Landesschützenverband Oberschlesien Honor badge

[Brian L.]

I just picked up a comparatively rare honor badge for the Landesschützenverband Oberschlesien (LSV O/S) or Civil Defense Association for Upper Silesia.
This was a successor Freikorps veteran group founded in 1921 shortly after the Silesian plebescite on whether to remain part of Germany and the subsequent 3rd Polish uprising which culminated in the Battle of Annaberg.

The central motif of the badge is a combination of two principal Freikorps insignia:
The shield of the SSOS (Selbstschutz Oberschlesien) and the pine bough of the Freiwilligentruppen der 32. Reichswehr-Brigade / Freiwillige 12. (Schlesische) Infanterie-Division. Both of these were umbrella units consisting of various Freikorps who fought in the three Silesian campaigns from 1919-1921.

The LSV O/S existed as a cover for ongoing Freikorps activities in Silesia right up to the mid-30s, when it was disbanded.

(These pics aren't mine. I'm waiting for the badge to arrive to take fresh photos).

[IR61]

Hi Brian!

Lovely badge. Is this the same size as the usual ssos badge?

Kind reg Tommy

[Brian L.]

Hi Brian!

Lovely badge. Is this the same size as the usual ssos badge?

Kind reg Tommy

I'm not sure of the size as I don't have it yet and have never had one in hand before. I suspect it's the size of the German wound badge or slightly larger. When it arrives, I'll post the exact size.

[mchap]

Thats got to be a rare badge.
We dont often see badges/awards from the 2nd and 3rd Uprisings, congrats on the find!

[Brian L.]

Thats got to be a rare badge.
We dont often see badges/awards from the 2nd and 3rd Uprisings, congrats on the find!

It's not actually from the uprising, but after all the Freikorps were ordered disbanded. LSV O/S was like a Wehrsports club in the same vein as the Wikingbund and Oganization Consul - i.e. a not-so-secret covert association for the illegal Freikorps. They couldn't have been too secret, they had a newspaper starting in 1924 (see attached).

[Sergeant 08]

I think such a badge was already posted in WAF in past. At that time, nobody had an idea, what it was used for.

[Brian L.]

I think such a badge was already posted in WAF in past. At that time, nobody had an idea, what it was used for.

Lucky for me, not too many people spotted this or knew what it was on eBay. I got it for a steal.

One of its notable members was SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei Theodor Berkelmann who had been an Oberleutnant in Freikorps „Hülsen“ and Reichswehr-Brigade 3. and served as a sport and training leader in the LSV O/S from 1926-1930 before joining SS-Standarte 23 „Oberschlesien“ in 1931 and becoming an adjutant to Heinrich Himmler in 1932.

[Brian L.]

I was doing some more research on Der Landesschützenverband Oberschlesien and discovered a shooting badge I had never seen before related to this para-military Freikorps veterans group.

Abzeichen FÜR GUTE SCHIESS-LEISTUNG (badge for good shooting).

In the image I found, the badge is missing its pin. But, it is a die-cast badge, originally with a safety pin made by Theo. B. Berkop, Oppeln. Oppeln was in German Silesia and now is part of Poland.

The central motif of the badge is the organization's main insignia of a pine bough, which as stated below was the collar badge worn by Freiwilligentruppen der 32. Reichswehr-Brigade / Freiwillige 12. (Schlesische) Infanterie-Division during the Freikorps period.