Freikorps Postcards

[Brian L.]

Freikorps Petsch

part of 37. Freiwilligen Infanterie-Division. served in Ober-Schlesien.

Sleeve badge was made from an actual EK1 mounted in a laurel and oak leaf wreath.

[Brian L.]

2 more images of the Freiwillige Minensuch-Verbände. The specialist badge can be seen on the lower sleeve: 1 year volunteer chevron over a yellow mine. A rarer variation of the badge had a red mine.

The badge was instituted in April 1919 and awarded to Preliminary Reichsmarine volunteers involved in mine clearance in the North Sea and Baltic from December 1918 until Fall 1919.

[Brian L.]

A fresh-face new recruit in his shiny new uniform. There's a misconception that the Freikorps was only made up of salty old WWI vets. But, many Freikorps actively recruited from students and those who were too young to have served before the war ended. There were incidents of students as young as 14 or 15 serving in Freikorps units or at least Studentenwehr.

This recruit was part of the Ausbildungskompanie (training company) der Freiwilliges Landesjägerkorps and wears the 1st pattern oak-leaf 'V' collar badge (January 1919) worn by new trainees. The trainee uniform also consisted of black collar and Brandenburg cuffs.

Once they finished training, they would have switched this collar badge for the standard silver oak-leaf of the Freiwilliges Landesjägerkorps. Some retained this uniform. But, many, in order to blend in would have opted for a plain field tunic.

[Brian L.]

An officer of Freikorps Feldmarschall von Hindenburg.

The unit badge, likely made by Juncker was a silvered 'H' inside a silvered wreath (same wreath as on Prussian pilot's badge, minus the imperial crown). The unit also wore oakleaves with an 'H' on them on the collar which can just be made out in the closeup.

[mchap]

The last handful of photos are outstanding additions, Brian.

Well done and thank you for sharing!

[Brian L.]

I just bought this rare group shot of the 2. Komp. Sturmbataillon Arnauld, commanded by WW1 U-boat ace Kapitänleutnant Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière, which was part of the 3rd Marine-Brigade Loewenfeld.
2. Komp. was commanded by Wilhelm Freiherr von Harsdorf von Enderndorf (later Fregattenkapitän and commander of the 'Karlsruhe' in the Reichsmarine/Kriegsmarine). This photo is inscribed "Abschied von Frhr. v. Harsdorf" (Farewell of Freiherr von Harsdorf). von Harsdorf is seated behind the drums.
The most interest thing about the image is the Sturmbataillon flag. I've attached a color graphic approximating what this flag possibly looked like.

When I have the card in hand, I'll post some better shots.

[Brian L.]

Photo of Rittmeister Henrich Heniger of the Wehr-Regiment München

He wears the arm-badge of Wehr-Regiment München and the uniform of the
Übergangsheer (Transitional Army) September 1919 - May 1920 with the sleeve rank of "Hauptleute" (Hauptmann).

[Valter Gorenc]

Just read thru the wholethread and looked at the pictures carefully. A big thanks to Brian for this outstanding contribution! I learned alot about field of history (and collecting) which is very neglected imho.

I also find very interesting to study facial expressions on these photos. What was going on in minds of these guys? Determination, resoluteness, fanatism, fatalism, despise against "dancing society"? For the young ones, some of them obviously looking underage, they were trying to catch the "big and heroic adventure" they missed in World war. God knows they ever regretted their decision? The skirmishing in Silesia and Berlin was certainly less gruesome and more "adventurous" than Flandern trenches.

[mchap]

I agree, Brian's (bolewts58) FK posts are valuable learning tools.

Unique postcards showing uncommon badges are increasing in value, but at least they are still affordable. My favorite postcards have writing on the back with a date, name and location... a person can take that information and pinpoint on a map where he was and possibly what he was involved with at the time the photo was taken. Definitely a more intimate way to research history.

[Brian L.]

Scarce art card of the Korps Oberland des Oberschlesischen Selbschutzes, I. Kompanie I. Bataillon (Oberland Corps of the Upper Silesian Self-defence force). The card is dated April 29, 1921, just as the Third Polish Uprising was beginning in Upper Silesia. The Korps Oberland rushed to Upper Silesia from Bavaria at the beginning of May and was key in reversing the initial defeats of the German Freikorps. The Korps was prominent in the success of the Freikorps in the main battle of the uprising, the storming of the Annaberg mountain.

The Korps Oberland was a larger, reformed version of Freikorps Oberland, which after being dissolved in October 1919, joined Organization Escherich, a paramilitary organization led by Georg Escherich, the head of the Bavarian Einwohnerwehr (Civil Militia).

The design of this card reflects the arm badge of the 1st Company, 1st Batallion of the Korps Oberland, which had 4 companies and an artillery battery, each with it's own arm badge.

[Brian L.]

Freiwilliges Husaren-Regiment 11. sleeve badge

Printed postcard of Major Gilles Böhmer, Schutzherr des Verbandes ehemaliger 11. Husaren (Defence Master (??? an odd rank) of the association of former members of Hussar Regt. 11) wearing the sleeve badge of the Freikorps.

Böhmer was one of four squadron leaders of 2. Westfälisches Husaren-Regiment Nr. 11, that remained in Freikorps service as Freiwilliges Husaren-Regiment 11. (Volunteer Hussar Regt. 11) from the end of November 1918 until May 1920, as part of the Garde-Kavallerie-Schützen-Division. It was formed in the Ruhr Region.

I didn't win the auction of this card, but thought I'd post it for reference, nevertheless. It sold for 103 EUR, which is quite a bit, considering it is a commercially printed card, rather than an actual photo card. The value of the card is largely in the image of the badge in wear, and also because Böhmer was a well-known Freikorps personality, known for continuing to wear his full hussar uniform, even when others in the regiment had adopted simple field tunics.

There has been a spike in prices for Freikorps postcards, lately due to a couple of new collectors with deep pockets, who seem determined to assemble a collection quickly. Even the most basic cards, that sold for 10 EUR a few months ago have doubled and in some cases tripled in price. Another example of this card sold only 6 months ago for 53 EUR.

[Brian L.]

I am going to wrap up my contribution to this thread over the next couple of months as I am selling off my Freikorps postcard collection. The prices of cards has become ridiculous over the last 6 months with good cards going for hundreds of Euros. I'd rather put 200 or 300 Euros into a badge than a photo postcard.

Patriotic / Recruitment postcard for Volunteer 'Nachrichtentruppen' (radio and signal communication troops) who served in Grenzschutz-Ost.

It says, "Radio operator, you are also needed by the Eastern Border Defence".

This is part of a series of art cards that showed different types of 'Nachrichtentruppen' issued by the Central Advertising Office for Nachrichtentruppen.

[mchap]

Yeah, if you can sell some cards and pickup a nice badge its well worth it.

Ive been doing a lot more "right click + save image as" this year...

[Brian L.]

One of a series of art cards from Bayerische Schützenbrigade Nr. 21. (Freikorps Epp). Given the size and longevity of this Freikorps, there was a wide variety of these art cards produced in different series both for recruiting and simply as patriotic items.

[Brian L.]

Recruiting art card of the Zeitfreiwilligen-Regiment Leipzig, Bataillon C.
The collar badge of the unit can be seen on the collar of the soldier and also at the top left of the reverse of the car.

Saxony set up two brigades of temporary volunteers (Bautzen and Dresden) in February 1919. In May they added the Zeitfreiwilligen-Regiment Dresden (3 Battalions) and Leipzig (4 Battalions).

on June 1, 1919 the brigades became Reichswehr-Brigaden 12 and 19.

The leaders of the Leipzig-Regiment were: Oberst a.D. Schieblich ; Major a.D. Bramsch ; Oberst Bierey.