K.u.K 53.Infanterie Regimente - K.u.K

53. Infanterie Regimente  - K.u.K 

53.Inf.Rgt. von Dankl was Croatian unit in common K.u.K army . Recruting area was around Zagreb(German - Agram). During entire war unit was part of 72.Inf.Brigade which in turn was almost the whole war part of 36.Inf.Division. Only in summer of 1916  regiment and brigade were removed from 36.ID. 53.IR was in 06.1916 in reserve of 7th Army and in 07.1916 was part of 42.Honved(Croatian) inf.div. After that regiment is with 72.brig. and 36.inf.div..

Regiment had 4 battalions in 8.1914, battalions I. ,II.  and III. were with 53.IR, battalion IV was separated from regimens and had  different battle path and used different feldpost.

53.IR war path is very similar to 16.IR, it fought from 8-12.1914 in Serbia, 1.1915-2.1918 Russian battlefield (Galicia,Bukowina), from 2.1918 is on Italian battlefield.

Usally Common army regiments had 4 batallions each with 4 companies thus regiment had 16 companies. This changed in reorganisation in the end of 1917 and early 1918 to 3 batallions per Regiment.

My list of Fp.numbers used by 53.lR follows:

1914. Fp.44(36.ID)
1915. Fp.44(36.ID)
1916. Fp.44(36.ID) ,Fp.71(XI.korps), Fp.68(42.HID)
1917. Fp.44(36.ID) from 06.02.1917 was replaced by Fp.634(36.ID)
1918. Fp.634(36.ID)

Other Feldpost numbers on mail are possible , as constant movement of batalions and companies from from all regiments to other units was common.

IV. Batallion of 53.IR was from 1914 to 1916 part of 8.Gebirgs(mountain)brigade, from 1916 is with 7.Gebirgs brigade. In late 1917 or early 1918 in reorganisation of army ,IV./53 was moved to newly formed 135.Inf.Regiment (made from IV.53 and III.96, IV.96)

Gebirgs brigades in Austro-Hungarian army had own Feldpost offices with Feldpost number.

Feldpost numbers used by IV.53.Inf.Rgt.

1914. Fp.61(8.Gebirg.Big)  

1915. Fp.61(8.Gebirg.Big)

1916. Fp.61(8.Gebirg.Big),  Fp.85(7.Gebirg.Big)

1917. Fp.85(7.Gebirg.Big) from 2.1917 replaced by Fp.636 (7.Gebirg.Big) 

 2.1917card Zagreb to Fp.634 53.IR, 3.bat.11.company censored in Zagreb

10.1916 Fp.44(53.IR) to Sušak-Fiume(Rijeka) ,with Charity stamp  for wounded soldiers of 53.IR . On stamp is pictured Statue of Ban Jelačić which still today stands in the main square of Zagreb
 

2.1917card Zagreb to Fp.634 53.IR, 3.bat.11.company censored in Zagreb

12.1915 Fp44 to Zagreb, from 2nd company of  XVII Marschbatallion(Replacement battalion) of 53.IR

12.1916 card Zagreb to Fp.44 53.IR, 3.bat.11.company censored in Zagreb

5.1916 card fom 8th company 53.IR to Zageb, mailed from Fp71 (XI.korps)

2.1915 card from Fp.44  53.IR ,Regimentstab to Zagreb

1.1916 card from Fp.44, 53.IR to Zagreb

11.1915 card form 1.company XVI Marschbatallion ,53.IR to Zagreb mailed byFp132 (XIII.Korps marsh formation

5.1917 card from Zagreb to Fp.634 12.company 53.IR

1.1916 card from Fp.44, 53.IR  to Zagreb

Mail from IV.53.Inf.Rgt.

10.1914 card from Fp.61(8.Geb.brig.) 15.company(IV.bat) 53.IR to Novigrad(Podravski)

 6.1916 card from Fp.85(7.Geb.brig.) 16.comp.IV.bat 53.IR to Zagreb

3 cards from 4,5,7.1916  from Fp.85(7.Geb.brig.) IV.bat 53.IR to Bjelovar

3.1917 card from Fp.636(7.Geb.brig.) MG.comp.IV.bat 53.IR to Zagreb

4.1917 card from Fp.636(7.Geb.brig.) 13.comp.IV.bat 53.IR to Zagreb

6.1917 card from Fp.636(7.Geb.brig.) 14.comp.IV.bat 53.IR to Zagreb