The 281. Sicherungs-Division was formed from parts of 207. Infanterie-Division in March 1941. It was formed for rear area duties but spent most of its time fighting on the front. It was encircled at Cholm in January 1942 and fought there, with its commander Generalmajor Theodor Scherer as commander of Festung Cholm, until until it was relieved in May.
Infanterie-Regiment 368 fought at Demyansk and during the winter of 1942-1943 and the following year the whole division fought on the front and in 1944 it suffered very heavy losses during the Soviet summer offensive.
It was redesignated 281. Infanterie-Division in January 1945.

Commanders

Generalleutnant Friedrich Bayer (14 Mar 1941 - 1 Oct 1941)
Generalleutnant Theodor Scherer (1 Oct 1941 - 20 June 1942)
Generalleutnant Wilhelm-Hunold von Stockhausen (20 June 1942 - ? Dec 1942)
Generalmajor Bruno Scultetus (? Dec 1942 - 10 May 1943)
Generalleutnant Wilhelm-Hunold von Stockhausen (10 May 1943 - 27 July 1944)
Generalleutnant Bruno Ortner (27 July 1944 - 30 July 1944)
Generalmajor Alois Windisch (30 July 1944 - 19 Sep 1944)
Generalleutnant Bruno Ortner (19 Sep 1944 - ? Jan 1945)

Operations Officers (Ia)

Hauptmann Hubert Rechlin (Mar 1941-Apr 1941)
Hauptman Helmut Picot (10 Apr 1941-15 Dec 1941)
Major Dr. Max von Cranach (Dec 1941-Jan 1943)
Major Dr. Fritz Fischer (May 1943-1944)
Major Dechamps (1944)
Major Dr. Wilhelm Lütjen (30 Jul 1944-Nov 1944)

Area of operations

Germany (Mar 1941 - June 1941)
Eastern front, northern sector (June 1941 - Jan 1945)

Holders of high awards

Holders of the Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army (3)
- Brummund, Ulrich, 05.11.1944 (4391), Hauptmann d.R., Battr.Chef 8./Art.Rgt. 281 [for action 15.09.1944 bei Bacas]
- Neuls, [first name not listed], 08.02.1942 (676), Leutnant, 3./Wach-Bataillon 707 [note : = 3./Wachkompanie 707 , as listed in source]
- Weiß, [first name not listed], 18.03.1942 (829), Oberleutnant, Kp.Chef 4./Landesschtz.Btl. 960
Holders of the Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army for Shooting Down Aircraft (1)
- Rau, Fritz, 16.05.1942 (112), Gefreiter, 10./Inf.Rgt. 368
Holders of the German Cross in Gold (18)
Holders of the Knight's Cross (3) (2 RK + 1 EL)
- Oakleaves
-- Scherer, Theodor [92. EL] 05.05.1942 Generalmajor Kdr 281. Sich.Div [und Verteidiger von Cholm] [Kgr. Scherer, Cholm]
- Knight’s Cross
-- Scherer, Theodor 20.02.1942 Generalmajor Kdr 281. Sich.Div [Kgr. Scherer, Cholm]
-- Gohde, Otto 06.02.1944 Oberfeldwebel stellv. Führer 3./Gren.Rgt 368
Unit-Level Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army for Shooting Down Aircraft (4)
- III./Infanterie-Regiment 368
-- Date/Place of Downing: 07.02.1942 bei Wyderka
-- Award Date: 16.05.1942 (94)
- le.Inf.Kol. Infanterie-Regiment 368
-- Date/Place of Downing: 02.03.1942 bei Nowinka
-- Award Date: 16.05.1942 (135)
- 10./Infanterie-Regiment 368
-- Date/Place of Downing: 17.04.1942 bei Knewizij
-- Award Date: 19.06.1942 (159)
- II. Zug/11./Infanterie-Regiment 368
-- Date/Place of Downing: 22.04.1942 bei Wyssotschek
-- Award Date: 19.06.1942 (167)

Order of battle

Grenadier-Regiment 368
Sicherungs-Regiment 107
III./Polizei-Regiment 9
Panzer-Kompanie 281
Ost-Reiter-Abteilung 281
Artillerie-Abteilung 281
Divisions-Nachrichten-Abteilung 822
Divisionseinheiten 368

Osttruppen attached to 281. Sicherungs-Division (5 Sep 1943)

Ost-Pionier-Bataillon 672 (3 Kompanien)
Ost-Reiter-Abteilung 281 (4 Kompanien)
Armenisches Infanterie-Bataillon I./198 (5 Kompanien)
Nordukrainische Halb-Bataillone 842 & 843

Sources used

Research by Jason von Zerneck
Andris J. Kursietis - The Wehrmacht at War 1939-1945
Samuel W. Mitcham Jr - Hitler's Legions: The German Army Order of Battle World War II
George F. Nafziger - The German Order of Battle: Infantry in World War II
Georg Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht 1933-1945

Reference material on this unit

? - Landser Fotos aus den Einheiten der 207./281. Infanterie Division
Mueller/Guttmann - Die Geschichte der 207. und 281. Sicherungs Division mit ihren Zwischenglie derungen 1939-1945
Traditionsverband der 207./281. Inf.Div - Damals: Infanterie und Artillerie unserer Divisionen 207, 281 und 285 im Einsatz. Berichte und Briefe 1942-1944
Traditionsverbandes der 207./281. Inf.Div. - Von den Anfängen der 207. Infanterie Division bis zum Ende der 281. Infanterie Division