Saturday, 30 August 2025

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.

Saturday, 23 August 2025

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. 

Sunday, 17 August 2025

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.

Saturday, 2 August 2025

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.