Freiwillige Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Dear gentlemen, could you please let me know what unit does that cypher ("AA") stand for? I failed to find an answer in several reference books, including Thomas and David Sutter's "German Army Shoulder Straps and Boards 1933-1945" I bought recently. Many thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernhard H.Holst Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 (edited) Hello. This is only a guess and not supported by anything but AA 30 would stand for Aufklaerungs Abteilung 30 ( recon. bataillon 30) or the recon unit of the 30.Inf.Division. Here expressed not by a shoulderstrap with the correct cypher already worked in and the numeral 30 but with the cypher and number on the slipon. Bernhard H. Holst Edited October 9, 2014 by Bernhard H.Holst Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freiwillige Posted October 9, 2014 Author Share Posted October 9, 2014 Thanks for your reply, Bernhard! I did think about Aufklaerungs Abteilung also, but I had no info supporting that version. The photo itself is from my collection, but I saw another one posted somewhere else. The latter showed an Obergefreiter wearing shoulder straps with that mysterious "AA" cypher + different number, 256 I suppose. Note shoulder straps with embroidered unit designator, not slip-tabs! Do you have any idea why that cypher isn't mentioned anywhere, at least in well-known reference books? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishGunner Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 What is the badge in Post #3? Perhaps that is a clue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freiwillige Posted October 9, 2014 Author Share Posted October 9, 2014 As I told before, the second photo isn't mine, I just used a scan to show another type of the same cypher, so I'm not able to scan it in a better resolution. The photo seems to be a bit dark at the bottom, but I assume that Obergefreiter wore simple DRL badge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freiwillige Posted October 9, 2014 Author Share Posted October 9, 2014 (edited) By the way, here's a complete scan of my photo, but unfortunately it contains no hints... Edited October 9, 2014 by Freiwillige Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedytop Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Hi, we can find both, Aufklärungsabteilung 30 (30. ID) and Aufklärungsabteilung 256 (256. ID). But is it the correct correlation? And yes, the badge in Post 3 is a DRL sports badge. Uwe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jock Auld Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 (edited) Uwe, I struggle with Lexicon der Wehrmacht at times but there is a one liner at the end of the unit history of Reiter Regt 13 that states that 2nd Squadron was attached to 30 Div for the occupation of the Sudetenland and then returned to barracks by Oct 38 or have I completely misunderstood it. Further down it states that 2nd Squadron came from 1st (coy/Sqn)? AA 30 or was it always Squadrons within the Cav. My point being, could it have been a short lived small unit at that time and date. The other thing I notice is that he wears the early 'pointy' shoulder boards with a slip on? Again I don't know, just throwing in my '2 bob'. Edit: the 2 on the Button seems to fit? Jock Edited October 11, 2014 by Jock Auld Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Prussian Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 Helo! I´ve asked a friend of mine. He also said, it might be Aufklärungs-Abteilung. It´s strange that I couldn´t find any infos about that in my books. The double stripes upon the shoulder straps should be "Offiziers-Anwärter" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernhard H.Holst Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 Hello readers. The ref. book by Angolia and Schlicht "Uniforms and Traditions of the German Army 1933 - 1945 " gives the letter A plus the bataillon number on the shoulder straps throughout the war years for divisional recon.bataillons. That publication appears based on official relevant German Army publications and is giving very detailed information with souces. Therefore the pictured AA 30 could well be unit based but not officially sanctioned slipon. As to # 8 by Jock. The information Jock gives is to the point because upon mobilisation certain mounted formations detailed troops to be part of recon. bataillons to revert to their regiments when the deployment ended. Bernhard H. Holst Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Prussian Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 Maybe an east-european volunteer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freiwillige Posted October 11, 2014 Author Share Posted October 11, 2014 I doubt so, Andreas. I agree with Bernhardt that it might be semi-official, or rather unofficial unit designator. On the other hand, that version seems to be a bit shaky as we have at least two photographic evidences related to different units, i.e. 30 and 256. If it were invention of batallion's tailor, it would be in either "30" or "256" unit only. But that cypher was worn in both units... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freiwillige Posted October 11, 2014 Author Share Posted October 11, 2014 The double stripes upon the shoulder straps should be "Offiziers-Anwärter" Here first stripe stood for the status of an Unteroffizieranwaerter, the second one was the unit designator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Prussian Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 Ah, ok. Thanks, Andrew. I´m not too fit with WWII... Because of the high number of 256, I wonder, that the AA was not mentioned in Schlicht/Angolia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freiwillige Posted October 12, 2014 Author Share Posted October 12, 2014 Both, 30 and 256 are not mentioned, and that's strange! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Prussian Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 Another guess: Aufklärungs-Abteilung 256 Set up august,26, 1939. At March,10, 1942, integrated into Panzerjäger- und Aufklärungs-Abteilung 256 Divisions-Bataillon 256 Set-up april, 21, 1943 from parts of Panzerjäger- und Aufklärungs-Abteilung 256 with two Grenadier-companies and a heavy squadron. july,26., 1943 renamed in Divisions-Füsilier-Bataillon (A.A.) 256 Tessin writes, the Regiment did recieve "Kavallerie-Tradition". I don´t know exatly what that means. There also was a Div.Füs.Abtl.30. Since november 3, 1943, ist was called Div.Füs.Abtl.30 (A.A.), again with "Kavallerie-Tradition" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freiwillige Posted October 12, 2014 Author Share Posted October 12, 2014 Maybe the soldier from the photo served with the Divisions Fuesilier Abteilung 30. Nevertheless the question why that cypher isn't mentioned anywhere still remains a mystery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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