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: On May 10TH 1940, Feldwebel Aprke participated in the successful glider borne assault on the Albert Canal Bridge as a member of, Sturmgruppe Stahl, (Storm Group Steel), which was a component of Fallschirm Jäger Sturmabteilung Koch, (Paratroop Storm Unit Koch). As a result of this daring assault, Arpke was awarded the Iron Cross 2ND and 1ST classes on May 12TH 1940 and the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross on May 13TH 1940. Arpke later participated in the air assault on Crete and the invasion of Russia where he was killed in battle near Jekowlewka on January 16TH 1942.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly, 10cm x 15cm, mid-weight card stock, full color artwork postcard features a close up of Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross holder, Feldwebel Helmut Arpke wearing a camouflaged Paratrooper helmet and early pattern, mottled, green jump smock, clutching a MP40 with a grenade bag slung about his neck in the foreground with the tactical emblem of a falling comet of the Sturm regiment in the background. The background also has Willrich’s distinctive "W" cypher interspersed with the date, "1940". The reverse of the postcard has black printed Gothic script which includes, "Feldwebel Arpke der mit seinem Stoßtrupp wichtige Brücken für den weiteren deutschen Vormarsch sicherte", (Feldwebel Arpke who with his shock troops secured the important Bridges for the expanding German advance).