5.1944 cover from Osijek to Croatian 'Flak' unit in Brod n/S

 08.05.1944. letter mailed from Osijek to a member of Dojavni vod, 3.p.z skupina in  Brod na Savi ( Signal Platoon, 3.anti-aircraft group(p.z skupina = flak abteilung). Adressed to recipient as Protuzrakoplovac - Anti-aircraft man.

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

Letter was correctly franked with 3,5kn stamp with 2 kuna war tax  paid. Purple censor mark CENZURA *79* BROD n/S  is on the front of the cover, back has no signs of postal manipulation. Letter content is absent.

3.1916 K.u.K Marinefeldpost SMS Leopard to Croatia

 

25.03.1916 K.u.K Marinefeldpost, a postcard of Pola mailed from SMS Leopard to Rasinja near Koprivnica in Croatia. Marinefeldpostamt Pola cancel in black and SMS Leopard cancel in purple are present. This type of ships cancel was used from 10.1914 -  8.1916.   Text in Croatian is casual greetings. 

Cruiser SMS Leopard was build in 1885 in a shipyard in Newcastle, UK.  It served as Pola harbour defence ship during the Great war and had a crew of 198 men.

02.1944 Kroat.Ausbidungs brigade to Zagreb, chemical censorship

 05.02.1944 feldpost letter to Zagreb from Fp.57364 B  used by 9.company, III.batallion of Kroatische Ausbildungs Brigade based in Hollabrun,Austria. Feldpost and censors cancels are present, at the back is visible line of chemical censorship. Cover only without content.

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. After 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 fate of the cadets is mostly unknown, probably most of the boys 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 murdered 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.

2.1943 parcel card to 13.pj.pukovnija in Sarajevo

 6.02.1943 parcel card for a packet sent from Bjelovar to an 'domobran' serving in 16.sat 13. Pješačka pukovnija (16 company 13.infantry regiment) in Sarajevo. Arrival cancel at the back. In mid 1943 13.inf.regiment bacame 13.'jager' regiment od 4.'jager' brigade(4.lovački zdrug)

11.1916 37.Landwehr Infanterie Regiment to Bol, Brač

 04.11.1916. KuK feldpost card from1.battalion  37.Landwehr Infanterie Regiment Gravosa to Bol on island Brač in Dalmatia . Mailed via K.u.K Fp. 420 used by 58.Infantry division. The division was mostly manned by Croats from Dalmatia, formed in 1915 it spent the war on the Italian front fighting in all the Isonzo Battles.

2.1945 card to Polizei Freiwilligen Regiment 5 (Kroat.)

 15.02.1945 cover sent from Bad Salzungen in the Reich to Fp.27880 D - II.battalion, 7.Kompanie, Polizei Freiwilligen Regiment 5 (Kroat.) and cancelled there. Then the card was rerouted to Fp.24083 - Regimentsstab, Polizei Freiwilligen Regiment 5 (Kroat.). Very late use in mid-February 1945.

5.1942 - card to Osnutak Doknadne bojne 14 P.P. in Varaždin

 12.05.1942 postal card mailed from Zagreb to a member of Osnutak Doknadne bojne 14 P.P.(pješačke pukovnije/14. infantry regiment) in Varaždin. Osnutak Doknadne bojne (Foundation of Replacement battalion) was a small administrative unit tasked with maintaining records for active and reserve personnel of a regiment. These units with 11 officers and soldiers were formed on 16.04.1942 in ongoing military reform. Osnutak Doknadne bojne 14. pješačke pukovnije was formed from Varaždinska doknadna bojna (Varaždin replacement battalion).

1917 KuK Marinefeldpost, SMS Saida to SMS Chamäleon

 01.08.1917 K.u.K  Marineldpost card mailed from SMS Saida to SMS Chamäleon. Text is written in Croatian; personal mail between two KuK ships in Croatian is extremely rare. The date is noted in the text, and there is no visible postal cancel on the card.

SMS Saida was a scout cruiser with a crew of 340 officers and men. She was commissioned on 01.08.1914 and had a displacement of 3,500 tons.

SMS Chamäleon was a minelayer ship; its complement was 154 men with a displacement of 1,000 tons; the ship was commissioned on 01.12.1914.

3.1943 - letter, Kroat.Ersatz Rgt.369 to Reich

 11.03.1943 letter from Kroat.Ersatz Rgt.369, 4.kompanie to Aulendorf / Württemberg Kreis Ravensburg, in Germany. The sender is probably an instructor in the Croatian Replacement Regiment based in Stockerau, as noted on the back of the cover. Nice units cancel on the front; there are no visible censor marks on the cover or on the content. The text is in German. This is a very late use of this cancel, as cancels with Fp.number 41700 were already in use.  On 20.04.1943, the Kroatische Ausbildungs Brigade was formed from the regiment.

11.1942 Oružnička postaja Vilić Selo to Požega

 14.11.1942 front cover only of official letter from Oružnička postaja Vilić Selo (Gendarmerie station in Vilić Selo)  to Državno odvjetništvo in Požega (State attorney's office in Požega). Due to a lack of official stamps 4 regular stamps of 0,25 kuna value were used to add to 3 kuna which was rate for a letter. Official cancel  'Oružnička postaja' at the top left is clearly visible. Vilić Selo is a small village in Požega area, its postal cancels from WW2 are rare.

DEAR READERS OF THIS BLOG, I WILL NOT BE POSTING NEW CONTENT ON THE BLOG UNTIL THE END OF MAY 2026.

12.1916 card from SM.Boot 100M to Parenzo - Poreč

 06.12.1916 feldpost card mailed from S.M.BOOT 100M to Parenzo - Poreč in Istria, Croatia. The card has a  ship cancel in red and a cancel in black from SMS Monarch, which acted as a collecting point for Marine Feldpost in the Bay of Kotor (Cattaro).

SM Boot 100M was a torpedo boat commissioned by the KuK Navy on 15.03.1916 with a crew of 3 officers and 38 men. The ship survived the war and was awarded to Greece. It served in the Hellenic Navy under the name Kydoniai from 1920 to 1941. It was sunk by the Luftwaffe on 26.04.1941 during the German invasion of Greece.

10.1943 - 373.(Kroat.) Inf.Division "Tigar" to Generalski Stol

 13.10.1943 letter mailed from Fp.03007 A or Stab of Aufklarungs-Abteilung 373 of 373. (Kroatische) Infanterie-Division -"Tigar" to Generalski Stol in Croatia. Sender is dr.Dokmanović member of 373. division, text is in Croatian. He writes that he is stationed in some remote position with Četniks roaming in the surrounding area, that food supply is inadequate, but he treats local population and gets from them milk, sometimes cheese and eggs. He notes that mail written to him is highly censored and as an officer he finds that repulsive! Transit cancel Duga Resa is on the back of the cover, censor marks are applied on the cover and on the text. 

08.1942 ŽESTRA DOBOJ document

 03.08.1942 an interesting document from 3.sat, Željeznička stražarska bojna Doboj (Railway protection battalion Doboj)  also named here as Željeznička stražarska sat Maglaj (Railway protection company Maglaj). Though this is not feldpost I'm posting this as documents from Railway protection battalions are very rare.

12.1916 KuK feldpost card from Landsturm-Bataillon 152 to Zagreb

 21.12.1916 Kuk feldpost card mailed from Landsturm-Bataillon 152 to Zagreb, Croatia, via Fp.76  used by 187. Landsturm Inf.Brigade on the Italian front. Text is in Croatian a soldier sends Christmas greetings to his neighbours. At that time 187 Inf.Brigade was part of 92. Inf.Division serving on the Italian front in the Carinthian sector.  K.u.K Landsturm-Bataillon 152 is described in books as an ethnic German unit, but I have seen a few cards mailed by Croats from the battalion to Croatia. 

5.1944 letter to Truppenübungsplatz Slavonski Brod

 22.05.1944 letter with contents from Kamenica na Dunavu to a sergeant serving with Fp.43370 B or Truppenübungsplatz Kommandantur Slavonski Brod. Usual German censorship marks are on the front and on the back of the cover, and typical German censorship marks are also on the contents paper.

Truppenübungsplatz Slavonski Brod was formed by the Wehrmacht in April-May 1943 (Military training ground Sl.Brod or Četno vježbalište Brod in Croatian). It was located in Vučjak, 14 km south of Brod na Savi. Its main purpose was to train NCOs (Unteroffizire, Dočasnici) for Jager Brigades (Lovački Zdrugovi) of Domobranstvo. Domobran units included in the Truppen Ubungsplatz formation were Školska bojna Brod (Lehrbatallion Brod) with HQ company, 2 rifle companies, an MG company, and one artillery company with a total of 700 recruits to be trained for NCOs.  One battery of field howitzers was formed from 3.bitnica VIII. topnički sklop(3.battery of VIII artillery battalion). A half-battery of mountain guns was formed from gorski vod of VII.topnički sklop(mountain battery of VII artillery battalion). Pioneer Company was formed from 2.satnija II.opkoparska bojna (2.company of 2.pioneer battalion). A military court was also formed on the Truppenübungsplatz. On April 1st, 1943, Major General Gustav Suschnig was appointed as the first commander of training grounds only to be relieved from this position in August 1943 due to lack of suitability.

2.1943 Oružnička postaja Sl.Brod to Zagreb

 22.02.1943 official letter from Oružnička postaja(Gendarmerie station) Sl.Brod to Redarstvena oblast za grad Zagreb(Police district of Zagreb city) Due to a lack of official stamps a Porto stamp of 0,50 kuna  was used to add to 3,50 kuna which was rate for a letter. Official cancel of Oružnička postaja at the top left is barely visible. Arrival cancel Zagreb 23.02.1943 is on the back of the cover. 

Although official name of the city in NDH was Brod na Savi , postal cancel and Oružnička postaja cancel both have name Slavonski Brod in them.

 Oružništvo was Gendarmerie force in NDH, at its peak in 1943 it had 18 000 members that manned 987 stations located throughout the country.

02.1918 K.u.K Sappeurbataillon No.34 to Osijek

02.02.1918 K.u.K feldpost card sent from 1.kompanie of Sappeurbataillon.34 to Osijek in Slavonija. Mailed via Fp.642 used by 34.Inf. division on eastern front. Sappeurbat.34 was formed in January 1918 from old Sappeurbat.13 that was based in Osijek.

12.1942 - 369.Infantry (Kroat.) divison to Koprivnica

 15.12.1942 christmas card mailed from Fp.31151 D or 6.Batterie Artillerie Regiment 369. , 369.Infantry (Kroat.) divison or Teufels(Devils)division to Koprivnica in Croatia. Nice units cancel is present, at this time division was still in formation and training in Austria. Feldpost cancel (Tarnstempel) has marks ad, this cancel was used in Dollersheim. For some reason card was refused by feldpost and marked Zuruck-unzulassig( return-invalid). 

12.1942. parcel card to XVIII. Ustaška bojna

 19.12.1942 parcel card from Kutina to an Ustaša, a member of 2.sat 18.bojna(2.company of 18.battalion) lacated in Bosanska Gradiška, content of parcel was food and its weight was 5kg. Total postal charge was 21 kuna paid in Kutina with a mix of one regular and one porto stamp. Parcel arrived in Bosanska Gradiška on 21.12 another porto 2kn was  charged the next day. Purple units cancel: 41. sat - Ustaške pukovnije (41.company of Ustasa regiment) probably is an older cancel.

18.Ustaška bojna was stationed in Bosanska Gradiška from March 1942 until February 1943. On August 1942 it had HQ company and 3 rifle comapanies, with manpower of 4 officers, 21 NCO and 355 soldiers.

4.1917 K.u.K Marinefeldpost from S.M.B 14

 4.1917 K.u.K Marinefeldpost mailed from S.M.B 14 in Dubrovnik to Jelsa on island Hvar, Croatia. Photograph of a Dubrovnik was used as a card, mailed from civilian post office Gruž/Gravosa nowdays main sea port of Dubrovnik. Ships cancel: K.u.K Kriegsmarine  S.M.B 14 is in red (S.M.B - Seiner Majestät Boot- His majesty boat). Date in postal cancel is barely visible but text in Croatian has an Easter greeting.  Easter in 1917 was on Sunday 08.04.1917. As SMB 14 was towing an damaged seaplane to Kumbor in Boka Kotorska from 01-03.04.1917 this card is probably from that period.

3.1943 - 7.SS division Prinz Eugen to Berlin

 12.03.1943 feldpost card mailed from Fp.44516 A used by  Stab, Pionier Bataillon SS-Freiwilligen Gebirgs Division 'Prinz Eugen' to Berlin. Division at the time was fighting in the late stages of operation(fall) Weiss 2, advancing from western Bosnia to Mostar area in Herzegovina.