Heer Haase Badge

[Odulf]

Recently I caught this (obviously) unsignificant minor photo (3.5 x 4.5 cm) in a larger badge of pictures. But, at closer range it was a small treasure.

On his left breast pocket this soldier wears a badge of a pewter (or such like material) running hare.

At the reverse there is a text giving his Field-post-number, which guided to the identity of the soldier: 3rd Coy IR 572. This unit was part of 302 ID, and its divisional commander was Konrad Haase (Haase in English is Hare). Haase was Div.Kdr. between 15-11-1940 and 30-11-1942, holding the French coast around Dieppe. The division never, so far, saw action during the war, but it was employed as an occupation force. But on 19-08-1942 the 2nd Canadian Division launched an ill faithed invasional attack on Dieppe, supported by some British units. The German division and surrounding units contained the Allied attack and took many prisoners of war. The attack was a disaster.

As a tribute to their commander, the German troops involved wore a simple, unofficial, pewter badge of a hare. When the wearing of this badge was abolished is not recorded, non was it's existence. The 302nd was destroyed in Rumania at the end of the war.

Who has any more information?