I just picked up this small document grouping to an early Freikorps fighter which includes his Militärpass, Wound Badge doc and scarce Freikorps "Noske" Ausweis.
Karl Drewes was recruited into Oldenburg Infantry Regt. 91 on 15.3.16 and transferred to 1. Hannover Inf. Regt. 74 on 24.9.16 and saw most of his WWI action in this unit, including in the 3. Machinegun Company of the regiment from late 1917.
He spent most of the war from mid-1916 in the thick of it on the Western Front including fighting at Champagne, Verdun, Hohe 344 and the 1918 Spring Offensive.
He received the EKII on 27.1.18, the Black Wound badge on 26.9.18 and was briefly in hospital in Oct. 1918. He was briefly attached to the staff of Artillery Regt. 275 in September 1918. He left hospital sometime in October and managed to finish the war back on the front line.
When 1. Hannover Inf. Regt. 74 demobilized in December 1918, he volunteered with others from the regiment for the Freikorps and joined the Freiwilliges Landesschützenkorps on 18.12.18.
Generally, Freikorps passes are hard to come by. But, what's particularly scarce about this grouping is that his pass has entries for the very first Freikorps actions in early 1919.
As part of Landesschützen Batl. 7 (aka Abteilung 7), Drewes was in 3. Landesschützen-Brigade "Gerstenberg" commanded by Oberst (later Generalmajor) Wilhelm Gerstenberg.
As part of Landesschützen-Brigade "Gerstenberg", Drewes fought against the Spartacists In Berlin from 3.1. - 24.1.19, the communists in Bremen from 4.2.-22.2.19, in the Ruhr from 6.3-6.6.19 and in Remscheid from 7.6.-15.6.19.
He left service immediately afterwards, when the Freikorps became Reichswehr-Brigade 4 in late June 1919.
The "Noske Ausweis" was issued in Spring 1919 by Gustav Noske, first Minister of Defense of the Weimar Republic to all Freikorps fighting against the Spartacists, the soldier and worker councils and communists who had taken over several cities in Germany from December 1918. After June 1919, there was a second Noske Ausweis (in red) issued to the newly formed Reichswehr. While not rare, the first Freikorps Noske Ausweis (in blue) is scarce or at least very hard to find as most were exchanged for the new Reichswehr Ausweis when the Freikorps transitioned to the Preliminary Reichswehr, or simply wore out and were discarded.
Pictured is the document grouping and a the page from the pass, detailing Drewes' Freikorps actions that includes ink stamps for Landesschützen Batl. 7.
The Ausweis has remnants of what appears to be an original Noske signature in blue pencil above the photo of Drewes.
Karl Drewes was recruited into Oldenburg Infantry Regt. 91 on 15.3.16 and transferred to 1. Hannover Inf. Regt. 74 on 24.9.16 and saw most of his WWI action in this unit, including in the 3. Machinegun Company of the regiment from late 1917.
He spent most of the war from mid-1916 in the thick of it on the Western Front including fighting at Champagne, Verdun, Hohe 344 and the 1918 Spring Offensive.
He received the EKII on 27.1.18, the Black Wound badge on 26.9.18 and was briefly in hospital in Oct. 1918. He was briefly attached to the staff of Artillery Regt. 275 in September 1918. He left hospital sometime in October and managed to finish the war back on the front line.
When 1. Hannover Inf. Regt. 74 demobilized in December 1918, he volunteered with others from the regiment for the Freikorps and joined the Freiwilliges Landesschützenkorps on 18.12.18.
Generally, Freikorps passes are hard to come by. But, what's particularly scarce about this grouping is that his pass has entries for the very first Freikorps actions in early 1919.
As part of Landesschützen Batl. 7 (aka Abteilung 7), Drewes was in 3. Landesschützen-Brigade "Gerstenberg" commanded by Oberst (later Generalmajor) Wilhelm Gerstenberg.
As part of Landesschützen-Brigade "Gerstenberg", Drewes fought against the Spartacists In Berlin from 3.1. - 24.1.19, the communists in Bremen from 4.2.-22.2.19, in the Ruhr from 6.3-6.6.19 and in Remscheid from 7.6.-15.6.19.
He left service immediately afterwards, when the Freikorps became Reichswehr-Brigade 4 in late June 1919.
The "Noske Ausweis" was issued in Spring 1919 by Gustav Noske, first Minister of Defense of the Weimar Republic to all Freikorps fighting against the Spartacists, the soldier and worker councils and communists who had taken over several cities in Germany from December 1918. After June 1919, there was a second Noske Ausweis (in red) issued to the newly formed Reichswehr. While not rare, the first Freikorps Noske Ausweis (in blue) is scarce or at least very hard to find as most were exchanged for the new Reichswehr Ausweis when the Freikorps transitioned to the Preliminary Reichswehr, or simply wore out and were discarded.
Pictured is the document grouping and a the page from the pass, detailing Drewes' Freikorps actions that includes ink stamps for Landesschützen Batl. 7.
The Ausweis has remnants of what appears to be an original Noske signature in blue pencil above the photo of Drewes.
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