Stammkp.Gren.Ers.Batl.77 EKM

The dog tag or 'Erkennungsmarke' shows signs of wear. The Infanterie Ersatz Bataillon 77 was formed in the summer of 1939 in Köln-Mühlheim. In November 1942 renamed in Grenadier Ersatz Bataillon 65. It trained and supplied soldiers for Infanterie Regiment 77.
In July 1941 the whole bataillon moved to occupied Holland and was stationed in Maastricht. In October 1942 an Reserve Bataillon was formed. The Ersazt Bataillon became part of Division Nr.526. In July 1944 the Ersatz Bataillon became Grenadier Ersatz und Ausbildungs Bataillon 77 and in September the Ersatz Bataillon was mobilized and became Reserve Grenadier Bataillon 77 as part of 526.Reserve-Division. In October 1944 the Reserve Grenadier Bataillon 77 was used to form the I.Bataillon Grenadier Regiment 860 which was part of the 347.Infanterie-Division. This division and her units where stationed in the Eifel area (Schleiden) during the Ardennes Battle.
A Stammkompanie was a unit that trained the soldiers. Often the soldier of this kompanie were soldiers who had frontline experience, but no longer were fully usable at the front due to injuries. Of course this changed later in the war as there was a shortage of (front)soldiers and where mobilized also.