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.

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.

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.

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)

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).

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.

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.

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.

7.1943 Domobranska središnja škola to Bitterfeld, Reich

 05.07.1943 registered expres letter from a member of 5.sat Dom(obranska) sred(išnja) škola in Varaždin to Lager Maria in Bitterfield in the Reich. Domobranska središnja škola(Army central school) trained reserve officers. Lager Maria held foreign workers recipient of this letter was probably one of them.

Letter has nice postal manipulation cancels: Varaždin postal cancels, Lager Maria arrival cancel and German censorship label with cancels. 

Total 23kuna postage was paid: letter to Germany 4 kuna, Registration 9 kuna and Express delivery 10 kuna.

8.1943 letter from Dubrovnik to 2.Lovačka brigada(Jager brigade)

 18.08.1943 letter from Dubrovnik to an Pharmacist a member of Medical company of 2. Jager brigade(2.Lovačka brigada) in Bosanska Krupa. In early 1943,  2. and 4. Jager brigades(Lovačka Brigada) were formed,  in August 1943 they were reformed and renamed to 2. and 4. Lovački Zdrug, meaning stayed the same - Jager brigade. In February 1943,  2.Jager brigade(2.Lovačka brigada) was formed under German 714. Infantry division, stationed in Bosanska Krupa and used for anti-partisan warfare .

 Letter was franked with a stamp valued 3,5+1,5 kn from Croatian Legion Charity issue, this issue had mandatory use from 16.07 to 31.08.1943. This stamp pictures soldiers of 369.Croatian Infantry Regiment fighting at the Stalingrad front.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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). 

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.

2.1944 - 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.

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).

10.1942 official Army(Domobranstvo) letter from Osijek to Vinkovci

 20.10.1942 official military cover sent from "DOMOBRANSKI POVJERENIK u I. Osječkom mlinu na valjke"  or "Army representative in 1. Osijek roller mill" to "Posadno obskrbno skladište" Vinkovci or "Garisson supply depot" in Vinkovci. Cancels on the cover are : Official purple cancel, letter was franked with official stamp of 3 kuna value canceled in Osijek , on the back is arrival cancel Vinkovci 21.10.42.

1.Osijek steam roller mill produced flour from various grains.