German RAD [Reich Labour Service] soldiers aluminum belt buckle with badge recovered in the area of the village of Marinovka which was defended by the 297th Infantry Division during the battle of 1942-1943 at Stalingrad in Russia.

This is a German aluminum belt buckle for soldier in the German RAD [Reich Labour Service] which is in fantastic condition for a relic. The buckle is in relic condition but very good condition still very solid and retains its original colour which has ripped and bent up on the front and on the back the badge and swastika can be seen very clearly as can the maker mark and dated 1937. The buckle is perfect for a relic it still retains its original shiny colour but does have some pitting and damage from being buried but is mostly all there it has been very well cleaned and is perfect for display or any collection and a rare buckle to find recovered from the battlefield. The buckle was recovered in the area of the village of Marinovka which was defended by the 297th Infantry Division during the battle of 1942-1943 at Stalingrad in Russia.

The role of the RAD was not limited to combat support functions. Hundreds of RAD units received training as anti-aircraft units and were deployed as RAD Flak Batteries. Several RAD units also performed combat on the eastern front as infantry. As the German defences were devastated, more and more RAD men were committed to combat. During the final months of the war, RAD men formed 6 major frontline units, which were involved with serious fighting.

On June 10, 1942, the 297th division began crossing the Seversky Donets river by assault boat, constructing a bridge for other units, including the 14th Panzer Division. The division continued to make inroads around the black sea to take down the industrial city of Stalingrad. During the battle some units within the division were seen to construct caves which would later be transformed into a field hospital and an equipment storage room. The division fought in the ruined city until Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus surrender of the 6th Army in January 1943