Stab./Gren.Rgt.253 ISA Award Document

The document shows overall signs of wear. Folded but its solid. The Infanterie Sturmabzeichen was awarded on 03 Februari 1944. Willi served in the Stab Grenadier Regiment 253. This regiment was formed in October 1939 as Infanterie Regiment 253 and was part of the 34.Infanterie-Division. With this division the regiment saw combat during the Westfeldzug. It participated in the invasion of France via Luxembourg. In May 1941 it moved to Poland to prepare for Operation Barbarossa. It fought in areas like Smolensk, Gomel, Moskau, Juchnow, Tscherkassy. In October 1942 the regiment was renamed into Grenadier Regiment 253. By Spring 1944 the division had suffered such heavy losses that it was pulled from the front and sent back to Germany to refit. In June 1944 the division and its unit moved to Italy in Raum Genua. In August the defence battles of Col-de-Ferro, Grimaldi, Ventimiglia und San Remo began. In April 1945 the division was captured west of Como by the Americans.
The document is signed by Ferdinand Hippel, wearer of the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes and the Deutsches Kreuz im Gold.