11.1942 card from 'Domobranska zastavnička škola'

 22.11.1942 postcard mailed "loco" in Zagreb from 'Domobranska zastavnička škola'  (Homeguard officer cadet school) located in Ilica 242 in Zagreb. Zastavnik means Ensign in English or Fahnrich in German. This was the lowest officer rank that cadets recieved upon graduation. Im May 1941 first officer cadet school was formed as Domobranska akademija, it closed in June 1942 and new officer school - Domobranska zastavnička škola was opened in September 1942. Afert the closure one part of the cadets graduated and was sent to the active army units while another part was sent to the German military school in Stockerau. Cadets that returned from Stockerau introduced German military discipline to the new school. The school was organised as a single battalion with 4 companies, it numbered around 400 cadets at any time. The school accepted boys aged around 14-15 years that had already completed 8 years of education, and the schooling lasted 4 years. On 07.05.1945 the school evacuated from Zagreb to the west trying to reach Western allies in Austria. The faith of the cadets is mostly unknown, probably most of them were executed by the Yugoslav communists after the war. In Požega(Slavonia) there is a location near Grgin dol where 32 cadets and 50 other Croatian soldiers were executed with cold weapons in July 1945. Since 2015 this place is marked with a commemorative plaque.

23.04.1916 K.u.K San.Instruktions Abteilung Nr.23 in Zagreb

 

23.04.1916 KuK card mailed  from K.u.K San(itats) Instruktions Abteilung Nr.23 in Zagreb (Medical Training Detachment) to an Lieutenant in Epidemie Spital in Vinkovci. Military hospital Garnisonsspital No.23 was based in Zagreb and this Abteilung was its training unit, did it train Garnison personnel or combat medics or both is unknown to me.

Regular posatage was paid by 5 Fillir stamp cancelled in Zagreb post office 1, arrival cancel Vinkovci is also present. Zagreb Civilian KuK censorship cancel is in red colour. This censor cancel was used during months 3.1916-8.1916 , the cancels ink colour changed 3x during the day, red ink was used from 7-12h.

6.1942 - Kroat.Infanterie Ersatz Bataillon 369. to Zagreb.

 20.06.1942 Feldpost card from Fp.41700H  mailed via Fp.41700A - Stab of  Kroat.Infanterie Ersatz Bataillon 369. in Stockerau, mailed to Zagreb, Croatia. Multiple German censorship marks are present on the card. Text in Croatian is usual soldiers greetings to home.  Ersatz Bataillon 369 trained replacements for 369.Croatian Infantry Regiment fighting in Russia at the time.  Kroat.Infanterie Ersatz Bataillon 369. gradually enlarged and in September 1942 become a Regiment.

2025 Acta Philatelica Nova

 New 'Acta Philatelica Nova 2025' came out last week , my article about Feldpost mailed from Japan by K.u.K. Croatian POWs was published in Acta. Inside are some very interesting philatelic aricles, this is bilingual magazine written in Croatian and English. Acta is the last regularly published Philatelic magazine in Croatia.

You can order it directly  from publisher Marka Nova philatelic shop, email:  berislav.pervan@gmail.com

18.11.1942 parcel card to Ustaška Vojnica

 28.11.1942 parcel card for a food packet mailed from Erdevik to an Ustaša a member of 1.novačka sat 1.novačka bojna, Ustaške vojnice in Hrvatski Karlovci in Srijem. Arrival cancel is at the back as well as units cancel. 

Ustaška vojnica replacements were all volunteers until September 1942, then new army recruits were offered to join Domobranstvo or Ustaška vojnica. In Ustaška vojnica two replacement battalions(novačka bojna) were formed on 01.11.1942. First one was based in Osijek and second one was based in Hrvatski Karlovci. Replacement battalions started training recruits from 01.11.1942.

2.replacement battalion had HQ with 4 infantry companies(5,6,7 and 8 novačka sat), 2.novački bacački vod(2.mortar platoon) and 2.novački topovski vod(2.artillery platoon) with a total of 12 Officers, 11 NCOs and 821 soldiers a total of 844 men.

Both replacement battalions were integrated in PTS on 15.08.1943 and units were disbanded.

9.1916 postcard 7.sFAR to Vrbovsko bei Ogulin, Kroatien , Fp.111

 30.09.1916 postcard mailed from 7.schwere Feldartillerie Regiment  via Fp.111(7.inf.division) to Vrbovsko near Ogulin, Croatia. Text  in German is just a short greeting. In 1916 13.sFhD was disbanded, while new sFAR were raised from it. New Croatian schwere Feldartillerie regiments were: 7.sFAR and 36.sFAR attached to 7th and 36th division respectively. Mail from the units is rare.

8.1944. card from Zagreb to Kroatische Flak Legion unit

04.08.1944 postal card mailed from Zagreb to Fp.53974 - 6. Batterie leichte Flak-Abteilung 785 (o) in Münster then redirected to Fp.60416 - schwere Flak-Batterie z.b.V. 10415. Meaning of z.b.V. (zur besonderen Verwendung) is 'for special assignment' such Flak units were often temporary or provisional ad-hoc formations created for unique tactical situations or regional defense re-organizations. They generally lacked standardized structures and were frequently absorbed into permanent numbered units. Schwere Flak-Batterie z.b.V. 10415 was at the time stationed in Dortmund - Bochum area, serving in the defence of the Reich. Text is in Croatian usual greetings from home to a soldier.

12.1942 - 3.pješačka pukovnija in Zvornik to Zagreb

  19.12.1942. Postcard mailed from 22.sat, V. bojna, 3.pješačka pukovnija(22.company, 5th battalion, 3rd infantry regiment) to Zagreb. The sender writes his unit's location as Zvornik, Istočna Bosna (East Bosnia), but the card was mailed from the Bijeljina post office. The text at the back is a Christmas greeting in Croatian, and the location of writing is noted as Rudnik (a mine).  Very little is known about 3.inf.regiment, other than that it had 5 battalions and that its garrison with 1st.battalion was in Karlovac.

12.1917 SMS MARS to Mrkopalj, Croatia.

 22.12.1917 K.u.K Marinefeldpost, postcard mailed from SMS MARS to Mrkopalj in Gorski Kotar, Croatia. Text in Croatian is a short Christmas greeting. Present are Marinfeldpostamt Pola cancel and Censor cancel from Sms Mars.

SMS Mars was a battleship launched in 1878 under the name SMS Tegetthoff. The ship served as a local defence ship from 1906 at Pula/Pola harbour. In 1912 the ship was renamed SMS Mars as a new battleship received the name Tegetthoff. From 1917, the ship became a training ship for midshipmen and was turned into a hulk the next year.

4.1944 - 1.lovački zdrug to Gemischte Ausbildungs Abteilung Kroat.Ausb.Brigade

 30.4.1944 letter mailed from a member of Ratni Sud 1.lovačkog zdruga in Doboj(Military court of 1.Jäger brigade) to member of Gemischte Ausbildungs Abteilung Kroatische Ausbildungs Brigade Fp.59875 C.  This number with letter C was used by Abteilungs 2.kompanie - engineers. German machine censorhip cancel. Text is Croatian, with usual greetings writers informs recipient that Zagreb was bombed on 15.04.

8.1944 - Oružničtvo official letter from Garešnica to Bjelovar.

 01.08.1944 cover of official registered big sized letter from Zapovjedničtvo Oružničkog voda Garešnica(Command of Gendarmerie platon in Garešnica)  to Župsko Oružničko Zapovjedničtvo  in Bjelovar(County Gendarmerie Command in Bjelovar). Mailed from Kutina post office. On the back letter is franked with 4 official stamps of 3,50 kuna, due to a lack of official stamps, 2 regular stamps of 1 kuna value were used on front to add to 16 kuna which was rate for registered big size letter( 7 kuna letter above 21 grams+9 kuna registration . Official cancel  at the top left is clearly visible.

12.1916 KuK FHR 7. to Vinkovci in Slavonia, Croatia

 16.12.1916 K.u.K feldpost card from Batterie No.4, Feldhaubitzregiment No.7 (FHR.7) to Vinkovci in Slavonia mailed via Felpost 111 used by 7.Infantry division. FHR.7 was formed from 3. Battery of 13.FHR(Zagreb) in June 1916, from 06.1918 it was renamed FAR 107. Text is in Croatian , usual greetings to family.

9.1944 - 392. Kroatische Inf.Div. to Wien

 18.09.1944 feldpost letter from Fp.17051 B - Stab I und Einheit Artillerie-Regiment 392 (Kroat.) to Wien (Vienna) Reich today in Austria. Letters from 392. Croatian Infanry Divvision (Blue division) are rare. 392.Artillerie Regiment had 2 Abteilungs(Batteries) with 3rd formed in February 1945.