Top! FJ-Armee-Waffenschule EKM (Aalten,Arden,Reichswald)

The tag or 'Erkennungsmarke' shows overall normal signs of wear. The number 256379 tell us the soldier served within the Lehrabteilung II Fallschirm-Armee-Waffen/Kampfschule. This unit was formed within the newly formed 1.Fallschirm Armee in April 1944. The Armee-Kampfschule was stationed in Point-a-Mouson and the Armee-Waffenschule in La Courtine. In the Autumn (September) of 1944 both the schools moved to Aalten (Holland) and was under te command of Freiherr Von der Heydte to form a new Kampfgruppe for the Ardennes Offensive.
In the night from 16-17 December the Kampfgruppe jumped out of a plane above Mont Rigi, the Belgium Ardennes, behind enemy lines. The operation failed and on the 21st of December von der Heydte was captured by the Americans in Monschau.
Hauptmann Von Hütz took over command and trained around 800 new FJ recruits for the upcomming offensive, the battle in and around the Reichswald. Here the kampfgruppe was almost completely destroyed. This group of 800 men where know by the Americans as fanatic fighters.
Interesting dog tag of an not often seen FJ unit.