[TrondK]

I have searched with detectors/magnet in a swamp/ smelly pond myselef and when i started to find german helmets with wire and partial decals, ammo, m24s, a flw 42 and other smelly bits and pieces- i was growing "worried" i would find a cadaver as well. But i didnt find any human remains, the smell from the swamp water deep in the mud is disgusting. I had alot of small red dots on my body after i cleaned up. I am very certain there are more to be found in this place but i am not going back. I like militaria, but i stick to the non relic condition.

These guys should have better gear, paid for by the government. They are doing a fantastic job.

[Datrus]

Very interesting Trond Sounds like my kind of thing

Regards, Lars

[DioMac]

I think if you could ask them, the deceased wouldn't care too much about what happened to their helmets etc., and would be more concerned about their remains being in a place that could be visited by relatives.

Anyway, don't want to derail the thread!

[jimpy]

Total respect to the recovery teams working on these projects.
Even if they only find the remains of one deceased soldier, it's still another one "home"

RiP


Regards etc
Ian D

AKA: Jimpy

[yum1829]

WOW!!! crazy stuff. cant believe there so preserved. You's are a credit to your country for the work that is done, more fallen soldiers can now rest in peace....

[Bravo 20]

My apologies, Paul. It wasn't my intention to derail the current thread, which I did find facinating. I was simply wondering out loud about what is done with relics when they are located with human remains. Im sorry if I offended you with my line of inquiry.