An interesting grouping, and not often met with Soldbuch and Photo album with training and Frontline photos. Awards: August 1942 – Iron Cross Second Class August 1942 – Eastern Front Medal September 1942 – Infantry Assault Badge in Silver January 1943 – Wounds Badge in Black August 1944 – Wounds Badge in Silver Soldbuch was issued in Feb of 1941, by his training unit which is in the photo album. Interesting points in the Soldbuch: Wounded multiple times, with grenade splinters, he was also suffering from freezing wounds on his feet which meant he needed a three month hospital visit in Narva Estonia. Interesting Point Photo Album: Photos of the unit commander a German Cross in Gold Holder, Camo Helmets, Frontline in the Trenches, this is not often seen and adds a nice element knowing where the Soldbuch actually was. Equipment: Issued a Rifle 43 in June of 1944 a very nice entry. Frontline Unit: Grenadier Regiment 505 (291 Infantry Division) The German 291st Infantry Division, was an infantry division of the Wehrmacht and served in World War II. It was formed on February 10th 1940 as a division of the 8th Wave at the Troop training ground Arys im WK I (Prussia). 291. Infanterie Division was formed in Insterburg in the military training area of Arys (south-east of Königsberg, East Prussia) in February 1940 as part of the 8th Wave. Created by using cadres from previously existing units, it took part in the attack on France but played no noticeable role there. During the expansion of the Heer in the autumn the division lost 3 Btns. of Infantry (I /504th, I /505th and I /506th.) and one of Artillery (III /291st.) to the newly raised 306. Infanterie Division, but these units were replaced before the division was assigned to Heeresgruppe Nord in early 1941 as 18. Armee’s reserve as they prepared for the launching of Barbarossa. The “Elch” (Moose) division managed to advance 44 miles in the first 34 hours of the campaign in the Baltic States, but after being assigned the mission of clearing the Baltic coast, was temporarily stopped in their tracks at the naval base of Libau where Soviet Marines and 67th Rifle Division repelled their first attempt to rush the town on 25 June. Resorting to point blank artillery fire, Herzog’s men finally overran the town after four days of fierce street and house fighting and continued advancing up the Baltic Coast before reaching the Latvian capital of Riga which was already under attack from the East by Philipp Kleffel’s 1. Infanterie Division, the following day.[1] After helping secure Estonia during July and August, the division was deployed on the right wing of XXXVIII Korps’s ring around the Oranienbaum Bridgehead in early September and broke through the Soviet first line of defenses around Leningrad at Popsha before turning north and taking Peterhof, on the Gulf of Finland, sealing in the Coastal Army. After this success, the front settled down into static positions that changed very little for almost two years, but, following his receiving the Knights Cross in mid-October, there was little time for Herzog and his men to catch their breath as they were shifted to 18th Armee’s front along the Volkhov River to resist continued efforts by the Russians to break through to besieged Leningrad.[1] The division was finally withdrawn from the front in late December, but only had a few days’ rest before Andrei Vlassov’s 2nd Shock Army launched a massive offensive at the beginning of January aimed at the thinly held line at the junction of 61. Infanterie Division and 21. Infanterie Division. 505th Inf. Regt., under Oberst Lohmeyer to seal the breach , but it was only a question of time before they made another probe elsewhere. “A matter of time” was ten days, the breakthrough was slightly to the south, and it was the 291st that again stood in their way, but, despite atrocious weather, its men stood firm long enough for the Polizei and 58. Infanterie Division to cut off the Russian penetration, though fighting within the pocket went on until late June. After defeating the Soviet 2nd Shock Army’s penetration of the front over the Volkhov River, and, despite the renewal of the offensive by the Russians in the Mga sector, just to the north of their positions, they were kept on the relatively quiet sector north of Novgorod until January 1943, when they were shifted to LIX Korps sector on the junction of Heeresgruppe Nord and Heeresgruppe Mitte. During that Winter the divisions three Infantry Regiments lost one battalion each, except for one company from each which was, initially, formed into a Ski battalion, but this unit was later converted to bicycles. Remaining in defensive positions around Korotsen over the Winter the division was reinforced by the recreation of 506th Gren. Regt. in February but was nearly annihilated by the Soviet 3rd Guards Tank Army near Shepetovka in early March. By June they were back on 4th Panzerarmee’s front (XLII Korps) as they fell back through south-east Poland (also taking part in the fighting inside the Hube cauldron). The severely understrength Division rejoined XLII Korps in August and remained with them until over-run and destroyed by 1st Ukrainian Front near Czestochowa (Tschensotchau) after the Soviets resumed their offensive in mid-January 1945. Some remnants were incorporated into the 6. Infanterie Divisions 37th Gren. Regt. whilst the remainder were used to augment 17. Infanterie-Division in March.   Comments: This is a really nice set, its not often to find a nice photo album with a Soldbuch.  This particular album the soldier never finished, although had these photos with it. Including GR505 at the front in the bunkers and trenches.

WWII USN 1946 Operation Crossroads Bikini Atoll Highjump & Dog Tags BM1c RAREOperation Highjump Cards hand Signed by Admiral Richard Byrd Wonderful Original WWII USN to 1947/8 Collection of Cards and Tags to Included 1946 Operation Cross Roads Bikini Atoll then Boatswains Mate 1st Class ‘William H. Irwin’ USS Arkansas Joint Task Force One Atomic Bomb Test Participation Card. Operation Highjump Cards: Domain of the Penguin / Domain of Neptunus Rex Serving Aboard ‘USS Yancey’ AKA-93 both Signed to the Reverse by Admiral Richard E. Byrd. Accompanied by Irwin’s USN Navy Personnel Identification Discs “Dog Tags” all to William Harold Irwin, who was serving aboard USS Lexington CV-2 on December 7, 1941 (see Muster Roll), further serving during WWII aboard: USS Block Island CVE-21, USS Lexington CV-16, USS Portland CA-33, USS Oahu ARG-5, and LST-846 (Muster Rolls available for all ships at Ancestry showing WH Irwin ‘360 15 84’)