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Free Corps 1919-1923 (Germany)

Freikorps

Introduction
The Kapp Putsch 1920
Ehrhardt Brigade 1919-1920
Freikorps Roßbach 1919-1923
Freikorps Roßbach other flag

See also:

Introduction

Several militias (free corps) were created by German military officers to fight against communists. These corps used flags of their own that were destroyed in World War Two. But some of them were preserved:

Corps against Poles in Upper Silesia: White flag with white bordered yellow maltese cross;
Hamburg Corps: Red flag with white castle of Hamburg but above flag a black pennant (meaning the Frison pirates);
Rossbach Corps: Black flag with two silver diagonal stripes and a silver 'R' in centre;
Unidentified corps: light blue flag with white-bordered yellow Maltese cross;
Bermondt's Iron Division:

black flag with white skull; and
black flag with white circle in centre containing a second red circle a bit smaller, and white skull within the red circle.

Jaume Ollé, 22 Jan 2001

Rossbach Corps, correct name is Freikorps Roßbach
Ehrhardt Brigade, correct name is 2. Marine-Brigade Ehrhardt
Bermondt's Iron Division, correct name is Eiserne Division (but it was commanded by Major Josef Bischoff)
Freikorps info that might be of interest can be found here.
Marcus Wendel, 14 Oct 2006

The Kapp Putsch 1920

On March 13, 1920, a monarchist group led by a minor official named Wolfgang Kapp, General von Lüttwitz and Captain Ehrhardt, seized Berlin, declared Kapp Chancellor and Lüttwitz commander. They were defeated by a general strike of the workers and government officials after four days. The Kapp putsch used the 1903-1918 Imperial ensign as their flag (not the 1919-1921 ensign).
Norman Martin, 1998

Ehrhardt Brigade 1919-1920

The 2nd Marine Brigade commanded by Lt Cdr (usually referred to as Kapitän) Ehrhardt [the Brigade Ehrhardt] flew the Imperial Kriegsflagge in their parades and over the castle which served as their headquarters and subsequently as their flag during the Kapp putsch which they spearheaded (of some 20 pictures of Kapp troops I have seen, 19 show the imperial Reichskriegsflagge, one the black-white-red tricolor).
Norman Martin, 4 May 2001

Freikorps Roßbach 1919-1923

image by Jarig Bakker, 11 Mar 2008, based on this link, sent by Marcus Wendel, 11 Mar 2008

I'm curious about the Roßbach flag illustrated, what is the source of that image/information? In the information and photos I've seen of their flag it was in black with a large capital R (larger than the one on your illustration and not anything like that font, more basic font such as Arial) and the two lines are horisontal, one going through the upper part of the R and the other the lower part of the R.
I can send you a scan of a photo of the flag if you are interested.
Marcus Wendel, 14 Oct 2006

Freikorps Roßbach other flag

image by Jaume Ollé, 22 Jan 2001

Rossbach Corps: Black flag with two silver diagonal stripes and a silver 'R' in centre.
Jaume Ollé, 22 Jan 2001

The source for Jaume's image is probably an article in "Banderas", [gfo00]: Juan Gual Fournier (2000) Los cuerpos francos alemanes. in: Banderas iss. 77 (2000), p. 31-33.

The description and drawing in this article corresponds very well with Jaume's drawing. It is so much different from the flag described by Marcus Wendel, that I would suggest it is a different flag that actually existed; maybe a second flag of Freikorps Roßbach or perhaps of a different unit.
Marcus E.V. Schmöger, 11 Mar 2008