Example of the difficulty of tracing units from Erkennungsmarken

[Matt L]

I came across this service record posted on another forum and it perfectly illustrates how sometimes tracing actual field units a soldier served with from his Erkennungsmarke can be quite impossible as men didn't always go to the field units a particular Ersatz unit is nominally stated to have supplied:

1. Erkennungsmarke: -5931-, 2./Pi.Ers. 253
(2. Kompanie Pionier-Ersatz-Bataillon 253)


Truppenteile:
Laut Meldung vom 10.06.1942 -
2. Kompanie Pionier-Ersatz-Bataillon 253
und am 13.07.1942 - Standort: Köln-Westhofen

ab 22.07.1942 ) Stabskompanie Infanterie-Regiment 326
und am 20.08.1942 )
ab 01.04.1943 ) Infanterie-Pionier-Ersatz-Kompanie 5
und am 04.09.1943 ) Standort: Straßburg/Elsass
-Abgang: von der Ersatz- und Ausbildungs-Kompanie 5
zum Füsilier-Ersatz- und Ausbildung-Bataillon
Oberhofen-ab 29.09.1943 ) Stabskompanie Grenadier-Regiment 326
u. lt. Meldung vom 10.10.1944 ) –Zugang: vom Grenadier-Ersatz-Batallion 358/ Altkirch.

Das Infanterie- bzw. später Grenadier-
Regiment 326 unterstand der 198. Infanterie Division.
-Einsatzraum: siehe Anlage-


Right off the bat any research would have been derailed as there's no way to predict a man beginning in Pionier-Ersatz-Bataillon 253 would have been posted to Grenadier-Regiment 326. The movements after that were following wounds received in the field, but he does return to GR 326. If one looks at PEB 253's listing PiErsBat 253-Lexikon der Wehrmacht 8 Pionier-Bataillone are mentioned as field units it supplied and that's it; it's even in a different Wehrkreis than GR326 so there's just no way to consider GR326 as a possibility, however remote.

One further interesting aspect to this service record is it shows an example of a lost and replaced Erkennungsmarke; there is no mention of the circumstances of the loss, however it is recorded:

2. Erkennungsmarke: -1-, Stabskp.Gren.Rgt.326 (für verlorene Erkennungsmarke –5931-)

"for lost Erkennungsmarke", and this proves a man would be issued a disc from his current unit- and further that disc number 1 could simply go to the first man to need a replacement, which this guy clearly was since his new disc's Stammrollennummer is 1.

[JPhilip]

Hello Matt,
For our members who do not speak german and would like to fully understand your explanation, i post this translation of the text concerning the first Erkennungsmarke that you mentioned.

Units:
According to the announcement dated 10/06/1942 --
2. Company Pioneer Reserve Battalion 253
and on 13.07.1942 - Location: Cologne-Westhofen

from 22.07.1942) Headquarters Company, Infantry Regiment 326
and on 20.08.1942)
from 01.04.1943) Infantry Pioneer Reserve Company, 5
and on 04.09.1943) Location: Strasbourg, Alsace
-Disposal: from the replacement and training company of 5
for replacement and training Fusilier Battalion
Oberhofen from 29.09.1943) Headquarters Company, Infantry Regiment 326
and according to report of 10.10.1944)-access: from the Grenadier Replacement Battalion 358 / Altkirch.

The infantry and later Grenadier
Subordinate to the 198th regiment of 326 Infantry Division.
Space mission: see Appendix -

Thanks

[Matt L]

Ah, okay, I didn't bother with that because of the 'use original terms' rule, and really the point is independent of the specific unit translations. Certainly anyone wishing to learn about Erkennungsmarken must familiarize himself with the terminology and organization of Wehrmacht units (a significant subject in itself ), so indeed you're right this would be one more opportunity to help folks with that.

I would offer a correction though for the translation- Ersatz is 'replacement' not 'reserve' (Reserve is reserve ) so the units are:

Pionier (Combat Engineer) Replacement Battalion 253

Infantry Pionier Replacement Company 5 (part of Infantry Replacement Regiment 5)

Unfortunately, automated translators don't do such a great job sometimes.