Stm/Werf.Ers.Abt.1 Erkennungsmarke

The dog tag or 'Erkennungsmarke' shows signs of wear. The abteilung was formed in November 1939 in Celle. It trained soldiers for different Nebelwerfer Regiments, Abteilungs and Entgiftungs-Abteilungen. In October 1942 it was renamed in to Werfer Ersatz Abteilung 1 and split in to a Ersatz and a Ausbildungs unit. These where put together as one unit in April 1943. In September 1944 the abteilung (by then a Schwere Nebel Abteilung) became part of Nebel Ersatz Regiment 1. This regiment was part of the Einsatz Division Nr.180 and large parts where put in to action during operation Market Garden in the Arnhem area.
In November 1944 the Werfer Abteilung 1 was newly formed again and in April 1945 it was mobilized during the Ostgoten-Bewegung as part of Werfer Ausbildungs Regiment 1.
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.
The 'A' on both sides of the tag stands for the bloodtype of the soldier
Interesting dog tag of a hard to find branche.