SS/Police unit research 2./V. P.-W.-B.

[slados28]

Not sure where to put this as but I'll try here first, if the mods feel it would be better suited and would receive more response elsewhere please move to appropriate section.

Now, trying to figure out an unit abbreviation to go along with a FP number here. The unit abbreviation is 2./V. P.-W.-B. and it's written in the rear inner skirt of a SS to Police reissued M40 helmet. The rank seems to be Wachtmeister --- so, likely a Police unit. The FP number is one of the three below:

-10555

-18555

-19555


These numbers respectively correspond to:


-Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 507 (Tiger)

-Einsatzkommando 7 b

-SS-Kavallerie-Regiment 1/ 8. SS-Division



A possible interpretation of the unit abbreviation I have come up with is 2./Verband Polizei Wachtbataillon.
A pic of the inscription below --- the lower part of the "P" is missing (chipped away), same goes for the "1" and possibly also the second number of the FP number (making it either an "8" or a "9").

Hope someone will be able to shed further light on this.

[slados28]

Bumping this one--- open to educated suggestions.

[HPL2008]

Sorry, but the "Verband" part does not make sense here.

However, units designated as Polizei-Wachbataillone definitely did exist, so I'd say the rest of your interpretation of this abbreviation is a good possibility.

As far as I know (and I will gladly stand corrected here), these battalions were numbered with Roman numerals, so the "V." would simply mean "5th". (The "2." is for the battalion's 2nd company.)

[slados28]

Thank you ever so much, HPL, for pointing out a significant clue! So, that's what it is --- I guess I was blinded by the thought of this letter being an alternative word for "Kompanie" or something similar. Seems we are looking at a Roman numeral after all!

So, we are probably looking at an inscription that refers to the 2nd Kompanie of the 5th Polizei-Wachbataillone. Nice to have made some progress here --- now "all" I need to figure out is whether this would correspond to any of the three units previously listed...

As an aside though; Where would the "Verband" term actually be utilized?

[HPL2008]

As an aside though; Where would the "Verband" term actually be utilized?

"Verband" can be translated as "formation", "force", "task force", "combined arms unit" etc.

In land warfare, it is a battalion- or regiment sized (often temporary) combination of various units. In air warfare, it can refer to a bomber- (or other aircraft) formation.

If used in an organizational designation, you will find it usually find as a suffix (as in "Sperrverband Harzer", "Sonderverband 288", "Osttürkischer Waffen-Verband der SS" etc.)

(Note that the word "Verband" also has the completely different meaning of "wound dressing", which is why a "Verbandplatz" is a dressing station.)

[slados28]

Thank you once again! If you don't mind me asking, is there a specific reason the "V" would not be an abbreviation for "Verband"? Just trying to make out what to look out for in similar cases here.

[HPL2008]

If you don't mind me asking, is there a specific reason the "V" would not be an abbreviation for "Verband"?

Trust me; in German it just doesn't make sense in this context or in this place: "Verband Polizei Wachbataillon" would roughly translate as "Unit Police Guard Battalion".

Putting the "Verband" part in front of the rest of a designation rather than at its end is also simply wrong in any case.

[slados28]

Although it seems I'm starting to wear out these letters on my keyboard, thank you once again! I was not questioning your input, just so that is said... it all totally makes sense now!

[slados28]

Could someone help me with precise translations of these two paragraphs below? I get the general gist of it but my own average understanding of the German language and that of online translators still leaves a few holes...

Da die Bataillone nur ausnahmsweise im besetzten Gebiet eingesetzt wurden,
führten sie auch nur ausnahmsweise und von ihrem Einsatz ab Fp.

Die beiden Bataillone dienten vermutlich der in Abschnitt 4 erwähnten Polizei Bataillone I-III. Um die jahreswende 1944-45 kamen wieder zwei Bataillone zur aufstellung

[HPL2008]

Could someone help me with precise translations of these two paragraphs below? I get the general gist of it but my own average understanding of the German language and that of online translators still leaves a few holes...

The first quote translates as:

"As the battalions were only deployed to occupied territories in exceptional cases, they were only assigned field post numbers in exceptional cases and starting with the time of their deployment".

(The "Fp." on its own does not make sense; I assume that it should say "Fp.-Nrn." or "Fp.-Nummern".)

The first sentence of the second quote does not really make sense. Either one or several words are missing or there is some other error in the transcription. Please re-check the source. The second sentence translates as:

"Around the turn of the year 1944/45, another two battalions were raised."