Militaria Archive

17th Infantry Division Belgium/France 1940

200 + picture Photo album charting the progress through Belgium and France in the summer of 1940 of the Wehrmacht Infantry Division 17 (Infanterieführer VII). These photographs appear to have been taken by a German staff driver. It begins with pictures of a river crossing exercise and continues to show many French refugees and prisoners of war flooding the roads, French soldiers Killed in Action & French colonial prisoners. German Medics treating French wounded & Germans burying French War dead as well as their own German field graves. The shell of a completely bombed out train, destroyed and repaired bridges, bombed out churches, towns etc. Among the locations included are Libramont in Belgium (with fully loaded German trains passing through enroute to France), the town of Porte Paul, Naives, Verdun, the castle at Meuse, There are also many Panzers and downed French and German aircraft. Technical shots include ; - Fairey Battle Mk.I - Potez 63-11 - LeO 451 - 15 cm sFH18 Howitzer - 10.5cm leFH18 Howitzer - Pz 35/t/ Skoda - Sd Kfz 251A - Pz I, A or B - Pz II Ausf c - Pz III E/F - Pz IV C/D. Also included are armour movements and deployed field artillery. General Herbert Loch (awarded Knights Cross 16 June 1940) is also shown here in 1940 France. Other pictures include the French WW1 Fortresses and many French World War One monuments as well as the Douaumont Ossuary. This album includes many pictures which show the scale of the destruction & bomb damage to residential areas. References - 17. Infanterie-Division, General Herbert Loch