WWII Relics & Remains (1 Viewer)

[DeathHand]

I think that this find happened in 2009 or 2010 in Belgium.

Relic hunting for WW2 items is a big business and these guys ended up with more than they bargained for.

The skeletal remains of nine WW2 German soldiers, buried deep under the mud, were found and excavated.

Set 1.

Thumb.

1. Early stages of the dig after finding several WW2 German artifacts.

2. The relic hunters continue with the dig, finding skeletal remains. At this point, the dig was overseen by German authorities but was carried out by the Belgian treasure seekers.

3. Most digs end up with finds such as this. This is before the area was drained.

4. Another sign that the relic hunters were on a significant "site." A German SS helmet.

 

[DeathHand]

Set 2.

5. A German Luger pistol found at the site.

6. Another German pistol, clip and leather holster.

7. German ammo - after 65 years in the ground.

8. A German Death Head pin or button found at the site. A sure sign of SS.

 

[DeathHand]

Set 3.

9. Next, the remains of dead soldiers start to turn up. Note that the German helmet at top of image still contains the skull and jaw of the man who died wearing it.

10. Digging deeper, and the hunters discover more remains.

11. The skeletal remains of this man still shows his gas mask, bullets and part of the leather ammo pouch that held them, and his belt. A spoon is beside him as were several other items.

12. German soldier's remains still with his mess kit, trench shovel, a cup, and gas mask. Beside his body lays a US pineapple grenade.

 

[DeathHand]

Set 4.

13. Another German soldier found in the dig. His helmet, stick grenade and a few cups are found with the remains. Also found is the barrel of what might be an anti-tank gun. Very rare to find - the remains of boots.

14. Same soldier as above.

15. One of the German soldier still wearing his helmet.

16. German ammo found at the site.

 

[DeathHand]

German authorities oversaw the entire excavation process (once it was determined by the hunters that their dig contained human remains) and each soldier was accounted for, placed in separate containers (as they were unearthed), and eventually buried in a German war cemetery with a military ceremony.

 

[graveland]

fucking awesome

 

[Geemonster]

What a find eh?

 

[DeathHand]

What a find eh?

I'd love to be out there doing that kind of stuff. Finding helmets, rusted weapons, ammo, belt buckles, badges/pins, etc. would be a dream. To find the remains of soldiers and be able to have them repatriated would be even better. There are still hundreds of thousands of soldiers buried in forests, farmers fields, ponds, meadows, hillsides, etc., all unaccounted for. And that's just WW2.

 

[Calgacus]

Love this. Thanks, DH

 

[LDG]

 

[Calgacus]

Some dead Russians...

 

[panda]

pic 11/ 12. i now know how those krauts can manage to eat so much pickled cabbage with sausage and still keep smiling afterwards. they sure do know how to grow a durable colon. great set.

 

[devo]

Epic!
Thanks for the pictures DH

 

[Calgacus]

Some more from the german graves -

 

[Calgacus]

Assorted remains -

1. Boots, with skeletal feet still in them

2. Skull fragment inside helmet

3. Dead german

4. The above soldier's skull

5. Mandible and ammunition

6. Russian skeleton in his foxhole

7. Another german

8. Iron Cross

 

[Calgacus]

 

[DeathHand]

Thanks DOA for the thread title change

And awesome pics, Calgacus!
----------------------------------------
As I mentioned at the start of this thread, relic hunting for war items is a big business. Helmets, rusted weapons, badges, daggers/bayonets, ammunition, etc. sells for big money on sites such as eBay.

However, this business is illegal in several European countries/regions. Relic hunting also creates alot of controversy among war historians, archaeologists, descendants of war vets, etc.

Mix of WW2 relics and remains.

Set 1.

1.

2.

3. Skeletal remains of a fallen soldier just beneath the ground.

4. German belt buckle.

 

[DeathHand]

Thousands upon thousands of soldiers from the various countries involved in WW2 have never been found. Many, that were blown to bits, will never be found. All are listed as MIA.

Years ago "relic hunting" became more than just a hobby for some people living in places such as Russia, Germany, Belgium, the Pacific Islands, etc.

Set 2.

1. Various German items found in a bog.

2. German helmet, ammo and a gun grip.

3. German soldier's skull still in his helmet.

4. German ID tag.

 

[DeathHand]

Finding a German SS helmet, or a belt buckle or an SS Death Head ring can earn a relic hunter alot of money. Finding remnants of German, Russian, British, American rifles and machine guns also brings in a pretty penny.

Relic Hunters get their fair share of disapproval from others. Many wonder what they do when they stumble upon the remains of fallen soldier: do they strip out the valuables and then pretend they never saw human remains? Do they report the finding of human remains to authorities? Are they desecrating war graves, and in a sense, nothing more than grave robbers?

Set 3.

1. German soldier with leather belt/ammo pouches and bayonet emerge from the muck.

2. German helmet, weapon, bayonet, trench shovel holder, K98 ammo pouches, etc.

3. Remains of a German soldier and items such as his K98 bayonet, leather straps, etc.

4. German MG42 (and ironing board...)

 

[DeathHand]

Aside from the 'grave robbing' perception, many wonder if these relic hunters track (GPS) the locations of their finds to aide military historians in determining exact locations of battles or giving regional authorities a general idea of where the remains of fallen soldiers might be found.

Countries such as Germany and Russia have thousands of MIA soldiers. Finding ID tags (dog tags) are supposed to be handed over to authorities so that they can account for a MIA soldier, change his status to KIA and hopefully inform any living relatives. But all to often, these ID tags end up on eBay or military memorabilia sites where they fetch good money. A soldier's personal items are often treated the same: For Sale.

Set 4.

1. A German Waffen SS helmet.

2. Remains of a Russian soldier still holding an anti-tank grenade.

3. Ammo found in Belgium.

4. A German 'Wounded' badge. The equivalent of the US Purple Heart.