Just recieved this great portrait from the Estand. It shows what appears to be an MG unit with Field Marshal Hindenburg posing. You can see a few Machingunner badges in wear, a few wound badges which would make it a late war portrait. One EK2 ribbon but no EK1s. Looks to have a stamp showing it was sent in 1919. When do you suppose it was taken? Wartime or immediate postwar? This is a private postcard portrait.
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Here's the rear, showing a unit stamp and a Feldpost stamp. Cannot read what is written on it. -
The main information:
the postcard is written 23 June (?) 1919. It shows the Hauptwache (main guard house) at the Grosse Hauptquartier (Great Headquarter where the general staff had his HQ, also the Emp. William II) in Kolberg (East Prussia) with Feldmarschall von Hindenburg and the guards - also the soldier who wrote the postcard is on the photo.
Kolberg:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ko%C5%82obrzeg
GerdanComment
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Gerdan, that is great information. This was sent after the war, but perhaps was taken towards the end maybe?Comment
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Great photo of v. H. But, no machine guns, no weapons which always seem to adorn these group shots. I'm guessing postwar...Comment
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So after the war they still would have been organized like this, not disbanded?Originally posted by Brian S View PostComment
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Several men in the picture have some sort of badge/insignia on their left sleeve (just below the elbow). Does anyone know what these are?
Also, some of the collar insignia look to me to possibly be post 1918.
Lastly, take a close look at the fellow at the far left in the third row. He appears to be wearing not only an armor breast plate but musician's
epaulettes as well. Interesting.Comment
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Look at the postcard! I think it is May 1919 (not June) , the time of the Freiwilligen Verbände (Freikorps).
The stamp lettering: Freiwilligen Garde Grenadier Bataillon II.Kompanie.
The badge on their left sleeve looks like a typical Freikorps badge.Last edited by Sergeant 08; 10-23-2009, 02:54 AM.Comment
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Nearly every Freikorps had own badges. There are a lot of known and unknown Freikorps badges still out there.Comment
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The image presents members of the Freikorps von Hindenburg. A photography, almost identical and taken in the same place, are presented in the book von Salomon : Das Buch vom deutschen Freikorpskämpfer.
Polux
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The Garde-Gren.Btl. was a part of the Freikorps Hindenburg. Freikorps Hindenburg was formed 13 Feb 1919 in Kolberg.
Insignia: Oak-leaves with an H on the collar and an H within a wreath on the sleeve.Comment
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Great information guys! So Freikorps eh? I like it!Comment
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Hindenburg looks happy to be there
As usual
A picture of him smiling would be the holy grail of collecting photographs.Comment
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