Stamm Komp.Gren.Ers.Batl.365 EKM (Nijmegen)

The dog tag or 'Erkennungsmarke' shows normal signs of wear. The Infanterie Ersatz Bataillon 365 bataillon was formed in the summer of 1939 and in October 1942 renamed in Grenadier Ersatz  Bataillon 365. It fell under the command and supplied men to the 211.Infanterie-Division from the beginning. This division started the war in the Eiffel in 1939, then France were it stayed untill Januari 1942 before it moved to Russia, Brjansk,Orel,Newel and Kewel. In November 1944 it was renamed in the 211.Volks-Grenadier-Division and moved to Hungary and fell under the 8.Armee. By the end of the war it moved to Niederösterreich and surrendered in Raum Budweis to the Russians AND Americans.

In the summer of 1943 the Ersatz Bataillon 365 and the Ausbildungs Bataillon 365 became 1 bataillon and moved to Nijmegen were it was disbannend and used in September 1944 as a fighting unit probably during operation Market Garden. It was reformed again in Oktober of that year.

A Stammkompanie was a unit that trained the soldiers. Often the soldiers of this kompanie were soldiers who had frontline experience and/or where no longer fully usable on the front due to injuries. Of course this changed later in the war and they also where put into action as there was a shortage of (front)soldiers.