Wehrkreis Ers Dep V Erkennungsmarke

[Seafox]

Hi guys, today I received this Erkennungsmarke.

It is from Wehrkreis (Military district) Ersatz Depot (mainly a basic depot for recruits before being sent to their units or further training) number 5, meaning from Baden Württemberg and Elsass regions with its headquarters in Stuttgart.

While doing my research I even came across one on the Stalingradfront webshop, dug up in Stalingrad.

First I didn’t quite understand how these recruit depot tags could have been worn in actual, and far away, fronts. But it seems that however short some recruits stayed in the Wehrkreis depots, the Erkennungsmarke they received there were worn through their complete careers and only replaced when broken or lost.

I was able to learn a lot from Lexicon der Wehrmacht and Forum der Wehrmacht besides this forum.

The Ekm itself is the thinnest one I have. It is made of aluminium and it bends very easily.

Happy with it, not very rare or from renowned or special units but I like it as part of the Reich’s military system.


Kind regards

[Scoloo]

I like it! Also thanks for the info, didn't know this. Was this the whole war period or only in the last years?

[Seafox]

The system was from the Weimar era and 15 Wehrkreise existed at the start of the war in which later 4 Kreise were added and some were extended by added territory from occupied countries.

[Scoloo]

I understand it now. But was it normal the recruits stayed so short in the depots? I can imagine that late war they needed the recruits faster on the units because of the lack of people. And that's maybe also the reason they keeped this tags?

[Seafox]

I think it is as you said, but I am not sure, I am not a specialist or even close.

What I do believe is that the system of keeping the Erkennungsmarke from day one to the end of service was the common thing.

[Scoloo]

I think you know more than me . I have also a aluminum one (from the ss) and that one is also very thin.

[Seafox]

That sounds very interesting. Could you share a picture of it ?

[Scoloo]

Off course, it's also already in a thread over here.

[Seafox]

Great. What were people’s conclusions on it ?

[toot]

it is different.