Militaria Archive

Reserve Polizei Battalion 102 - Leningrad 1942 - Part 1 of 2

First half of a 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.