1916. K.u.K Croatian POW letter from Omsk Russia to Zagreb

 

13.08.1916 postal card to Zagreb from an Croatian prisoner of war(POW). Sent from an POW camp in Omsk area in Siberia, Russia. On the front of this special card issued for POW are Russian and Austrian censor cancels, at the back is POW camp cancel. Russian Empire captured around 2 million Austro-Hungarian soldiers. Of those Half a million were Austrians another half a million were Hungarians while Slavic nations including Croats made up the other million of POWs. How many POW were Croats I don't know but surely tens of thousands or more. Russia had more then 400 POW camps, there were 128 camps in the Moscow Region, 30 around Irkutsk and 28 around Omsk with others scattered around the huge empire. Croatian POW letters are not rare but also not too common.

1.1944 rare letter from the German-Croatian Police - Gendarmerie Bezirksfuhrer Bjelovar

 

22.01.1944. Letter with contents sent from Fp.58154 Gendarmerie Bezirksfuhrer Bjelovar via Fp.58639 B - Kommandeur der Gendarmerie Agram (Dienststelle cancel) to Wien in the Reich (Vienna, Austria). SS censorship cancel AS in green colour. Gendarmerie Bezirksfuhrer Bjelovar was a local "district gendarmerie station" in the town of Bjelovar. I have seen only one letter before mailed from an Gendarmerie Bezirksfuhrer, I published it here a year ago. That letter was mailed locally from Gendarmerie Bezirksfuhrer Zlatar to Biškupec,Varaždin and it had no content. This letter to Wien has text inside. It is written in German and writter confirms his feldpost address in the letter as Fp.58154

THIS IS EXTREMELY RARE LETTER !

1.1944 Super rare letter to 4.ŽESTRA bojna in Zaprešić

 24.01.1944 super rare, most likely philatelicaly inspired Croatian feldpost letter. Mailed by a member of 7.sat. 2.bojna 5.gorska pukovnija sationed in Novoselec Križ, Moslavina  (7.company 2.battalion 5.mountain regiment) to a fellow soldier serving with 1.sat 4.željeznička(ŽESTRA) bojna (1.company of 4.railway protection battalion) located in Zaprešić. Letter was franked with 2kuna stamps of which one was halved, totaling 3 kuna, stamps were cancelled at the Križ postal office. War tax was not paid and letter was marked with a big letter T, as postage due was to be paid . Postage due was paid with the Croatian Porto stamps totaling 5kn, 2+2 kn on the back  and 1kn on the front of cover. These Porto stamps were cancelled by the Zaprešić arrival postal cancel. On the front of the cover is official cancel of 1.company of 4.ŽESTRA battalion and a short text signed by its commanding officer, an Captain that confirms that letter was postaly used. On the back of the cover the same Captain has signed censorship of the letter.

4.1916 K.u.K Feldjagerbataillon 31 to Zagreb

 22.04.1916 feldopst card mailed from Feldjagerbataillon 31(FJB31) to Zagreb Croatia. FJB31 was based and recruited mostly around Zagreb area. Sender notes his Fp.57, it was used by 25.ID, FJB31 was part of its 49.Inf.brig. Mailed via Fp.142 used by 1.Armee Etappenkommando. Text is in Croatian , sender writes that 53.Inf.Rgt from Zagreb is also stationed near Bazaliya in Volhynia same as he is.

06.1944 registered mail from 7. SS division "Prinz Eugen"

 08.06.1944 official registered letter from 7. SS Freiwilligen Gebirgs Division "Prinz Eugen" to Wien, Austria. Mailed from Fp. 46934 B  used by Verpflegungsamt SS-Freiwilligen-Gebirgs-Division Prinz Eugen / -Verwaltung- or ration supply office / -administration-.  Kenn number 969 used by 7.SS Feldpostamt is visible in Fp. cancel and R-sticker. Nice units cancel is visible. All mail from 7.SS Prinz Eugen division is rare but Registered mail is very rare.

7.1943 Sarajevo to Zaprešić rare Domobran letter

 27.07.1943 Croatian feldpost between two domobran soldiers serving in different units. Mailed from Sarajevo by a member of 2.sat Sarajevska posadana bojna (2.company of  Sarajevo garisson battalion) to a member of 1.sat 4.željeznička stražarska (ŽESTRA) bojna, in Zaprešić near Zagreb (1.company 4.railway protection battalion). Zaprešić is misspelled on the cover as Zapršić. 

The sender drew a square in the top right corner with a big letter T inside and text "Spoložaja". T means postage due was to be paid ( from french 'Taxe')  while text 'Spoložaja' is Croatian meaning "from the (battlefield) position". This square was cancelled by the Sarajevo post office and letter was accepted for mailing with postage due to be paid. There is no arrival cancel or marks that postage due was collected. Croatian soldiers were supposed to pay regular postal charges.

Probably this was philatelicaly inspired letter, but it was recognised as curiosity already during the War. This letter was published in the philatelic magazine 'Hrvatska Filatelistika' in issue No.10-12 of 1944 on page 153.

10.1918 K.u.K Marinefeldpost - S.M.D.K CETINA to Pakrac, Slavonia

 25.10.1918 K.u.K Marinefeldpost. Ordinary postcard mailed from S.M.K.D CETINA to Pakrac in Slavonia, Croatia. Very late date 25.10.18 on Marinefeldpostamt Pola cancel. Croatia on 29.10.1918 declared separation from Austro-Hungary and joined short lived State of SHS.

This is the first time I have seen abbreviation S.M.K.D i suppose it means Seiner Majestät Kriegs Dampfer, or  His Majesty's War Steamer.

CETINA was commercial steamer that entered service in 1908 . On 14 February 1916   the ship was requisitioned by the K.u.k navy.  It served as an Armed escort vessel within Boka Kotorska (Bocche di Cattaro). The ship was transferred to Šibenik on 26 September 1917, and  subsequently transferred to the submarine search flotilla in February 1918. It's tonnage was 228t.

8.1944 - Kroatische Ausbildungs Brigade to Osijek

 

01.08.1944 feldpost card mailed to Osijek, NDH  from Fp.56756 B,  Artillerie Ausbildungs Abteilung of Kroatische Ausbildungs Brigade. Censor marks at the back, feldpost cancel  with markings 'at'  was used in Stockerau, Austria. This card was issued in Stockerau to Croatian soldiers stationed there. It is extremely rare. Text inside is usual greetings. The  card has anti Bolshevik amblem

"EUROPA POZNAJE BOLJŠEVIZAM I BORI SE PROTIV NJEGA DO KONAČNE POBJEDE"

" EUROPE KNOWS BOLSHEVISM AND FIGHTS AGAINST IT UNTIL THE FINAL VICTORY"

Today on 23.08.2025 , remains of 814 Croatian soldiers from WW2 were buried after being exhumed from a mass grave. They were executed in 1943 and 1945 , and  thrown in a cave Jazovka,  enterance to the cave was sealed and concealed only to be discovered in 1989.  In 1945 wounded soldiers from Zagreb hospitals were massacred there.

This massacre was commited by Communist partisans in 1943 and by Yugoslav Peoples Army in 1945 , until today former Bolsheviks and their heirs deny and still cover up the crimes they commited. 

7.1944 cover MINORS - GLAVNOSTOŽERNI URED to Zapovjedništvo VIII ustaškog stajaćeg zdruga

 17.07.1944 official cover mailed from MINORS - GLAVNOSTOŽERNI URED (Ministry of Defence Army HQ) in Zagreb to Zapovjedništvo VIII ustaškog stajaćeg zdruga (HQ of VIII ustaša active brigade) in Kostajnica. VIII ust.staj. zdrug was formed on 28.11.1943 as planned Ustaški krajiški dobrovoljački zdrug , but on 22.04.1944 was renamed in VIII ust.stajaći djelatni zdrug. Brigade HQ was in Kostajnica until the end of the war, it's unit were stationed in Banovina and Pounje with some displaced on Kordun and Lika. In September 1944 brigade had 4880 soldiers. On 01. December 1944 brigade become part of the 4.Croatian infantry division.

Letter was franked with official stamp 3,50 kn , canceled in Zagreb post Office.

12.1916 K.u.K feldpost card 'Kreiskommando Kragujevac' to Zagreb, Croatia

 02.12.1916 K.u.K feldpost card from 'Kreiskommando Kragujevac' in occupied Serbia to Zagreb, Croatia. Kreiskommando was kuk military command of an occupied city.  Trilingual feldpost printed card in Croatian, Hungarian and German was used. Card was mailed via K.u.K Etappenpostamt Kragujevac. 

What's  unique with this feldpost card is that it was mailed by a WOMAN ! This is the first card I have seen written by an Croatian woman serving with K.u.k army. She states her name Ljubica Hercezi  and she is "K.u.k Lehrerin in Kragujevac Krieskommando", while official purple cancel reads Ökonomieamt, hence she is a teacher working in a economic office of the K.u.K. command

Text is in Croatian, she sends greetings to a lady friend in Zagreb, and writes she had appendicitis, and maybe she will return home for a recovery.

6.1943- SS feldpost, postal card to Cernik Slavonia (7.SS Prinz Eugen)

 14.06.1943 feldpost card mailed  from a Croatian soldier to home in Cernik near  Nova Gradiška in Slavonia, Croatia. Card is written in Croatian, text is usual greetings, ordinary Croatian postal card was used, clear arrival cancel Cernik is from 12.07.1943. Soldier hasn't written his feldpost address and units cancel is illegible hence it is impossible to find out from which unit it was mailed. The only clue is a red censor cancel , SS-Gepruft used by the SS. The sole SS unit active in Croatia in June 1943 was 7.SS division Prinz Eugen and this card was almost certainly mailed from it, other SS units like 13. Handzar and SS police were still in formation then.

10.1943 official Domobranstvo letter, Hr.Mitrovica to Zagreb

 16.10.1943 official military registered letter from DOMOBRANSKO POPUNIDBENO ZAPOVJEDNIČTVO U HRVATSKOJ MITROVICI (Domobran recruitment command in Hrvatska Mitrovica) to Ministarstvo Oružanih Snaga - ured vojnog duhovničtva ( Ministry of defence forces - office of military ordinariate) in Zagreb. Interestingly letter was sealed  at the back with red wax seal, such Croatian feldpost letters are quite rare. Three different arrival cancels Zagreb 2 and Zagreb 4 are present. Letter was franked with official stamps totaling 12,50 kuna, letter charge was 3,50 kn and registration 9 kn.

4.1915 - SMS K.u.K Maria Theresia to Bakar Croatia.

 24.04.1915 postcard mailed from SMS Kaiserin und Königin Maria Theresia to Bakar in Croatian littoral. Only ships official cancel(Boardstempel) is present while text in Croatian is usual greetings. SMS Kaiserin und Königin Maria Theresia was armoured cruiser completed in 1895. In WW1 she was used as a harbor guard ship in Šibenik. In January 1917 ship was disarmed and used as a barracks ship for German U-boat crews in naval base Pula(Pola).

2.1944 - LXIX. Reservekorps to Vukovar, Croatia.

18.02.1944 cover mailed from Command of LXIX.(69) Reservekorps  Fp.57500 to Vukovar Croatia. The LXIX Reserve Corps was formed on 8 July 1943 and deployed in Croatia, it was part of the 2nd Panzer Army under Army Group F.  Corps units in June 1944 were 1st Cossack Cavalry Division and 373rd Croatian Infantry Division.  Cover has usual Feldpost, unit and censorship markings.

9.1942 parcel card to POSADNI SAT KNIN

 04.09.1942 parcel card for packet containing 5 books, mailed from ZAPOVJEDNIČTVO I. VOJNO-ZBORNOG PODRUČJA PETRINJA(Command of I.military-corps in PETRINJA) to POSADNI SAT KNIN (Garrison company KNIN). Official cancels from these units are on the front and on the back of the card. Postal cancels Petrinja 04.09.42 and arrival cancel Knin 17.09.42 are also present. Kninski POSADNI bataljun (Knin Garrison battalion) was formed in June 1941, it became 3. battalion of 15.Infantry Regiment in July 1941 and was stationed in Knin. Maybe 'Kninski posadni sat' was part of it, I couldn't find any data about this sat(company). 

6.1916 K.u.K 53.Inf. Regiment to Zagreb

 19.06.1915 KuK Feldpost card mailed from III. battalion 53.Infantry Regiment Dankl (an Croatian regiment) to Zagreb. Mailed via Fp.92 used by 15.Inf.Division, sender notes his Fp. number as Fp.44 - of 36.Inf.division. Hungarian Feldpost card was used , text is in Croatian. Present is units cancel 'KuK Div. park No.15, Haubitz Munitions kolone 2/1', from 15. Inf.Division. At that time  15.inf.div. and  part of 36.inf.div were part of Korps Czibulka of Amee Group Pflanzer-Baltin (7.ARMEE), hence  this Croatian soldier mailed card from nearest Feldpost office Fp.92 of 15.inf.div. Content is interesting soldier writes he was wounded in left hand index finger and is in a field hospital, as he is medical cadet he wonders weather he will return to the battle lines ( u rojnu prugu) or he might stay and serve with the field hospital.

6.1944 card from Polizei Freiwilligen Rgt. (Kroatien) to Samobor

 12.06.1944 Feldpost card from Fp.00691 - 'Regiments stab Polizei Freiwilligen Regiment (Kroatien)' (Rgt.3) to Ivan Sudnik in Samobor, Croatia. Nice unit, feldpost and green censor AS3 cancels. Text in German is inquiry about Fountain pen left for repair with watchmaker Ivan Sudnik and casual greetings.

Ivan (Ivica) Sudnik 1910-2002 was founder of local museum in Samobor, by profession he was watchmaker. He was at first a photographer later collector of old items and from his collection a Samobor museum was formed. He is still the only person named honorary Mayor of Samobor.

10.1943 - XVII ŽESTRA BOJNA

 12.10.1943 official letter from 2.Sat XVII. ŽESTRA BOJNA (2.company of 17.Railway protection battalion) stationed in Semizovac to Donja Stubica. Franked with a mix of Regular and Porto stamps canceled at Semizovac postal office, on the back is a round units cancel. HQ of XVII. ŽESTRA BOJNA was in Zenica, battalion had 5 rifle companies and was tasked with protection of railway from Brod N/S to Sarajevo. Semizovac is around 14km away from Sarajevo. Info about ŽESTRA units is very scarce, only data about XVII. ŽESTRA BOJNA is that in late 1944 it became part of 16. infantry brigade of  15.Croatian infantry division.

2.1917 Feldpost card from the Ottoman empire to Zagreb Croatia

 12.02.1917 feldpost card from Constantinople to an officer of K.u.K  23. Landwehrinfanterie regiment Zara, addressed to Zagreb Croatia, card was then rerouted to Fp.420. Card was mailed via German feldpost services in Ottoman empire. It was mailed by an Ottoman officer, text is a New Year greeting written in German. LIR-23 ZARA was then part of 5.Gebirgs Brigade and used Feldpost 420 of 58.Inf.division.

10.1943 Croat in Luftwaffe, Flugzeugführerschule A/B 123

 28.10.1943 postcard mailed from Croatian pilot in training from Flugzeugführerschule C 19 in Gleiwitz to his former instructor in Flugzeugführerschule A/B 123 (FFS A/B 123)  in Graz-Thalerhof airport.

Marked as feldpost, card was mailed via civilian post office Gleiwitz, text is in Croatian. Cadet writes that other Croats will arrive for further training in FFS C 19 but lessons haven't started because they are waiting for a translator to arrive.

FFS A/B 123 was first Luftwaffe pilot school formed in Croatia that trained German and Croatian pilots, Croat cadets formed a separate detachment and were trained by Croatian and German instructors. Receiver of this card Captain Pažameta was one of the Croatian instructors.

FFS A/B 123 was stationed on Borongaj airport, Zagreb from 10.05.1941 to 06.05.1943 when it  was transfered to Graz due to war conditions in Croatia. In this school many Croatian pilots were trained. 

FFS C 19 was located  13.9.41 - 26.6.44 in Ohlau with satellite airfields in  Woisselsdorf, Gleiwitz and Märzdorf. 

FFS A/B offered  basic pilot training

FFS C offered advanced pilot training  for multi-engine aircraft (bomber and reconnaissance airplanes)

Best book about Croatian airforce that also mentiones Captain Pažameta in FFS A/B 123 is

2.1944 - Croatian 'Flak' unit in Brod n/s to Osijek

 

17.02.1944 letter mailed from an pz. vodnik, 1. laka bitnica, 3.p.z skupina Brod n/s ( Antiaircraft(flak) Sergeant, 1.light battery of 3.anti-aircraft group(p.z skupina = flak abteilung) in Brod n/s, today Slavonski Brod).

  3.anti-aircraft group was formed in 1943 in Brod N/S. Each anti-aircraft group consisted of  three heavy and one light battery. 

In April 1944 heavy bombing of Brod n/s started, by the end of the war a greater part of the city was destroyed with 4000 tons of aircraft bombs.

Letter was correctly franked with 3,5kn stamp with 2 kuna war tax  paid. Arrival cancel Osijek is on the back side as well as red censor mark CENZURA Br.17 of Osijek censorship office. Letter content is present, text is usually greetings.

12.1916 - K.u.K 53.Inf.Rgt von Dankl to Zagreb

 22.12.1916 K.u.K feldpost card mailed to Zagreb by an officer, Major Edmund Von Mihalović (Feričanci, 1866. – Zagreb, 1950.), Mihalovićs were Slavonian nobility. Sender writes that he was transferred from 53.Inf.Regt von Dankl (mostly croatian) to 5.Inf.Rtg but still names Fp.44 as his address. Fp.44 was used by 36.Inf.Division, and 53.Inf.Rgt was part of it during the whole war. Feldpost cancel is unreadable probably Tabori Postahivatal 44. Text is written in German and interestingly a charity stamp for invalides, widows and orphans of 53.Inf Rgt Von Dankl was added.

3.1944 letter from 3.Staffel Kampf-Geschwader 40 in Norway to Croatia

 21.03.1944 feldpost letter from Fp. L30872 to Semlin, Kroatien (Zemun, Croatia). Fp.L30872  was used by Luftwaffe unit, 3.Staffel Kampf-Geschwader 40.  This unit moved to Trondheim - Vaernes airfield in Norway in 11.1943 with Focke-Wulf 200C airplanes. It stayed in Norway until 10.1944. This is a rare Wehrmacht feldpost from Norway to Croatia. Present are clear feldpost, unit and multiple censorship cancels. Written by and mailed to Croatian Volksdeutsche.

8.1943 letter to Zrakoplovna školska pukovnija in Petrovaradin

 24.08.1943 registered express letter mailed from Zagreb to a member of  "Đački sat zrakoplovne školske pukovnije" or student company of air force training regiment in Petrovaradin. This air force training regiment was formed in September 1941 , it was made of HQ and 2 battalions each with several companies. Regiment trained non flying  air force personnel, reserve officers, NCOs  and recruits. Also courses for active air force personnel were occasionally organised by regiment, such as aerial photography , mechanical and meteorological courses. In September 1944 larger part of regiment deserted with commanding officer to partisans and remains of the regiment were added to 1.pilotska škola Borovo(1.pilot school in Borovo).

1.1917 K.u.K Seeflugstation Sebenico to Knin, Croatia.

 01.01.1917 K.u.K Marinefeldpost, photocard mailed from K.u.K Seeflugstation Sebenico( Šibenik) to Knin in  Croatia. Red cancel reads K.u.K Küstenflugstation Sebenico. Card was mailed via civilian post office Šibenik, but in top right corner is hand written KuK Marinefeldpost and card was mailed free of charge.

03.1944 - 369.(Kroat.) Infanterie Division to Zagreb

20.03.1944 feldpost letter from Fp.13549 E  or  12.company, III.batallion, Grenadier Regiment 369. of 369.(Kroatische) Infanterie Division to Zagreb, Croatia. Soldier writes that he is stationed on the seaside and managed to obtain some sea salt and oil(olive) and he will send it to Zagreb. He notes that unlike in Bosnia there are no Bandits(Partisans) here, but air raids are far more common. 369.(Kroat.)division moved in 3.1944 from Bosnia to Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia with southernmost units stationed in Cavtat(south of Dubrovnik). As usual  feldpost and censor cancels are present on the cover and content.