What is that Soviet POW doing???
I have an idea but I there some doubts…
The ground around looks too dug up to be placing a mine.
And the area looks too shallow to have been digging his own grave.
Do you think he is planting something? Looks like a potato or onion.
BTW, the German to the far right, is he wearing a Knights Cross around his neck? Isn’t that where they wore those particular medals?
Digging up a mine?
Would there be that many Germans around if something like that were going on? Or, even placing one? I mean, I don’t know much about landmines…
I thought about that. Perhaps they only got near once he took it out of the ground?
He must be taking it out of the ground. Now, can anyone tell us if what he is holding in his hand is a landmine?
I can tell you that the description says: “A Soviet POW is ordered to collect mine before German troops advance further.”
There are some doubts that his is actually picking up mines…
Nonetheless there were German directives that Soveit POW is to be used for mine cleaning.
BTW: Navyson, every time I look at the picture in your avatar, I think of a penis… Why is that? 
Ha-ha!
I had to reduce the size of the picture to use it. The picture shows a Navy cap hanging from the top of a chair, with a uniform draped over the chair, and shoes sitting on the floor next to it. The caption says: “It takes a man to fill it” (the uniform) “Join the Navy”. Kind of a homage to my dad, who served in the Navy from 1942-46.
I was looking around I think he is holding a standard Soviet 400g TNT base charge.
Like this one on top:
http://mines.h1.ru/trotil1.gif
size: 10:5:5 cm. packaging: craft paper of a light color.
Such charges were used in some of the Soviet mines.
F.ex. antipersonel mine PMD-57 or antitank mines TM-35 and TMD-40.
The proximity of the German officer can be explained that the detonator is already removed from the mine.