Der Knüppel

This weekend I searched on an interesting piece of land. It is a bit high up in the terrain where the Germans constructed a small camp complex with soldiers, pioneers and Org.Todt, plus Red Army POWs and their guards.

The engineers and the POWs were to work on positions and other installations in the area.

It was a bit of a walk up there but with some stops for breathing and for eating blueberries I made it up there alive. The weather was a bit sketchy though. It couldn`t really decide if it was going to be nice or nasty.

There were some ruins of stone built shelters here and there, and I had seen several earthen dug outs. One or two rusted stoves tipped over on the forest floor had also been observed on the way up.

I got the detector turned on and within a minute it gave a good strong signal from a piece of brass. It was a field made luggage tag that had belonged to Prinz Fritz. His unit was also stamped into the tag,: 3. Gebirgs Artillerie Regiment 118. Thats the nicest luggage tag I have ever found, so I was very happy.

The next good thing I found was a full gas mask canister, and then a few coins from Finland.

One signal I struggled a bit with locating, and when I did find it I was about to just chuck it away as it was just a piece of wire.

But when I lift it up from between the small branches on top of the moss I see that it is not just a wire. If this really is what I believe it to be it is the darkest and most sinister thing I have ever found.

One end of the wire had been bent and curled into a strong knot around a triangular ring from some equipment, so that one of its corners stood out. The other end of it was looped up into a handle. The whole thing was 30 cm long. Definitely made for hitting something. Or someone.

Having studied the history about the POWs, I have read in litterature and biographies, more than once, about guards and Kapos who armed themselves with batons, or torture instruments like this thing I had just found. I ve seen it referred to as "Der Knüppel".

​ Under some rocks I find a small dumping pit. And it is full of good stuff! A few minutes into digging I see the contours of a helmet! Wow, must be helmet number seven or eight this season!

It is in good condition and has the leather liner inside. The next minutes two gasmask canisters show their rust colors from under the sand. One full and the other was empty. But I find the gasmask a bit deeper into the dumping pit.

I dig out some civillian porcelain and glassware, which I of course also really enjoy finding. Some of those old things have great designs.

Im digging rather fast but when I spot a big fishing hook I slow all the way down. Don`t wanna one of those attached through the gloves and fingers kilometers from the car. It is nice and sharp and soon after I find a whole packet of hooks, still in the paper wrapping. Between loose hooks is a Red Army soldiers spoon, with name and initials engraved. I am still digging slowly when I feel the steel on the sole of a Gebirgsjäger boot. It is a pair of them, both is displayable condition so I place them safely to the side with the other relics.

I have rescued maybe twenty gaming pieces when I see the rim of a helmet in front of the bayonet blade Im scraping sand with. This one also in good condition and with the liner intact. And under it is a third helmet!! OMG! Am I having a full ditch of helmets again?

​ As I was digging on, I was already making plans how to transport 120 lids down through the forest.

I didn`t get any need for those plans though, coz soon the pit was empty. Almost empty. As a small bonus, or actually a great find, was a Edelweiss badge laying under the moss on the edge of the pit. "Awesome!" was all I could think about that find :D I double checked around the pit before I filled it back in and tidied up the place.

I was going to search some more but the clouds finally burst open and made it pretty unpleasant. Soon thunder could be heard as well and I guess being up in the height with a backpack full of metal and electronics can be a bit stupid :D

I hope I ll make a new trip there soon, and I wish you all a good week :)

Luggage tag belonging to Prinz Fritz

Der Knüppel. Could this be a guards, or Kapos baton? I think so, considering where it was found.

The rim of a helmet.

Gasmask canisters.

I think these are propaganda leaflets. But wont know for sure before they have been a few months in the freezer.

See all those white-ish small dots? Those are biting midges, bloodsuckers..not fun to be around them.They bit me so much that Im looking like a spotty teen again.

Civillian stuff.

Gasmask.

Edelweiss!

Gebirgsjäger boots.

Red Army spoon with engravings.

Gaming pieces.

A packet of hooks.

A pyramide of lids.

Some kind of interesting fungi.

The toys.

Der Knüppel.

The business end do not look like it would be very comfortable to be hit with.

Loot from the last days.