Freikorps Postcards

[Brian L.]

Two new FK unit cards.

1/ Ausbildungskompanie (training company) der Freiwilliges Landesjägerkorps wearing the 1st pattern oak-leaf 'V' collar badge (January 1919). Once they finished training, they would have switched this collar badge for the standard silver oak-leaf of the Freiwilliges Landesjägerkorps.

2/ Grenzschutztruppen der XVII (Preuss.) Armee-Korps. Sturm-Abteilung Rossbach was part of this Freikorps for a time and wore this collar badge as well as their unit sleeve badge.

Interestingly, several soldiers in both photos are clearly quite young and likely did not serve in WWI. The Freikorps did not have rigid age requirements and it is well-known that there were many teenage volunteers, even as young as 14 or 15.

[Brian L.]

Freikorps Weikhman, Weickhmann, or von Wieckhmann - sleeve badge

Formed in Kurland and Lithuania as part of the Deutsche Legion in the Baltic campaign.

Order of Battle:

MG-Scharfschützen-Abteilung Khaynach
3 Eskadronen
Freiw.Art.Det. Steve

[Brian L.]

Freiwilligentruppen der 32. Reichswehr-Brigade / Freiwillige 12. (Schlesische) Infanterie-Division

Formed in 1919 in Breslau, Upper Silesia. became 8. Reichswehr-Brigade in June 1919.

A large Freikorps with a strength of 8,510 men.

Order of Battle:

Freiw.Inf.Rgt. Keith Nr. 22
Freiw.Inf.Rgt. Winterfeld
Freiw.Inf.Rgt. 62
Freiw.Inf.Rgt. 63
Freiw.Hus.Rgt. 4
Freiw.Hus.Rgt. 6
Freiw.Feldart.Rgt. 2

[Brian L.]

Freiwilligen-Brigade Reinhard / Freikorps Reinhard / Reiwilligen-Regiment Reinhard

The Freikorps was formed by Oberst Wilhelm Reinhard (later General der Infanterie and SS-Obergruppenführer and Reichsführer des NS-Kriegerbundes) on December 14, 1918 from veterans of 4. and 2. Garde-Regiment zu Fuß and fought against the Spartacist uprising in January 1919 and again in March 1919. It formed Reichswehr Brigade 15 in May 1919. Later in 1919, Reinhard raised a new Freikorps to fight against the Polish uprising in Silesia.
The unit was one of the first Freikorps raised in Berlin and thus needed a temporary insignia to distinguish itself from the rebels. It along with other early Freikorps units adopted a white armband, which Reinhard had replaced in March 1919 by the familiar round sleeve badge with "R" and "1919" inside a laurel wreath.

Attached is an early and quite rare large original photo (23 x 17.1 cm) of Oberst Reinhard and Freikorps officers wearing the temporary white armband, taken sometime in early January 1919. I haven't identified most of the officers, yet. There are certainly several familiar faces which leads me to believe that this is in fact a group photo of Freikorps commanders in Berlin, 1919. But, I am pretty sure that's General Walther Freiherr von Lüttwitz standing to the right of Reinhard and on his left, possibly Major Erbeling MG-Scharfschützen-Korps Prey. Standing 6th from the left wearing a rather striking camo helmet and naval overcoat is Rittmeister Georg von Neufville of Freikorps Neufville, whose Freikorps was also formed in December 1918 as part of the Freiwilligen Landesschützenkorps and which fought alongside Freikorps Reinhard in Berlin. von Neufville later became a Generalmajor in the Wehrmacht, received the Knights Cross and died from wounds received during the Battle of Moscow in 1941.

Note: I was pretty suprised to pick this up on eBay last month for a paltry 10 Euros. It obviously slipped past all the Freikorps collectors in Germany and elsewhere who missed its historical significance.

[Sergeant 08]

Interesting to see the different sizes of the armbands.

[Brian L.]

Interesting to see the different sizes of the armbands.

The white armbands were done so quickly and in different batches, likely without any real specifications.

It's generally thought that Reinhard initiated the armband for his Freikorps and then it was adopted by the other Freikorps in Berlin as a general identifier, which might also explain the differences.

Since I'm almost 100% positive that the large photo is a group shot of Freikorps commanders in Berlin in January 1919 (I've identified 7 leaders, so far), it's possible that some of them had their own armbands made up, resulting in different sizes.

In his catalogue, Haarcke refers to a white armband worn by Freikorps Reinhard with "Reinhard" printed in black. I don't agree with this as I've never seen one like this even in a photo. The armbands always appear plain white, which makes sense, given that they were worn by different Freikorps during the General Strike and Spartacist Uprising of January 4-15, 1919.

Here's a group of Freikorps from this same period, three wearing the plain white armband.

[Masch19]

Freikorps Postcards

I also Only see White Armbands

[Brian L.]

I'm beginning to identify more Freikorps commanders in this group shot and it's becoming a who's who of the early 1919 period.

So far, I've identified Freikorps leaders from l to r:

Hauptmann Otto May of Selbstschutz-Detachement May

Rittmeister Ritter Georg von Neufville of Freiwilligen Garde-Landes-Schützenkorps von Neufville (Schwarze Garde)

General Kurt von Schleicher of the War Ministry, COC to General Maecker and architect of the Freikorps in late 1918, early 1919

General Freiherr Walther von Lüttwitz of General Kommando Lüttwitz (commander of all forces in Berlin)

Oberst (later General) Wilhelm Reinhard of Freiwilligen-Regiment Reinhard

Major Eugen Erbeling of MG-Scharfschützen-Korps Prey

Hauptmann Cordt von Brandis of Freikorps von Brandis

Freikorpsführer Heinz Carl Hauenstein of Freikorps Hauenstein (aka Freikorps Heinz)

I recognize most of the rest of them, but am still trying to put a name to the face.

[BlackWatch1]

Is this man Freikorps? Can someone identify the badge above the Totenkopf? Thanks

[Sergeant 08]

I have seen that photo in an ebay auction in past. I don't think Freikorps. The other insignia looks like an eagle. Student?

[BlackWatch1]

I have seen that photo in an ebay auction in past. I don't think Freikorps. The other insignia looks like an eagle. Student?

Thanks

[Brian L.]

Probably some Jugendwehr from the late 1920s.

[Brian L.]

Recruiting postcard for the Freiwilliges Landesjägerkorps sent on June 30, 1919 by:

Unteroffizier Karl Stender of "Leichter Kampfwagenzug 16" (Light Armored Car Platoon 16).

Since it is annotated and the stamp is postmarked with Halle (Saale), it's very possible that this armored car unit was part of Freikorps Halle which was itself part of the very large Freiwilliges Landesjägerkorps .

[Brian L.]

Another recruiting postcard for the Freiwilliges Landesjägerkorps sent on January 18, 1920 by:

Wilhelm Danner, 15 Komp. Landesjägerkorps, while serving in Border Protection in East Prussia.

The card includes the unit stamp: V. Abt. Landesjägerkorps (Reichswehr Brigade 16)

[Brian L.]

A different design postcard for Freiwilliges Landesjägerkorps sent from Weimar on October 1, 1919 by:

Jäger Fritz Lippacher, Jäger-Batl. 16. Stabskp. Weimar, Batl. Gesch. Zimmer

"Stabskp." = Headquarters Company

"Batl. Gesch. Zimmer" = Rifle Battalion 'Zimmer'