by Zeljko Heimer (based on a photo from the Croatian History Museum)
Last modified: 2003-08-21 by dov gutterman
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This is a cavalry guidon of Croatian domobran
("home-defenders") comapany. The reverse show in the
pannel the Hungarian corwn sitting on a red cussion. The flag was
supposedly originally red, but the colour seems faded away.
Zeljko Heimer , 16 March 2000
by Zeljko Heimer (based
on a photo from the Croatian
History Museum)
by Zeljko Heimer (based
on a photo from the
Croatian History Museum)
From Croatian History
Museum site by courtesy of Jelena Borosak Marijanovic:
Flag of the 369th Infantry Regiment of the Independent
State of Croatia:
Silk rep, multicoloured relief silk embroidery and gold
embroidery, accessories, wood
85 x 120 cm; length of staff 230 cm
Rectangular flag, the obverse in the colours of the Croatian
tricolour, the reverse in golden-white silk. Obverse: a Croatian
tricolour edged with a silver border with small red, white and
blue triangular flames. The centre of the field holds the state
coat of arms. Above the coat of arms, in the red field, the
inscription reads: STO BOG DA, while the inscription in the blue
field reads: I SRECA JUNACKA. The top corner near the staff holds
the number of the regiment: 369. Reverse: the centre of the field
holds the monogram AP (Ante Pavelic) embroidered in dark red. The
embroidered inscription around the monogram reads: ZA POGLAVNIKA
I ZA DOM. The flagstaff is simple, and the finial has not been
preserved.
Bigger images at <jagor.srce.hr/hpm/m013600v.jpg>
and <m013601v.jpg>.
J. Borosak-Marijanovic, Zastave kroz stoljeca, Zagreb,
1996, page 128, 129.
What seems odd to me is the high number assigned--somehow I
doubt that there were 368 other regiments in the FSC army. It may
be that the regiment was actually carried on the German
establishment as a volunteer formation. It wouldn't have been at
all unusual four such a unit to have a distinctive
"national" color, even if its troops did wear German
uniform.
Tom Gregg, 30 September 1999
Possibly, but both of us are guessing... However, there might
be that the practice was (as it is today in Croatia, BTW) that
each "type" of units would have similar numbers, and
not necesserily all numbers be filled. Comparing with today
(imagining numbers for I do not know them exactly), and armoured
battalion would be (say) 671th through 679th, while there'd be no
other units with numbers of 600 through 700.
Zeljko Heimer, 4 October 1999
I checked "Axis Forces in Yugoslavia 1941-5" , and
together with "Flags of the Third Reich; 2: Waffen-SS"
(Brian L. Davis, (Men-at-arms series, no. 274), Osprey
Publishing, 1994.) it has the answer I think.
From the first source I quote from the chapter
"Germany" (note that "Croatia" about the
Croatian Army and the Ustasha Army is another chapter!):
"Unwilling to divert front-line units from Russia to
Yugoslavia, the German high Command explored local sources of
manpower. In August 1942, the 369th Infantry Division, the
'Devils Division', was established as a Legionary Division with
Croatian troops under a german cadre. It had two infantry
regiments (369 and 370), an artillery regiment (369), anti-tank,
reconnaissance, engineer and signal battalions. 369
Infantry Regiment and 1st Battalion, 369 Artillery Regiment,
formed earlier 1941, served as the Croatian Legion in Russia. It
was replaced in the Division by the 969 Infantry Regiment and 969
Artillery Battalion. These unites adopted their predecessors'
numbers when the Croatian Legion was destroyed at Stalingrad in
December 1942. In January 1943 a second Legionary Division, the
373 'Tiger Division', was formed."
From the second source I quote (just the relevant parts not in
the first source):
"Of the three Croat infantry divisions raised by the Germans
- the 369th ('Devils Division' - Vrazja Divizija), the 373rd
('Tiger Division' - Tigar Divizija) and the 392nd ('Blue
Division' - Plava Divizija, not to be confued with the Spanish
'Blue Division') - only the 369th played any significant role in
these vicious anti-partisan operations. The 'Devils Division'
received their special Colour during a ceremony held in Croatia
on 16 May 1944."
Conclusion: it wasn't the 369th Infantry Regiment of the
Independent State of Croatia, but of the German Waffen-SS. I
think this makes more sense, although I know nothing about the
structure of the Waffen-SS or any other armies.
Mark Sensen, 5 October 1999
The only additional comment I'd add is that the 369th ID
wasn't on the "Waffen-SS" establishment.It was, rather,
as its number indicates, on the German Army establishment.
Tom Gregg, 5 October 1999
The inscription on the flag are (obverse) "By the Grace
of God and the Deeds of Heros," and (reverse) "For the
leader and Fatherland."
The 369 Inf.Rgt. , like the 369, 373, and 392nd were indeed
German formations with Croatian troops and was not Croatian Army
(Domobran) or Waffen-SS. The Regiment was formed soon after the
order to do so was given on July 2, 1941 as an all volunteer
force which was sent to the Eastern Front as part of the 100th
Mountain Division, where it was destroyed at Stalingrad. The flag
in question may have been awarded to the unit in July 1941,
although I have seen no photographic evidence of the flag when
the unit was reviewed by "Poglavnik" (Leader) Ante
Paveli in Zagreb or by Croatian Field Marshal Slavko Kvaternik
that Fall. The exact flag in the photograph may have been issued
or reissued to the "second" 369 Rgt. (Grenadier
Regiment) which was the "tradition bearer" of the first
unit and which had "first" 369 Inf.Rgt. soldiers who,
usually wounded, had been evacuated before it was destroyed at
Stalingrad.
The "second" 369 Gren.Rgt. was formed in September 1942
and trained in Dollersheim (now Austria) under the command of
Oberst (Col) Fritz Neidholt (Brigadier as of October 1, 1942).
The 369 Gren.Rgt. became the foundation of the 369 Infantry
Division formed on December 18, 1942, which was followed by the
373rd and 392nd Inf.Div.s, all with Croatian troops and German,
as well as some Croatian officers. In addition to the 369
Gren.Rgt. , within the 369 Inf.Div., were found the 370 Gren.Rgt.
; the 369 Recon Section 369 Art. R.; 369 Armored-Ranger Section;
369 Engineer Bn.; the 369 Communications Section; and the 369
Field Reserve Bn. Any or all may have had some form of this flag.
The official 369 Inf. Div. flag was not presented until May 16,
1944. It had the same "AP" reverse as the flag
pictured. I have never seen the obverse.
Most of the information above is from F. Schraml's
"Kriegsschauplatz Kroatien" (Neckargem?nd, Germany:
Kurt Vowinckel Verlag, 1962) the definitive history of the three
divisions with an excellent picture of the 369th flag on parade
(p. 48A) being held by its commander, Oberst Fischer in German
uniform with Croatian sleeve insignia. This photo was taken in
late 1942 and the flag may well be a reproduction of the first
which, if it went to Stalingrad, could not have come back. Since
the flag only has the number "369" and no notation of
"Inf." or "Gren." whether this is the
original or not is unknown.
Michael McAdams, 4 July 2000
In the catalogue of the exhibition of flags held in 1996, it
is indeed stated that the flag in question is made only in 1943,
after the new regulations on unit flags was issed on 4-MAY-1943
and new flags were authorized (granted) by Poglavnik.
I have not seen the regulations (but it should be available
published in the official gazette of 1943), and I do not know how
much different that flag is from flags previously granted. It may
even possibly be that the flag was given to the unit in 1944.
The note in the description of the flag in the catalogue
mentiones that the enchanced 369 Infantry Regiment was formed in
the beginning of July 1941 with headquarters in Karlovac.
I am reffering to 369 Inf. Reg. for "369. pjesacka
pukovnija" in Croatian, being the only unit name mentioned
in this context I encountered. I am not sure what would
"grenadier regiment" equivalent be in Croatian, not
infantry division (unless be it "pjesacka divizija",
that I have not encountered with either).
Zeljko Heimer, 5 July 2000
The flag of the little-known Italian Legion, which drove
trucks on the Eastern Front was the standard red-white-blue with
25 field chessboard, bordered in gold in the center. Above the
shield, in the red was the ancient crown of the Croatian Kingdom
(Crown of King Zvonimir), since Italy appointed its own
"king" of Croatia. The crown is unique with a rounded
shape and "sideburns" more like a Roman helmet. To left
and right of the shield are fasces, blades out, and the motto
"Bog i Hrvati" ("God and the Croats"). The
entire flag was bordered with red, white, and blue triangles like
the 369 flag and the Poglavnik's flag. The reverse had the
letter "U" for "Ustasha" (Revolutionary)
Party surrounded by braid of three strands. It also had the
fasces and an inscription starting with "Za D om
Spremni" (For the Homeland Ready). Attached to the top of
the flag was a streamer, color unknown
Michael McAdams, 4 July 2000
"Lako Prevozni Zdrug" means Light Transportation
Company, though I'm not sure the company is the right translation
for that unit level (I'm not familiar with Croatian military
terminology of WWII).
Zeljko Heimer, 5 July 2000
from Croatian History Museum
site by courtesy of Jelena Borosak Marijanovic
From Croatian History
Museum site by courtesy of Jelena Borosak Marijanovic:
Flag of the Imperial Royal Hungaro-Croatian Home Guard Regiment
with streamer made after 1868
White silk, multicoloured silk embroidery, wood, brass,
embroidery;
128 x 136 cm, length of staff 299 cm
Rectangular flag with a border of alternating triangles in the
colours of the Croatian tricolour. Obverse: in the centre of the
field the coat of arms of the Hungarian crown lands surmounted by
the Crown of St Stephen; the coat of arms is held by two angels.
Reverse: in the centre of the field the embroidered initials of
the ruler FJ I (Francis Joseph I), surmounted by the Hungarian
crown. The flagstaff ends with a finial decorated on one side
with the Hungarian coat of arms, and on the other by the initials
of Francis Joseph I. The year 1874 is engraved on the staff. The
flag belonged to the 84th Bjelovar Regiment. [Bigger images at
<jagor.srce.hr/hpm/m013200v.jpg>
and <m013201v.jpg>].
Streamer
Blue silk, tassels, gilt metal tassels, silk embroidery, gold
embroidery length of bands: a) 120 cm, b) 160 cm; width 20 cm
Streamer with two bands in the centre, fashioned into a loop with
a rosette and a bought cord with tassels for tying it to the
staff. The inscriptions on the bands: Ljudevita Grofica Jankovic
Montbel with family coats of arms on the end of the band; Bog,
Kralj i Dom!; Sreca i pobjeda; Belovarskoj 84. domobranskoj ceti
with the coat of arms of the town of Bjelovar.
J. Borosak-Marijanovic, Zastave kroz stoljeca, Zagreb,
1996, page 127.
from Croatian History Museum
site by courtesy of Jelena Borosak Marijanovic
Standard of the Military Border Hussar Troop of the Karlovac
Regiment Austrian (Hapsburg) lands 1746-1749
Yellow silk damask, braids, flat stitch embroidery with silk and
silver metal thread, fluted wood, silvered finial
55 x 88 cm, staff length 299 cm
Double-edged cavalry standard richly embroidered and edged with
fringes. Obverse: in the centre of the field, richly decorated
with floral motifs, is the embroidered Austrian dynastic coat of
arms. Reverse: the field holds an embroidered medallion in the
Baroque manner, depicting a set of Roman military trophies. The
flagstaff, fluted like a tournament lance, ends in a finial,
which has on one side the incised coat of arms of the Prince of
Sachsen Hildburgshausen, and on the other the figure of St John
Nepomucene. The standard was donated by the parish office of
Slunj.
Bigger images at <jagor.srce.hr/hpm/m012600v.jpg>
and <m012601v.jpg>.
J. Borosak-Marijanovic, Zastave kroz stoljeca, Zagreb,
1996, catalogue number 52, page 121
Recently it was reported to me about a flag of the Croatia
International Brigades (in spanish "Brigadas Internacionales
de Croacia"), led by a Spanish named Rosa Flores. According
to an interview with Flores, who command the forces that defend
Osijek, in first line, after the fall of Vukovar. My
correspondant qualified Brigades of fascist people (but also
serbians qualified fascist).
The flag is yellow-ochre (golden) with a larger black emblem in
center. The emblem is unknown
Jaume Olle', 24 September 1999
