Freikorps

[Vetinari]

Can anybody tell me more about these pictures? I presume this is a Freikorps but cant identify the unit, any help is appreciated. Regards V.

[Vetinari]

.

[Vetinari]

..

[Vetinari]

...

[Vetinari]

....

[Vetinari]

.....

[Vetinari]

......

[Vetinari]

last one

[Naxos]

Freikorps no doubt but who and where?

could you post a larger scan of this part of the first photo:

[Guest Rick Research]

These are absolutely great ACTION shots of a Freikorps on the streets! I just wish whoever took them had better focus skills.

I would say from the enormous pattern oakleaves on their collars, they were either the Hessisches Freikorps or Freikorps Hessen-Nassau. Both used the same leaves, with only the initials on the same insignia to tell the two units apart. There is a remote chance--these are so tiny and blurry-- that it could have been the Badisches Sturm Bataillon.

Insignia reference numbers 165, 171, and 141 from my friend VerKuilen Ager's 1979 "Freikorps Insignia."

I would rule out the Baden unit, since they were fighting in the Baltic.

The Hessisches Freikorps was formed in January 1919. Freikorps Hessen-Nassau operated March to May 1919.

These were all VERY obscure. My college professor guru the late Harold J. Gordon, Jr. was a lifelong (too short a life, alas) expert on the Freikorps, and his 1957 "The Reichswehr and the German Republic 1919-1926" went into great detail about all the units he COULD find anything on... and he had no details on commanders or numbers of men for "your" unit--whichever of these above it was.

The "social history" in these images is fantastic. Note the well dressed and no doubt pleased middle class citizens standing around quite happily next to these troops. Not that the fellow in the LAST photo was likely to have been happy to run afoul of them.

[Vetinari]

Thank you very much Rick and Naxos. I add some more maybe they will help to locate the pictures. I tried to get a better scan but on the house is nothing written which really helps.

Edited May 24, 2009 by Vetinari

[Vetinari]

x

[Vetinari]

xx

[Vetinari]

xxx

[Vetinari]

xxxx

[Vetinari]

v

[Naxos]

I'm trying to read it - so far I got: Bett- und Pferdedecken

Edited May 24, 2009 by Naxos

[Vetinari]

vv

[Vetinari]

I dont know if the attached photo has anything to do with the above pictures but it was in the same parcel. So my clue is its from the same source.

[Guest Rick Research]

#16 will do it-- that city gate tower (if no longer there after the SECOND war ) must surely have been on thousands of post cards.

The soldiers in the last photo are the Provisional Reichsheer of 1919/20-- the "real" army.

[Vetinari]

Just find out where the citygatetower stands: Its in Augsburg the so called "Wertachbrucker Tor". It still stands today. So maybe it could be the Freikorps "Probstmeier". Thank you K.

Edited May 24, 2009 by Vetinari

[Gordon Craig]

Vetinari,

The armband could indicate the Detacment Probstmayr (white and blue) but I don't think they wore the oak leaf collar insignia although I am not 100% sure of that. Another possibility would be the Oberschleisches Landjaegerkorps. They did wear the oak leaf collar insignia and some of this unit wore a white and yellow armband.

Regards,

Gordon

[Vetinari]

Thank you Gordon for your helpfull reply, after some research i found another picture of Freikorps Probstmeier at ebay. I am not sure if i can post this here cause i am not the owner. Anyway they have on this picture the same sleevebands, but no collarinsignia. So maybe there were two different Korps at this time there to (a period quote) "free the city from Spartakists".

[Vetinari]

I will add 2 more photos from the album. Its not Freikorps but WW I. On the first is on the shoulderboard a 122 clearly visible. And the second photo, I never saw such a "mean" looking officer before on the scan it doesent come out like on the real photo (looks really scary). Regards V.

Edited May 26, 2009 by Vetinari