3.Kp/Fallschirm.Rgt.4 Erkennungsmarke (Cassino)

The overall condition of the dogtag is good. The number 214000 tell us the soldier served in the 3.Kompanie I.Bataillon Fallschirmjager Regiment 4. This regiment was formed in the spring of 1942 in Normandy. In October 1942 the Regiment, under the 7.Flieger-Division, moved to the area of Minsk -Vitebsk. It stayed and fought in Russia untill late March 1943 and then the division and its troops where pulled back from the front and where moved to Normandy again to strenghten. In June the division moved to the area of Avignon (Southern France). After the invasion of the Americans on Sicily the division moved to Rome by rail on the 10th of July. From here the I. and II. Bataillon of FJ Rgt 4, together with the FJ Panzerjager Abt.1 and the FJ Art Rgt 1 moved to the airfield of Naples by trail because they thought the Allies would attack/invade the airfield by air. This did not happen and the troops where moved, by plane, to Catania (Sicily) airport where they fended off different Allied attacks on the bridges near Catania. Untill the 6th of August the FJ troops fought fiercely against the Allies, but they had to give up Catania. Mid August they pulled back to Messina and from there they crossed over to the mainland of Italy. After the Allied landing in Salerno on the 9th of September FJ Rgt. 4 moved to that area to support the 16th Panzer-Division. It saw a lot of combat. In late December 1943 FJ Rg.4 moved to the aera of Cassino where it dug in on both sides. In late March 1944 FJ Rgt.4 took over the positions of the city of Cassino and the Monastery mountain. It pulled back from that area in May and fought its way to Florence. After that to the Po area. Most part of the unit where taken prisoner by the Americans in April 1945. Leftover troops that managed to cross the river Po where later caputered in South Tyrol at the beginning of May. 
Very interesting dog tag with a rich history.