Luftwaffe mark 2./Fea 23. 9

[BobD]

This is engraved on the underside of a LW sword crossguard. Can anyone put a type unit to this?
Thanks.

[Ian Jewison]

This is engraved on the underside of a LW sword crossguard. Can anyone put a type unit to this?
Thanks.

I would say it is 2 Kompanie, Flieger Ersatz Abteilung 23.

Don't know about the 9!?

Flieger-Ausbildung-Regiment 23

Formed 1.4.1939 from Flieger-Ersatz-Abteilung 23, peacetime Station in Kaufbeuren, Luftgau VII; 1941 transferred to Belfort (I., II. Bataillon) and renamed in Flieger-Regiment 23; Autumn 1942 transferred to Russia in action with partisans near Witebsk-Newel and Rosslawl; 14.7.1943 disbanded and used to form the Luftwaffen-Feld-Division 20 in Denmark.

/Ian

[BobD]

Thanks Ian. I should be able to do a little more research now with the info you provided.

Bob

[Jason von Z.]

Bob: You are not going to find much more about this unit in English- or German-language books, other than what Ian has already provided. I have some documentation from the National Archives regarding the anti-partisan operations of Flieger-Regiment 23. What exactly are you looking for?

Ian: Thanks again for the help with the field post numbers from a few days back. The group was from a member of the Gendarmerie, and the letters were written from his relatives to him. The field post numbers were from his relatives' units, obviously, not his.

Jason

[BobD]

Jason,

Just wanted to get a general idea of what they were as far as a ground unit or what. What was their role. Not a flying unit I guess.
Bob

[Ian Jewison]

They were replacement units for convalescing people and training new recruits, also training existing soldiers...not aircrew however this was initial training etc. so a member going through here could well have ended up as a pilot or para!!!
This unit actually was transferred to the east as you can see and was involved in anti partisan activities.....

I will see if I have anything else on the unit, however your sword has the prewar designation so the person perhaps was an instructor and transferred to a combat unit with the outbreak of war!?!?!

Regards, Ian

[Jason von Z.]

Training regiments like this one were used for the initial phase of training for all Luftwaffe recruits, as Ian mentioned. During 1942 the focus was shifted a bit more towards basic infantry training, as it was foreseen that the Luftwaffe would be fielding their own ground combat forces. By the autumn 1942, many of these training regiments were being incorporated wholesale into the newly forming Luftwaffen-Felddivisionen as light infantry regiments. Flieger-Regiment 23 was one of the exceptions, as it was instead first sent to the Eastern Front as an independent unit attached directly to II. Luftwaffen-Feldkorps. It was engaged pretty much exclusively in rear-area anti-partisan operations while serving there. It was most often used as a blocking force during the anti-partisan operations. If you are interested, I can look up some more specific information in the documentation I have, including the exact operations it was engaged in - just let me know.

Jason

[BobD]

Thanks Jason and Ian. Your info was plenty. Was just trying to get a feel for what type unit this was and what they did in general to fulfill my curiousity about who would have been issued this piece and what they may have been responsible for. Since it was unit marked it must have been unit property piece. Early nickle silver one.

Thanks again for all the info.
Bob

[Gene]

I have a LW EM buckle with Fea 5I on the tab; is this another Flieger Ersatz Abteilung?