Reserve Polizei Bataillon 102 - Album

  • Guten Tag,

    I have put online the photo album of a man who I believe is from the Reserve Polizei Battalion 102. If anyone can add any information to any pictures, such as exact locations, dates or specific units involved please let me know.

    There are almost 500 pictures, and so I have split it into two galleries. I have included all pictures even the low quality ones alongside sometimes high quality pictures.

    The information I can gather on this battalion is very incomplete so if anyone can add more information to this I will update it when I can.

    http://www.militaria-archive.com/albums3.html

    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.

    [Blocked Image: http://www.militaria-archive.com/albumsIII/Reserve-Polizei-Battalion-102-a/content/bing/images/large/Res_Pol_Btn_102_02.jpg]

    [Blocked Image: http://www.militaria-archive.com/albumsIII/Reserve-Polizei-Battalion-102-b/content/bing/images/large/Res_Pol_Btn_102_297.jpg]

  • Hello and welcome here at the Forum der Wehrmacht !

    This is for me as an insider of police history a new information that Police Bataillon 102 was in Slovenia !

    Do you know the time it arrived and went ? ?

    Best regards

    Marcus

    Suche ALLES zu Polizei-Bataillonen aus dem Wehrkreis VII und dem Einsatz in Slowenien sowie zur PV. Litzmannstadt
    "Wer die Freiheit aufgibt um Sicherheit zu gewinnen, wird am Ende beides verlieren." (Benjamin Franklin)

  • Dear mil-archive,

    thank you very much for the link and the photos,

    unfortunately, I have no reference concerning the Pol.Btl 102 in action in Slowenia in the end of 1941 or beginning of 1942 … I have a gap from April 1941 until March 1942 in m y files  :(

    But after the description in the album, the unit must be there … ?(

    Further information would be welcome!! ;)

    Vielen Dank für den Link und die Photos,

    leider habe ich bisher keine Angaben zum Einsatz des Pol.Btl. 102 in Slowenien Ende 1941 oder Anfang 1942 – aber ich habe sowieso eine Lücke in meinen Unterlagen für diesen Zeitraum-

    aber nach den Angaben aus dem Album müsste die Einheit dort gewesen sein …???

    Weitere Information wären daher sehr willkommen

    Regards/ mit herzlichen Grüßen Roland

    Das Leben ist wie eine Pralinenschachtel - man weiss nie, was man bekommt. Forrest Gump

  • Hi Lockenheld and RolandP - thanks for the reply.

    I am not 100% convinced this is the 102 Reserve Polizei Battalion. I have doubts on this and I am open to correction or clarification.

    The identification was based on a few things, the sellers description, the only graves photograph of the album is to 4 men from the 102 Reserve Polizei Battalion and also the unit path to Leningrad as part of Kampfgruppe Jeckeln seemed to match.

    [Blocked Image: http://www.militaria-archive.com/temp/Handwriti…grad/Graves.jpg]

    I could be wrong on the identification - so if anyone can shed any light on who it is more likely to be I would be interested to hear.

    Also if anyone can provide a chronological listing of the 102 and where they were at each step that might help too. I have been looking for sources online but they appear contradictory sometimes.

    I have uploaded every single photo from the album so they are all online, and the yellow crayon captions are visible (also captioned in the picture gallery).

    There was also some pencil writings beneath a few pictures - this is what I believe they say :

    http://www.militaria-archive.com/albumsIII/Rese…_Btn_102_02.jpg
    Looks like - 'Prag 1939'

    http://www.militaria-archive.com/albumsIII/Rese…_Btn_102_03.jpg
    Text is hard to make out - looks like -
    St Gru??? 15.1.1942

    http://www.militaria-archive.com/albumsIII/Rese…_Btn_102_08.jpg
    Villach-west ( I believe Austria)

    http://www.militaria-archive.com/albumsIII/Rese…_Btn_102_13.jpg
    Veldes (I believe is in Slovenia) 23.1.1942


    http://www.militaria-archive.com/albumsIII/Rese…_Btn_102_18.jpg

    [Blocked Image: http://www.militaria-archive.com/albumsIII/Rese…_Btn_102_17.jpg]
    'Pogled (Cyrillic: Поглед) is a mountain peak in Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro
    Triglav (Italian: Tricorno, German: Terglau) is the highest mountain in Slovenia
    Jalovec (Mountain in Slovenia)


    Pictures writing
    http://www.militaria-archive.com/albumsIII/Rese…Btn_102_428.jpg
    zdrize 1943 ??
    [Blocked Image: http://www.militaria-archive.com/temp/Handwriti…cilwritingC.jpg]

    C

    http://www.militaria-archive.com/albumsIII/Rese…Btn_102_460.jpg
    Trekaru 44 ??
    [Blocked Image: http://www.militaria-archive.com/temp/Handwriti…cilwritingB.jpg]
    B

    This picture here :

    http://www.militaria-archive.com/albumsIII/Rese…Btn_102_276.jpg

    Has writing beneath it but this includes an address on Adolf Hitler Strasse in Riga so I do not want to post that level of information online. It also possibly says 'Kurland'. If anyone can add any information to this to help either confirm or rule out the 102 I would appreciate it - thanks in advance.

  • Hello mil-archive,

    Veldes is today named Bled. It is in Slovenia. The picture you showed is the lake of Bled. Veldes was the command post of the HSSPF Alpenland and BdO Alpenland. The Triglav is nearby.

    Villach is a city in Austria, nerby the frontier of Slovenia, the first bigger city behind the frontier.

    By the end of the year 1941 there was in Oberkrain a bigger action against the partisans, included the police bataillons 44, 93, 171, 181, and 325.

    But none of these bataillons went to Russia ?(


    Best regards


    Marcus

    Suche ALLES zu Polizei-Bataillonen aus dem Wehrkreis VII und dem Einsatz in Slowenien sowie zur PV. Litzmannstadt
    "Wer die Freiheit aufgibt um Sicherheit zu gewinnen, wird am Ende beides verlieren." (Benjamin Franklin)

  • Hi Marcus - thanks for the information.

    The album cover mentions Krainburg which I think is near the Oberkrain (or in the same region).

    http://www.militaria-archive.com/albumsIII/Rese…_Btn_102_01.jpg

    Another thing I noticed are these pictures here :

    [Blocked Image: http://www.militaria-archive.com/albumsIII/Reserve-Polizei-Battalion-102-b/content/bing/images/large/Res_Pol_Btn_102_278.jpg]


    These might show a home visit, and the flag on the desk and hanging outside looks like a Latvian one :

    [Blocked Image: http://www.militaria-archive.com/albumsIII/Reserve-Polizei-Battalion-102-b/content/bing/images/large/Res_Pol_Btn_102_279.jpg]

    [Blocked Image: http://www.militaria-archive.com/albumsIII/Reserve-Polizei-Battalion-102-b/content/bing/images/large/Res_Pol_Btn_102_281.jpg]

    I wonder if it is possible this man was a member of one unit around the time in Slovenia, Zirchlach, Krainburg, Veldes etc and then early in the new year he was moved to another unit and shipped to Leningrad ?

  • Hallo,

    die Gefallenen auf den Grabkreuzen sind/ The fallen on the cross graves are:


    Zum Gedenken an
    Emil Grand

    Emil Grand wurde noch nicht auf einen vom Volksbund errichteten Soldatenfriedhof überführt.

    Nach den uns vorliegenden Informationen befindet sich sein Grab derzeit noch an folgendem Ort: Krasnoje Selo - Rußland


    Grand
    Vorname:
    Emil
    Dienstgrad:
    Polizei-Oberwachtmeister
    Geburtsdatum:
    08.03.1908
    Todes-/Vermisstendatum:
    20.11.1942
    Todes-/Vermisstenort:
    B.Duderhof-Ost


    Zum Gedenken an
    Rudolf Kühn

    Rudolf Kühn wurde noch nicht auf einen vom Volksbund errichteten Soldatenfriedhof überführt.

    Nach den uns vorliegenden Informationen befindet sich sein Grab derzeit noch an folgendem Ort: Krasnoje Selo - Rußland


    Nachname:
    Kühn
    Vorname:
    Rudolf
    Dienstgrad:
    Polizei-Wachtmeister
    Geburtsdatum:
    29.03.1902
    Todes-/Vermisstendatum:
    20.11.1942
    Todes-/Vermisstenort:
    B.Dudershof Ost Leningrad

    Zum Gedenken an
    Hans Rassau

    Hans Rassau wurde noch nicht auf einen vom Volksbund errichteten Soldatenfriedhof überführt.

    Nach den uns vorliegenden Informationen befindet sich sein Grab derzeit noch an folgendem Ort: Krasnoje Selo - Rußland


    Nachname:
    Rassau
    Vorname:
    Hans
    Dienstgrad:
    Polizei-Wachtmeister
    Geburtsdatum:
    14.06.1908
    Todes-/Vermisstendatum:
    20.11.1942
    Todes-/Vermisstenort:
    Duderhof Ost.Russl.

    (Sorry, I've seen you wrote this in the first post)

    Grüße

    Thilo

    Suche alles zur Lehrtruppe Fallingbostel und zum Einsatz des NSKK in der Ukraine 1941

  • Viel Dank zu der Information Thilo, I believe the other legible one is this one :

    Nachname: Lattner
    Vorname: John
    Dienstgrad: Polizei-Wachtmeister
    Geburtsdatum: 03.04.1903
    Geburtsort: Anklam
    Todes-/Vermisstendatum: 20.11.1942
    Todes-/Vermisstenort: Duderhof Ost Leningrad

    John Lattner wurde noch nicht auf einen vom Volksbund errichteten Soldatenfriedhof überführt oder konnte im Rahmen unserer Umbettungsarbeiten nicht geborgen werden. Nach den uns vorliegenden Informationen befindet sich sein Grab derzeit noch an folgendem Ort:


    Krasnoje Selo - Rußland

    All killed on 20th November 1942

  • Hallo,

    the name of Krainburg today is Kranj. It is about 10 km from Veldes / Bled an 60 km south of Villach.

    Can somebody see what merkings are on the uniform in the house ?

    Does somebody have other informations about the police units in Oberkrain by the end of 1941 ?

    Best regards


    Hallo,

    der heutige Name von Krainburg ist Kranj. Es ist etwa 10 km von Veldes / Bled und 60 km südlich von Villach.

    Kann man auf der Uniform im Haus etwas erkennen, vielleicht "policeman" / Daniel ?

    Welche Einheiten ausser den von mir benannten lagen Ende 1941 in der Oberkrain ?

    edit: ... und kommen für eine Verlegung nach Russland in Frage ?


    Gruß

    Marcus

    Suche ALLES zu Polizei-Bataillonen aus dem Wehrkreis VII und dem Einsatz in Slowenien sowie zur PV. Litzmannstadt
    "Wer die Freiheit aufgibt um Sicherheit zu gewinnen, wird am Ende beides verlieren." (Benjamin Franklin)

    Edited once, last by Lockenheld (January 27, 2011 at 1:45 PM).

  • Hi Thilo - thanks for that Map.

    Hi Lockenheld,

    I was able to take some larger pictures in daylight just now that might make help with the uniform badges:

    Uniform :

    [Blocked Image: http://www.militaria-archive.com/temp/Handwriting/Polizei-Leningrad/Pencilwriting05.jpg]

    Uniform close up
    [Blocked Image: http://www.militaria-archive.com/temp/Handwriting/Polizei-Leningrad/Pencilwriting05big.jpg]

    The one immediately below the button looks like the wound badge in black - the one below that again I am not sure about.

    The ones on the ribbon bar look like they might be KVK with Swords and possibly Police Service medals ?

    Here is the writing immediately to the left of that uniform picture:
    [Blocked Image: http://www.militaria-archive.com/temp/Handwriting/Polizei-Leningrad/Pencilwriting08.jpg]

  • Hallo Marcus, Roland & mil-archive

    Quote

    Original von Lockenheld
    Kann man auf der Uniform im Haus etwas erkennen, vielleicht "Policeman" / Daniel ?

    Viel lässt sich zu den Fotos leider nicht sagen, da zu wenig aussagekräftige Hinweise vorhanden sind. Es könnte sich um einen Kraftfahrer (Ärmelabzeichen?) handeln, da auf den Bildern viel Fahrzeuge (Verladung) und Motorräder zu sehen sind. Des weiteren trifft ein Kfz-Kennzeichen (Pol-32624) beim Slowenieneinsatz auf Hamburg zu. Mehr geht leider nicht.  :(

    Grüsse Daniel

    "Mit den falschen Selbstgewissheiten derjenigen, die sich für bessere, stets auf der richtigen Seite befindliche Menschen halten, ist aus dem Nationalsozialismus nichts zu lernen." Götz Aly

  • Hello mil-archive,

    is it possible that the writing Idrize on the picture stands for the Village Idrizi near Budisalc in Kosovo?

    See maplandia.com:

    http://www.maplandia.com/serbia-and-mon…/kosovo/idrizi/

    Hallo mil-archive,

    ist es möglich, daß mit der Bildbeschriftung Idrize der Ort Idrizi bei Budisalc im Kosovo gemeint ist?

    Gruß, J.H.

    Edit: Bild angehängt

  • Thanks to everyone for looking into this & apologies for not having good enough German !

    I believe that one could be Idriz, it is on the same page as one from 'Sebesh' in Russia though. I have gone through the album again and noted down everywhere a caption in yellow or pencil mark exsists, here is the list & also licence plates in case they are useful :

    Pol4829
    POL32624
    POL1560

    Locations listed

    ' Krainburg (Slovenia) - Russland 1939 - 1950' on the cover
    'Prag 1939'
    'St Gru??? 15.1.1942'

    Kranj Karavanke - Slovenia
    Villach West - Austria

    Veldes (Bled) - Slovenia 23.1.1942


    Pogled -near Kosovo, Serbia
    Triglav & Jalovec - Slovenia
    Zirklach - Cerklje na Gorenjskem - Slovenia

    1942 - Leningrad
    1942 - Staryye Medushi & Oranienbaum - Leningrad
    1942 - Staryye Medushi - Leningrad
    1942 - Staryye Medushi - Leningrad
    1942 - Leningrad
    1942 - Peterhof (known as Petrodvorets) - Leningrad
    1942 - Channolowo - Russia (also mentioned here http://www.denkmalprojekt.org/2009/marsberg-…erg_wk2_nrw.htm )
    1942 - Channolowo - Russia
    1942 - Leningrad
    1942 - Krasnoje Selo - Leningrad
    1942 - Krasnogwardeisk - Leningrad
    1942 - Pushkin - Location of Catherine Palace with Spanish Legion - Leningrad
    1942 - Pushkin & Tsarkoe Selo - Leningrad
    1942 - Pushkin & Tsarkoe Selo - Leningrad
    1942 - Tsarkoe Selo - Leningrad
    1942 - 1943 - Pelleija ?? (Presumably Leningrad)
    1942 - 1943 - Pelleija ?? (Presumably Leningrad)
    1942 - 1943 - Pelleija ?? (Presumably Leningrad)
    1942 - Pelleija ?? (Presumably Leningrad)
    1942 - Leningrad 30.8.1942
    1942 - Leningrad
    1942 - Leningrad
    1942 - Leningrad
    1942 - Leningrad
    1942 - Alexandrowka (Ukraine I believe)

    (Private names and Address Riga, Adolf Hitler Strasse)

    8.9.1943 - Possibly Latvian pictures (soldier medal ones)

    1942 - Krasnoje Selo - Leningrad

    1943 - Staryye Gorki, Russia (http://www.maplandia.com/russia/tulskay…/staryye-gorki/) -
    North of Orel South of Moscow
    1943 - Staryye Gorki, Russia
    1943 Wolchow - Leningrad
    1943 Wolchow - Leningrad
    1943 Wolchow - Leningrad
    1943 Wolchow - Leningrad
    1943 Wolchow - Leningrad
    1943 Wolchow - Leningrad
    1943 Wolchow - Leningrad
    1943 Wolchow - Leningrad
    1943 Wolchow - Leningrad
    1943 Wolchow - Leningrad
    1943 Wolchow - Leningrad
    1943 Wolchow - Leningrad
    1943 Wolchow - Leningrad
    1943 - Newel Russia - http://www.traveljournals.net/explore/russia…3057/newel.html
    1943 - Newel Russia
    1943 - Newel Russia
    1947 Russiche Gefangenschaft
    1943 - Sebesh Russia (Near Newel & Latvia) - http://www.maplandia.com/russia/pskovsk…y-rayon/sebezh/
    1943 - Idrize, Serbia
    1944 - 'Trekaru 44' ??
    1944 Riga Entlausungsschein 15.02.1944)

  • As all of you, I remained quite perplexed ?( in reading the detail of the PB102 in Slovenia. No source mentions this passage, not the German ones, nor the Jugoslavian, that usually are quite well informed.

    So I submit an hypothesis: no source mentions the PB102 in Slovenia maybe because the battalion was not transferred there, but only a company without battalion HQ, with just limited support details (Kfz and Nachr.). In this way this company (maybe the 1/102 ?() could have acted under another police battalion HQ already present in Oberkrain and for this reason would have passed unnoticed.
    Cercklije is a village too small to contain a whole battalion and maybe even a company.
    In the album there's no mention of other largest localities and this seem to me quite unusual. For example, I have an album focused on the 1/72, but apart from those connected with the 1/72, some other localities are mentioned, as well as the battalion commander, and other details concerning the battalion in its whole.
    Instead, in the case of the PB102, we have just Cercklije, as if the rest of the battalion did not exist.

    I suspect that the company could have been sent to Slovenia as reinforcement in late summer/autumn 1941 (August/September), due to the increasing partisan activities both north of Veldes/Bled (that, is in the area of southern Karavanken/Loibl pass and tunnel - Cerklje) and south of Veldes (that is, on the Jelovica plateau).
    As we know, the detachment of singles companies from the battalion was not so unusual, and in Slovenia happened two time at least, in 1941, and in several occasion in other areas.

    I would like to know yr opinion.

    Max

  • As a novice of Polizei Research with little knowledge of wartime Slovenia the scenario outlined above seems credible to me and would explain the anomalies as I see them. If there are any other opinions that agree with this or disagree then I would be interested to hear them, otherwise I will edit and update the album description with the most recent information of this thread. Thanks again to everyone for contributing to understanding this.

  • Hello,

    Daniel / policeman is thinking that he is a driver because of his badges.

    I will show and try to find in the papers of BdO Alpenland in Ljubljana about the bataillon 102.


    Regards


    Hallo,

    Daniel / policeman denkt dass er wegen seiner Abzeichen ein Kraftfahrer gewesen ist.

    Ich werde in den Dokumenten des BdO Alpenland in Ljubljana versuchen etwas zu finden über das Bataillon 102.


    Gruß


    Marcus

    Suche ALLES zu Polizei-Bataillonen aus dem Wehrkreis VII und dem Einsatz in Slowenien sowie zur PV. Litzmannstadt
    "Wer die Freiheit aufgibt um Sicherheit zu gewinnen, wird am Ende beides verlieren." (Benjamin Franklin)

  • Hucks216, you ask:

    Isn't it possible that the man was with a completely different unit in Slovenia and was then transferred to Pol.Btl 102?


    Clearly yes, but this is, for me, a too simple explanation: so, as I'm a bit devious, in my way of thinking... :D, I have proposed my idea ;)

    All kidding aside 8), in the very first pic posted by mil-archive there's, behind the two policemen, the sign "Vonavka", that in Czech mean "parfumery". Consequently, this pic was taken in Sudetenland in 1938 or in Rest-Tschechei in 1939.
    In both cases, police companies (Hundertschaften) from Hamburg were employed: three at least in Sudetenland and two at least in Rest-Tschechei. Therefore, as the PB102 was formed in Hamburg, I think we can talk about the same unit at company level (or with minimal variations), from time to time employed in Czechoslovakia, in Slovenia and finally in Northern Russia.

    Obviously, this is a speculation, that needs for confirmations.

  • Hello,


    after checking the Tagesbefehle and Sonderbefehle of Befehlshaber der Ordnungspolizei Alpenland I can say that the Pol.Batl. 102 dindn't stay at Slovenia.


    I have no further idea of the possible unit, I think the owner was a driver or another specialist.


    Best regards


    Marcus


    Hallo,

    nachdem ich die Tages- und Sonderbefehle des BdO alpenland angeschaut habe, kann ich sagen dass das Pol.Batl. 102 nicht in Slowenien war.

    Ich habe keine weiteren Ideen für eine mögliche Einheit, ich denke dass der Besitzer des Albums ein Kraftfahrer oder sonstiger Spezialist war.


    Liebe Grüße


    Marcus

    Suche ALLES zu Polizei-Bataillonen aus dem Wehrkreis VII und dem Einsatz in Slowenien sowie zur PV. Litzmannstadt
    "Wer die Freiheit aufgibt um Sicherheit zu gewinnen, wird am Ende beides verlieren." (Benjamin Franklin)