Busy days and nasty weather has kept me mostly at home, but for some hours early in the week I was searching and digging. I had planned to walk to a site where it is ruins of a few Wehrmacht barracks. That plan fell apart some sixty meters from where I parked. Between some birch trees I saw the traces of an old filled in ditch, a food tin was sticking out of the ground and when scratching the surface a bit with the bayonet, broken glass came to show so there was little else to do than to check it for treasures.
It began good with a German mess kit under the first layer of moss and roots. It had the color intact and the initials of the owner engraved. Then I found a few barbed wire poles, but an interesting type I`ve never seen before. It looks like they are meant to be stuck into trees. Those I could not leave behind, I`ll find use for them in the garden. After removing more rocks from the top it became sandy with very little roots and nice to dig. A red lacquered late war canteen piled up on the side together with lots of the usual bits and pieces. A fishing reel stuck out as an interesting item so did a rubber pad from an RSO track link. I pryed loose a stone from the side of the ditch and together with it flew a Lapplandfront Cross!! I saw it like in slow motion as it spun through the air and landed in the sand. It was green-blue from being burnt in the fire that had been in the ditch. All the beautiful blue enamel were gone and the center of it was missing. Luckily I carried a sift. Like gold panners are using. I spent the next three or four hours going through the rest of the ditch , sifting everything.
The missing piece of the badge was not found. It is very possible that it had popped of and melted in the fire. That I missed it and it is still there is also a possibility. Maybe sometime in the future I`ll re-sift it all if I get desperate enough :D
While sifting I spotted gold, or at least something looking like gold, maybe tombac. A very nice thin "gold" ring had been lost or thrown into the ditch. I like such finds. I imagine the owner had become skinnier during the retreat from Finland and it simply slipped off from his finger while he was throwing stuff into the ditch.
My back and legs needed a stretch, so finally I tried getting to the barracks. I almost got there. Halfway there I found a spot with lots of signals and had to check them of course. These were rifle casings and stripper clips, but in between them was a little gem. It was half of a EKM ("dog-tag"), but when I turned it around it appeared to be a complete tag, just folded over. Very carefully I tried unfolding it just enough to see what was on it, but it snapped. Still, I was super happy finding a tag. It was from Landesschützen Bataillone 809. A unit mostly made up of older soldiers and soldiers not completely fit for frontline duty, and was used to guard depots, POW camps, installations etc.
I decided to end the day on this high note, and strolled happily back to the car, eating some berries on the way. I really need to take the Girlfriend out for a berry-picking day soon.
Tomorrow I am making another attempt on the barracks.
It began good with a German mess kit under the first layer of moss and roots. It had the color intact and the initials of the owner engraved. Then I found a few barbed wire poles, but an interesting type I`ve never seen before. It looks like they are meant to be stuck into trees. Those I could not leave behind, I`ll find use for them in the garden. After removing more rocks from the top it became sandy with very little roots and nice to dig. A red lacquered late war canteen piled up on the side together with lots of the usual bits and pieces. A fishing reel stuck out as an interesting item so did a rubber pad from an RSO track link. I pryed loose a stone from the side of the ditch and together with it flew a Lapplandfront Cross!! I saw it like in slow motion as it spun through the air and landed in the sand. It was green-blue from being burnt in the fire that had been in the ditch. All the beautiful blue enamel were gone and the center of it was missing. Luckily I carried a sift. Like gold panners are using. I spent the next three or four hours going through the rest of the ditch , sifting everything.
The missing piece of the badge was not found. It is very possible that it had popped of and melted in the fire. That I missed it and it is still there is also a possibility. Maybe sometime in the future I`ll re-sift it all if I get desperate enough :D
While sifting I spotted gold, or at least something looking like gold, maybe tombac. A very nice thin "gold" ring had been lost or thrown into the ditch. I like such finds. I imagine the owner had become skinnier during the retreat from Finland and it simply slipped off from his finger while he was throwing stuff into the ditch.
My back and legs needed a stretch, so finally I tried getting to the barracks. I almost got there. Halfway there I found a spot with lots of signals and had to check them of course. These were rifle casings and stripper clips, but in between them was a little gem. It was half of a EKM ("dog-tag"), but when I turned it around it appeared to be a complete tag, just folded over. Very carefully I tried unfolding it just enough to see what was on it, but it snapped. Still, I was super happy finding a tag. It was from Landesschützen Bataillone 809. A unit mostly made up of older soldiers and soldiers not completely fit for frontline duty, and was used to guard depots, POW camps, installations etc.
I decided to end the day on this high note, and strolled happily back to the car, eating some berries on the way. I really need to take the Girlfriend out for a berry-picking day soon.
Tomorrow I am making another attempt on the barracks.
Messkit.
Barbed wire poles.
Canteen.
Multi tool.
Razors made from bakelite and early plastic.
Tracklink pad made from rubber.
Fishing reel.
Lapplandfront Cross.
I think it is tombac, but I hope it is gold so Im having it checked.
Some gaming pieces rescued from the ditch. Goes in the jar for Baards collection.
EKM!
Landesschützen Bataillone 809.
The badge was in very poor condition, which is sad coz I collect these.
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