Can someone tell me more about this booklet I have here?

[Richy7]

[TabsTabs1964]

It is a brochure for Christmas Eve 1942 of the 30. Infanterie-Division. It appears to be edited by the Abteilung Ic (Feindaufklärung und Abwehr, geistige Betreuung)

As we all Know, The 30th Infantry Division of the Wehrmacht was created on 1 October 1936 in Lübeck and mobilized on 26 August 1939 for the upcoming invasion of Poland.

In the Poland campaing Their commander Major General von Briesen was seriously wounded and lost his right forearm. The Division, henceforth was referred to as "Briesen Division". On 16 June 1940, the unit took part in the victory parade in Paris.

The division and its corps (X corps) took part in Operation Barbarossa.


Map: Südostwärts des Illmensee - Southeast of the Illmensee

In the winter of 1941 the division was trapped in the Demyansk Pocket along with the 12th, 32nd, 123rd and 290th infantry divisions, and the SS-Division Totenkopf, as well as RAD, police, Todt organization and other auxiliary units, for a total of about 90,000 German troops and around 10,000 auxiliaries. Their commander was General der Infanterie Walter Graf von Brockdorff-Ahlefeldt, commander of the II. Armeekorps (2nd Army Corps).

Regards
Santi

[TabsTabs1964]

For more information about 30 Infanterie Division:







More information about staraya Russa in my thread:

"Geography of the USSR Staraya Russa under German occupation" in History and Research Third Reich and WW2, section

[Richy7]

Thank you very much! So it was issued to an infantry division that became trapped by the allies?

How rare/valuable is something like this?

[Willmore]

Thank you very much! So it was issued to an infantry division that became trapped by the allies?

How rare/valuable is something like this?

Hi Richy.

We are happy to talk about the item, its authenticity and history, but we do not give monetary valuations because price is subjective.

Here is an account of the 30. Infantry Division during the war -

The division fought in Belgium in the May 1940 Western campaign, and was sent East by June of 1941 to be part of X.Armeekorps, Heeresgruppe Nord -the higher formation with which it would stay until the end of the war. It fought at the Dvinsk in 1941, and was later encircled, under command of Generalleutnant Emil von Wiekede, for more than a year with II.Armeekorpsat Demyansk in January 1942. Upon being freed from the pocket in Feburary of 1943, the Briesen Division fought in the Leningrad Salient, again as part of X.Armeekorps, falling back with the rest of Heeresgruppe Nord through the Baltic states in 1944, finally becoming one of the encircled formations of the now re-named Heeresgruppe Kurland of March 1945,fighting in the Kurland Kessel in a defensive role until its eventual surrender after May 9, 1945.

30.Infanterie-Division - Feldgrau

Kind regards and Merry Christmas,

Will.

[TabsTabs1964]

I'm thinking that maybe the man who received that pamphlet in 1942, at the end of the war (If he survived to the end, of course) was able to carry this on his tunic.

[Richy7]

Okay I understand, is it fairly rare though? Or common?

[Willmore]

Okay I understand, is it fairly rare though? Or common?

It seems to be readily available on the internet. If you search using - Hans Breithaupt Die Geschichte Der 30. Infanterie - Division 1939-1945, you can see examples.

[Richy7]

I meant my booklet, not the information book

[Willmore]

I meant my booklet, not the information book

By using the search terms - kriegsweihnachten 1942 30. Infanterie-Division and BOOKLET 30. INFANTRY DIVISION KRIEGSWEIHNACHTEN 1942, I found a couple of examples that have sold, so they are out there.