BACKGROUND: Artwork, as a propaganda tool, was widely used during the Third Reich and Hitler’s own humble artistic background also helped foster a general interest in German art. Many art exhibitions were held through-out German during the time period with the largest being held annually, ever summer from 1937 to 1944, at the German House of Art in Munich. As early as 1938 the OKW, Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, (High Command of the Armed Forces), actively began recruiting artists who were assigned to a units Propaganda Company along with photographers and journalists. By the end of the war almost two hundred war artists had served in the Wehrmacht. One of the most prolific, and as a result one of the best known German war artists was Feldwebel Wolfgang Willrich. Willrich a WWI veteran, had volunteer for military service prior to the outbreak of WWII but had been rejected on the basis of his age, (42), and was assigned to Landwehr I as a trained reserve. Through his personal friendship with Erwin Rommel, Willrich was able to secure a position in the OKH visual arts section of the Propaganda department. In this position Willrich painted and drew numerous personalities and regular soldiers in all branches of service through-out the war. Many pieces of his artwork were featured on assorted series of postcards developed by the "VDA, "Volksbund für das Deutschtum im Ausland", (National League for Germans Abroad), among others. The VDA was originally a pre-war organization formed to assist German nationals living in foreign countries and during the Third Reich era the VDA was taken over by the NSDAP and placed under the jurisdiction of the SS. In mid-1942 the OKH decided to have portraits of all the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross holders and Willrich was assigned the task. Of Note: Born in Mannheim on August 5TH 1915 Wick joined the fledgling Luftwaffe in 1935 and by September 1938 he has already been promoted to the rank of Leutnant and on November 22ND 1939 he recorded his first aerial victory. By August 26TH 1940 Wick had been credited with twenty-two aerial victories which resulted in the award of the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross on August 27TH 1940. By October 5TH 1940 Wick’s score had risen to forty-one which resulted in him being the fourth recipient of the Oak-Leaves to his Knight’s Cross on October 6TH 1940. By November 28TH 1941,at the age of twenty-five, Wick has been promoted to the rank of Major, the youngest in all the German armed forces, and was credited with fifty-five aerial victories making him the highest scoring ace of the time. Later on the day of November 28TH 1941 Wick scored another aerial victory, (fifty-six), before being shot down over the English Channel by the English ace Flight Lieutenant John Dundas and his body was never recovered.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly, 5 3/4" x 4 1/8", light-weight card stock, sepia toned, artwork postcard features a close up profile of Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross holder, Major Helmut Wick wearing a visor cap and tunic with his Knight’s Cross and Oak-Leaves clearly visible. The lower foreground has Willrich’s unique "W" initial cypher. The reverse of the postcard has black printed Gothic script which includes, "Major Wick Kommodore eines Jagdgeschwader". (Major Wick Commander of a Fighter Wing). The reverse also has additional printed script that includes, "VDA Volksdeutsches Kameradschaftsopfer der deutschen Jugend Januar 1942", (Ethnic German Comradeship Offering of the German Youth January 1942). The postcard was produced by the VDA, as number eleven in the "E" series of fund raising postcards.