Jake Holliday
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jakeoliverholliday.bsky.social
Jake Holliday
@jakeoliverholliday.bsky.social
Military Historian
PhD Candidate @ University of Buckingham
Wehrmacht Security Soldiers
Pianist
York
The Wehrpaß of bank clerk Werner Tietz who served in Landesschützen/Security Regiment 45, 221st Security Division. Between 1941 and 1943, he rose through the ranks from Gefreiter to Leutnant. In September 1943, he was killed by a direct hit from an artillery shell.
November 10, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Today I received these photographs from Germany. The captions state ‘General’s visit to Barowitsche’ & ‘Pflugbeil’. This is Generalleutnant Johann Pflugbeil, commander of the Wehrmacht 221st Security Division, the focus of my thesis.
October 17, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Reposted by Jake Holliday
The border crossing point at Oberbaumbrücke on the evening of 10 Nov. 1989 - the 2nd day of when the Berlin Wall was suddenly open. It is a collage I made shortly after and as I did not want to rip off the photos, I scanned the page, adjusted each image a bit and rebuilt the collage digitally.
January 11, 2025 at 5:58 PM
From the collection: A large amount of paperwork to A.J.Beckwith, who commissioned into the British Army in 1958. He served with: the Gurkha Division REME in the Malayan Emergency 1959-60; 42 Commando on HMS Bulwark 1961; and Forward Air Control.
December 26, 2024 at 4:49 PM
A twig of Christmas Tree sent by Obergefreiter Munker to his daughter on 3rd December 1944. Munker was serving in a Wehrmacht communications unit at the time and would be captured by the Red Army in early 1945.

Munker served 1940-45 and returned from Soviet captivity in 1948.
December 24, 2024 at 9:11 PM
An excellent photo of Cpl Cooper of the Durham Light Infantry ready for patrol in Korea, September 1952.

Mk.V Sten, extra magazines stuffed in his Battledress trouser pocket, Mills Bomb, jersey, cap comforter, and, most importantly for a soldier, a cig.

(D.R.O.)
December 23, 2024 at 9:20 PM
A tragic memorial in Drax Church to Gunner Edmund Hutchinson, who served with 50th Trench Mortar Battery, Royal Field Artillery. Despite the information on the stone, he his now buried 42km west in La Baraque British Cemetery, Bellenglise.
December 14, 2024 at 3:00 PM
Reposted by Jake Holliday
Battlechat 114 with Dr Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social is out now for patrons. We discuss his new book “Waterloo: the Attack of I Corps” in some detail – Graeme’s fascination & passion for the subject shines through! Get early access at www.patreon.com/battlegames?...
December 9, 2024 at 7:44 PM
Reposted by Jake Holliday
Visited Stormont today and had to take a look at this.

A preserved crater from a Luftwaffe air raid during the Belfast Blitz of 1941.
December 9, 2024 at 9:13 PM
Reposted by Jake Holliday
For #TankTuesday, here's a great photo of an M4A3 Sherman of the 5th Tank Battalion (US Marines) stuck in sand in Iwo Jima, 1945.

What is striking about this shot is the amount of extra protection given to the tank against Japanese tank hunter teams.

A thread.

1/
December 3, 2024 at 8:03 PM
Heinz Reinefarth, Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski, and Colonel Willi Schmidt in Warsaw during the uprising, 1944. Schmidt was the commander of the Wehrmacht Security Regiment 608, which deployed alongside the Dirlewanger Brigade during the Wola Massacre.
December 3, 2024 at 8:33 PM
Reposted by Jake Holliday
*Please RT*

Wiener Holocaust Library BIG GIVE is LIVE 👇🏻

Please *Donate Now* to raise money for their vital International Tracing Service research

The ITS records of survivors and victims of Nazi Germany help families learn about the fate of loved ones lost in the Holocaust.

See examples👇🏻
December 3, 2024 at 1:48 PM
Reposted by Jake Holliday
📢 The Big Give is now live!

Donate now and your generous contribution will be matched, meaning it has double the impact on the Library.

This year we are raising vital funds for our family history research service... https://buff.ly/3Oqmuc5
December 3, 2024 at 12:03 PM
Reposted by Jake Holliday
From my personal collection: Queen's Korea Medal and United Nations Korea Medal pair named to a Royal Marine.

#KoreanWar #RoyalMarines
August 10, 2024 at 10:13 AM
Thread: Around 9:30am on 8th April 1989, this East German border guard officer was photographed firing at two East German men who had just jumped over the barrier at the East-West border crossing at Chausseestraße, Berlin.
He missed.
November 23, 2024 at 9:49 PM
Reposted by Jake Holliday
Military historians!!! I need a really good reference or just source about all the different kinds of ordinances used in air raids over Germany & their effects, mechanisms, all the details. Can anyone recommend a good source? 🙏🙏🙏🙏
November 22, 2024 at 10:01 PM
A postcard to commemorate 25 years of the National People’s Army of East Germany, 1981.
November 22, 2024 at 11:09 PM
Reposted by Jake Holliday
Thanks to @blackredcoats.bsky.social for a brilliant talk on the story of the Corps of Colonial Marines for the Napoleonic and Revolutionary War Graves Charity this evening.

It's the War of 1812 as you've never heard it before - highly recommend listening to Matthew if you get the chance!
November 20, 2024 at 8:38 PM
Reposted by Jake Holliday
"Otto Sussman of Hamburg died of pneumonia in Sachsenhausen in December 1938 at the age of 43. So as not to stand out he had gone to work despite a high fever and returned half dead to the barracks in the evening. He left a wife and two children." buff.ly/3Cu67bW
November 20, 2024 at 10:55 AM
Reposted by Jake Holliday
An absolutley stunning ballroom in an abandoned hotel in East Germany. Sadly, the place is beyond saving and already collapsing.
November 18, 2024 at 4:43 PM
Reposted by Jake Holliday
Via @jakeoliverholliday.bsky.social... Soldiers of the Red Army leaving the British Sector of West Berlin, after a ceremony at the Soviet War Memorial, Berlin 1958. A snowman in West Berlin police and customs uniform items salutes them. (Getty).
November 26, 2023 at 1:06 PM