German wooden ammunition crate late war made properly 1944-45 for artillery gun fuses,with paperwork remains inside used by 9th Army Wehrmacht/11th SS Panzer grenadier Division Nordland in city of Kostrzyn or Kustrin where the box was found

This is a German wooden ammunition crate late war made, properly 1944-45 and would have been used for artillery gun fuses due to its shape and size.The wooden crate has a fragment of paper stuck to bottom inside could be newspaper of packing paper from when it was used. The box still retains most of its original colour both hinges in nice condition but has no carry handles but still has the lock which still works perfectly the lid still opens and closes perfectly and locks perfectly as well it has no maker markings or paper labels and its rough make all show the style of a late war make.The crate has some damage a few small splits and knocks from use and still has its brown colour it has had some woodworm but has been treated,this  is a unusual on for the collection.The box would have been used by soldiers in the 9th Army Wehrmacht or the 11th SS Panzer grenadier Division Nordland who defended city of Kostrzyn or Kustrin. This is where the box was found on the battlefield of late 1944 until early 1945 on the Polish- German border.

Kostrzyn was an old, fortified city on the Oder River. It was an important location because of the road- and railway bridges across the Oder. In February 1945, the first troops of the 1st White-Russian army arrived here. Hitler declared the city as important defence point. The remaining German units of the 9th Army were under command of SS General Ferdinand von Sammern-Frankenegg. The German garrison, estimated at between 9,000 and 16,000 men and boys, in the small town on the eastern bank of the Oder River, some 70 kilometers east of Berlin. On January 25, by order of Adolf Hitler, Küstrin the German name for Kostrzyn had been made a Fortress Town, meaning that it was to be held to the last man and last bullet. The penalty for retreat was death. It was here that the prelude to the Battle of Berlin would take place. After heavy fighting General Ferdinand von Sammern-Frankenegg had to surrender the city, against his strict orders. At that time, he had only 600 soldiers left fighting who were taken prisoner by the Russians.

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