15th SS Lettland Division

[zezio73]

Hi guys,
I have a question about the 15th SS Lettland Division.
The complete name of this unit is:

15.Waffen-Gr.Div. der SS (lettische Nr. 1)

but I've seen, on an id tag found in Pomerania (Poland), this:

1/ Waffen Gren. Rgt. d. SS(runes) 33 lett. Nr. 4

Now the 33rd Gren Rgt was a unit of the 15th SS Division,but the strange thing is that near the word "lett." I should find "Nr. 1" and not "Nr 4".

Can anyone help me?

P.S.: I think the id tag is authentic!!!

Thank you in advance
Zezio
__________________

"Ubique quo honos et gloria ducunt"

[Brian67]

15.Waffen-Gr.Div. der SS (lettische Nr. 1)

1/ Waffen Gren. Rgt. d. SS(runes) 33 lett. Nr. 4

Now the 33rd Gren Rgt was a unit of the 15th SS Division,but the strange thing is that near the word "lett." I should find "Nr. 1" and not "Nr 4".

Can anyone help me?

Why should it be Nr. 1?
The numbers of regiments are different to the numbers of divisions.

[zezio73]

To Brian 67

But for my best knoweledge the meaning of:

1/ Waffen Gren. Rgt. d. SS(runes) 33 lett. Nr. 4

is : First Company of 33rd Grenadier Regiment der SS Lettische Division

and what is the meaning of "Nr.4"? (it isn't the service number, because this number is 134 and it's written in the line above the unit's name).

What do you think about?
Thank you for your help Zezio.
________________________

"Ubique quo honos et gloria ducunt"

[derGespenst]

First of all, it's not first company, it's first battalion. And what Brian is referring to is the numbering of regiments within the division. The division, in this case, is lett. Nr 1 but it comprises 2 or 3 regiments which may have been numbered 4, 5 and 6 or something similar. Do you see the point? Unfortunately, i'm away from my sources, so i can't look any of this up but I hope you see the possibilities.

[MD650]

First of all, it's not first company, it's first battalion. .

I would say its first company with a 1/.... If it had been I/ and so on it had been first battalion.
:-)

[Marc Rikmenspoel]

It was the first company, if given as "1." And Waffen-Grenadier Regiment 33 was the 4th Latvian regiment formed. The first two were for the 2. SS-Infanterie Brigade, which only became a division after the 15. WGD was formed. So it had a higher #, it was the 19. WGD, but its first two infantry regiments were the senior Latvian ones. Thus Waffen-Grenadier Regiment 42 "Voldemars Veiss" was Latvian #1, and Waffen-Grenadier Regiment 43 "Hinrich Schuldt" was Latvian #2.

Only after this was Waffen-Grenadier Regiment 32 formed, it was Latvian #3, then WGR 33 was Latvian #4, and WGR 34 was Latvian #5. Finally, the 2. SS-IB was upgraded to a division, and received a third regiment, formed after all the previous ones, it was WGR 44, which was Latvian #6.

[zezio73]

To M. Rikmenspoel and der Gespenst:

Thank you for your help, your information is very complete and very useful for me.
I've seen the dog tag on a website, and I am thinking to buy it; so I need help to understand if the disc is authentic (there are a lot of fake discs).
I had found information about the 33rd Gren Rgt, but I couldn't understand the meaning of "Nr.4".
Could you possibly tell me where did you find your information?

Thanks a lot Zezio

_______________
"Ubique quo honos et gloria ducunt"

[Marc Rikmenspoel]

Among other places, the Waffen-SS regimental OOB was given in a document prepared by the SS-Führungshauptamt in the spring of 1945 (with a stamped filing date of "26 März 1945"). I have a print out of this document courtesy of John Nelson. I presented this information as part of my Waffen-SS Encyclopedia (2002 Bookspan, slightly revised edition 2004 Aegis/Aberjona).

[zezio73]

Thank you very much, could you tell me where I can find a copy of your Waffen SS-Encyclopedia: I can find it in a Bookshop or I have to order it on internet?

Thanks Zezio

___________
"Ubique quo honos et gloria ducunt"

[Marc Rikmenspoel]

Supposedly some copies are in regular bookstores, but I'm not sure if that has happened yet, as the book was only released in December. That is the slightly revised 2nd edition, which IS available from online retailers such as Aberdeen and Amazon. There's also the 1st edition, published in 2002 by the Military Book Club, but used copies turn up cheap on sites like Amazon's auctions and ABE Books. Thanks for your interest!

[zezio73]

I've found your book on Amazon and I've ordered it.
Thank you very much
Zezio