Scarce Badge of the Freiwillige Minensuchverbände (Volunteer Mine Sweepers) 1919

[Brian L.]

A picture of Esselmann wearing the cap tally Minensuch-Halbflottille and the earlier sleeve chevron of the volunteer minesweeper troops.

Some of the stamps inside his paybook showing that he served in Freiwillige Minensucher der Nordsee and a Soldier's Council stamp for the Nordsee Vorposten Flotille (Outpost Fleet).

[Brian L.]

Sleeve Badge of the Freiwillige Minensuchverbände (Haarcke 607.1, p. 104) instituted on April 4, 1919.

Prior to the institution of the badge with the mine added, volunteers wore just the chevron in national colours.

There were two versions of this badge with a yellow or red embroidered mine.

[Brian L.]

Scarce badge, photos, Military passes and paybook to Oberheizer Robert Esselmans who served in the Freiwillige Minensuchverbände (Volunteer Mine Sweeper Group) in the North Sea, May-September 1919. Esselmanns served in the infantry on the western front, as well as the navy from 1914-18, including the Battle of Naratsch See against the Russian fleet.

Operations in 1919 included mine sweeping around Norway, Denmark and in support of Freikorps and Latvian actions against the Bolsheviks in the Baltic.

[Gordon Craig]

bolewts58,

Very interesting thread. First time I have seen this type of documentation etc. I've done a lot of research on the post WWII German Mine Sweeping Authority (GMSA) and it is nice to be able to compare that to the post WWI mine sweeping activities.

Regards,

Gordon