An Interesting Farewell Card To Colonel Of The Luftwaffe From Officers

Despermann, Ln. Abt. 138, 4 pp., foldable, 23.1 x 30.5 cm; Date of item: 1942; Extremely fine.

A farewell card for lieutenant colonel Despermann, the commander of the Ln. Abt. 138 (Luftnachrichten-Abteilung = air signal corps), serving as a memento. Apparently he is either being retired or relocated. It is signed by the officers and officials of his corps. Several names are decipherable, for example Westphal, Oblt. (lieutenant colonel), Kanz, Lt., Hofmann, Lt., Müller, Lt., Stabsarzt (staff surgeon) Dr. Kindt. The Luftnachrichten-Abteilung 138 was formed in April of 1942 in Smolensk, Poland. It was stationed in Russia from April of 1942 until the end of the war in May 1945. The card is very artistic, featuring a drawing on the first page of a signpost that is holding two standards. On top of the signpost sits a bird in the colours of the Reich. The sign shows a picture of an oak leaf with two acorns. Next to it is the letter R that probably stands for Russia (Rußland), and a pennant with a Luftwaffe eagle-and-swastika. The first standard shows the letters F and (smaller) V with an arrow underneath. The F might stand for France (Frankreich). The second standard shows a bolt of lightning on its side and again the letter V. This might indicate the Poland campaign, known as Blitzkrieg (lightning war). On the inside there’s a picture of a small wooden house, which might point towards retirement rather than relocation and a new command. On the back the dates 1939/1942 can be found on top of the same oak leaf and acorn picture from the signpost. Underneath is a list of countries, probably those that Despermann has fought in: Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Russia (with a small swastika underneath). Three pictures come with the card. They look like photos of drawings from books. The first one shows a pilot sitting on a plane with the date of 1941 on the wing, flying over the pyramids in the desert of Egypt, waving. The sphynx and a soldier on his horse look up at him in disbelief. The other side features three signatures and a few words of gratitude, all dated to June 1941. The second picture shows the drawing of the Poland campaign. It reads: Dem 2. Einsatz mit der Panzergruppe 1 entgegen … (Towards the 2nd deployment with the Panzer Division 1). The third picture is another drawing of the Poland campaign, reading: Kriegsbeginn 22. Juni, 0300 Uhr (Beginning of the war June 22nd, 3 a.m.).