Reserve Polizei Battalion 102 - Polizei-Kampfgruppe 'Jeckeln', Leningrad Pt1 & Pt2
Photo album of a man from the Reserve Polizei Battalion 102. This battalion was raised in Hamburg in 1939 and deployed to Poland (I/2, II/2, III/3, later 101, 102, 103), within police group 2, under army high command 10 (AOK 10). Assembled on 1.09.1939 then transported to Poland on 6.09.1939. They were initially posted to Kielce, Tomaszow and Konskie and then by train to Breslau, and from there to Tschenstochau by Hamburg buses. It is said that. 'During this phase of the war the police battalions were active in the repressive measures taken against the civil population, including executions following drumhead court-martials held by the army, the SS or police, in combat against the Polish regular army, the guarding of prisoners of war, the support of units of the SS and SD (SS Security Service), the gathering of weapons, and in the 'resettlement' of the native population ('Umsiedlungsaktionen').' Police Battalion 102 was allegedly involved in the shooting of 'hostages' during the advance on Rawa. This album appears to begin in Slovenia, centring on Zirklach (DE Name) Cerklje na Gorenjskem and Krainburg. On 10th March 1942 Reserve-Polizei-Bataillon 102 reinforced Polizei-Kampfgruppe 'Jeckeln' on 'combat operations' ('Kampfeinsatz') in front of Leningrad. The path to and vicinity of Leningrad is charted by pictures from Oranienbaum, Duderhof, Staryye Medushi, Peterhof (known as Petrodvorets), Tsarkoe Selo, Pushkin, The Catherine Palace (with troops of the Spanish Legion). Krasnogwardeisk, Krasnoje- Selo, Petersburg (Gatchina Imperial Palace), Djetskoje- Selo & 1942 Leningrad. There are many pictures of the aftermath of fighting in the areas around Leningrad from 1942 including downed YAK-3 and many showing the area of the Wolchow front which saw some of the heaviest fighting of the Eastern Front. There are several pictures of destroyed Russian Tanks, German PzKpfw 743(r) tractor and StuG III Ausf.D assault gun, trucks and field guns. This includes several photos showing knocked out German guns surrounded by multiple human skulls of the war dead on the nearby ground. The Wolchow front pictures also show evacuation of civilians and the narrow guage railway in action. There are several pictures of these men in the company of SS men and this Reserve Polizei Battalion was to join SS Polize Regiment 16 in 1943. The final pictures in the album appear to come from late 1942 Alexandrowka, then 1943 Staryye Gorki & Newel (Russia). The final page of the album contains an Entlausungsschein, De-Lousing certificate from 1944 Riga. Often required to board a train home from the front. (Please see further notes on the main page which do not fit here for space reasons). Graves featured include : Emil Grand, Polizei-Oberwachtmeister, born 08.03.1908, John Lattner,Polizei-Wachtmeister, b 03.04.1903, Rudolf Kühn, Polizei-Wachtmeister, b 29.03.1902.All KIA 20.11.1942 Krasnoje Selo, buried in Duderhof Ost Leningrad Rußland.
Notes : In 1961 and 1962, extensive investigations were carried out by the Hamburg criminal investigation department on grounds of "suspicion of murder or accessory to murder" ("Verdachts des Mordes bzw der Beihilfe zum Mord"), following preliminary proceedings carried out at the request of the judiciary in Ludwigsburg. Investigations were carried out against a total of 677 policemen who had been members of police battalions deployed in Poland. Police Battalions 101, 102, 103 and 305 were implemented. Legal proceedings were undertaken separately against the police battalions 101, 102, 104, and 305. The judiciary and public prosecutor's office determined that, regarding the arrest of "hostages", and the "Evakuierung", the term was accepted, i.e. the deportation of people to the extermination camps, the crimes, if seen as crimes at all, were deemed as "wrongful deprivation of personal liberty" ("Freiheitsberaubung"), which in the meantime came under the statute of limitations, (the legislative enactment prescribing the period of time within which proceedings must be instituted to enforce a right or bring an action at law). No incriminating evidence was found regarding the participation in executions, even after investigations were carried out in Poland. No criminal proceedings were taken in connection with executions carried out following drumhead court-martials. Executions carried out without prior legal proceedings, which could not be proved, were regarded as possible accessory to murder/manslaughter. In 1965 the proceedings were discontinued "for lack of evidence of a punishable offence", or as the crimes had come under the statute of limitations. Source : http://www1.uni-hamburg.de/rz3a035//police101.html
Photo album and paperwork of August Döring of the 9./SS-Polizei-Regiment 2 of the SS Polizei Division (12th October 1939-April 1942). Polizei-Schützen-Regiment 2 is listed as Polizei-Infanterie-Regiment 2 in some sources. Döring went on to serve in 1./SS-Panzer Regiment 1, part of the 1. SS-Panzer-Division "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler" (April 1942 - 9th May 1945). This partly civilian album covers the period up to April 1942, with just one damaged picture showing him in the SS Panzer Regiment 1 uniform. Paperwork includes the certificate document for the Wound Badge in Black (Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz) 10th August 1941, Booklet for the Deutsche Reichsbund für Leibesübungen (DRL), Deutsche Reichssportabzeichen in Szhwarz, Polizei Mehrfachversicherungen (Quittungsbuch), 1937 promotion certificate & 1955 unterbringung schein. As well as a handwritten note outlining dates of rank change and wartime service record. Graves photographs include :Friedrich Arndt & Walter Becker (SS Polizei Regiment 2), both killed on 10th June 1940 in France (buried in Noyers-Pont-Maugis, Ardennes). Among the photographs are one showing Czechoslovakian or Protectorate Böhmen-Mähren Financní stráž (Finanzwache, Financial Guard=border guard), possibly taken in September or October 1938 & dating from his Schutzpolizei days
Polizei Battalion 181 was formed with personnel from the Salzburg, Austria area in the fall of 1939. July 1942 in Veldes, Polizei Battalion 181 became III./SS Polizei Regiment 19. The pictures in this photo album are believed to date from the years up to 1943.
In December 1939 the battalion was attached to Police Regiment Radom. The battalion was issued 18 light machine guns on May 5, 1941, (photographs from this training are featured in this album). April 1941: Transferred to Oberkrain during the second half of April. Initially tasked with maintenance of order and the deportation of ‘unreliable and undesirables’ among the Slovenian population. August 8 to 9, 1941: Took part in the first German operations against partisans in Slovenia with a sweep in the mountains southwest of Radovljica (Radmannsdorf). December 12, 1941: The Partisan Cankarev Battalion reportedly ambushed and “destroyed” a 52 man patrol from Police Battalion 181 near Škofja Loka, claiming 45 killed and 7 wounded. December 27, 1941 to January 12, 1942: The battalion together with Police Battalions 44, 93, 171, 325 and Landesschützen Battalion 322 and 857, took part in the first large antipartisan operation in Slovenia. Several photographs in this album show areas previously documented as used by the Polizei Battalion 325 and are possibly from this operation. December 31, 1941: The battalion is stationed in Kamnik. June 30, 1942: Elements of the battalion were supporting an Italian antipartisan operation in the Horjul area. August 1, 1942: The battalion is in Crainburg. See also - Forum Der Wehrmacht thread
The WW2 era pictures include bomb damaged Dessau, a decorated (wounded) Luftwaffe veteran in field camouflage & Schutzpolizei & Schupo motor cycle rider, assorted Panzer, Luftwaffe & Heer troops. Pictures showing Heer soldiers in Bulgaria posing for formal group portraits with Bulgarian national army troops at the Black Sea (Varna). The pictures continue through to the the immediate post-war period of Soviet Occupation in Dessau (1946). These communist occupation era pictures show rare early East German Occupation Zone Sachsen Polizei uniforms (pre Volkspolizei), including formal portraits, group picture with hounds & communist badge wearing NSU motorcycle rider. Occupation zone Sachsen Polizei were from June 1946 under the German Administration of Interior (DVdI) through October 1949 when the Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR) was established along with the DVdI being renamed to the Ministry of Interior (MdI). Also shown is a 1955 Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR) cultural/propaganda event believed to be in Dessau. This event is captured in a series of candid photographs, visible in the background are communist & Lenin portraits on the walls. It includes a propaganda parade which contained several floats, one depicting concentration camp inmates behind barbed wire being taunted by a SS uniformed guard. Also shown is the leisure boat ‘Maxim Gorky’ & the East Berlin Gedenkstätte der Sozialisten Friedrichsfelde Central Cemetery memorial. Other locations include Herrlicher Waldweg, Stendal (in Saxony-Anhalt) & Sommerfreude.
Series of photographs of one man showing his time in Infantry Regiment 42 of Infantry Division 46 and progressing to his time in an unknown Feldgendarmerie Truppe. Countries included are France, Czechoslovakia, Russsia. Activities include guarding downed aircraft, inspecting destroyed armour, guard duty, training and evening socialising.
