German ID Disc – 2./zg.Tr.Entgiftungskompanie 637 (Decontamination Troops, 2nd Platoon)

An authentic Wehrmacht Erkennungsmarke (identity disc) issued to a soldier of the 2. Zug der Truppen-Entgiftungskompanie 637, a rare chemical warfare decontamination unit operating under the German Army during the Second World War. This unit was tasked with NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) decontamination, a critical support role especially on the Eastern Front, where chemical and gas threats were taken seriously during the intense campaigns.

Stamped in zinc, this tag features the distinctive 2 zg.Tr.Entg.Kp.637 abbreviation, the number 2 refers to the 2nd Platoon (Zug) within the company. Zinc tags like this became standard in the later war years (post-1941), as brass and aluminum were prioritized for munitions production.

Historical Significance:

• Units like these were relatively small in number and rarely encountered in the collector’s market.
• Often attached to larger divisions operating in Russia, Ukraine, and later Germany, these companies supported Panzer and Infantry divisions with mobile decontamination capabilities.
• The unit may have seen use in defensive operations as Germany prepared for chemical threats in the closing years of the war.