Archduke Joseph Front

For a long time, Archduke Joseph was the commander of one of the corps defending Doberdó, the VII. Corps. His corps stood its ground gloriously on one of the most endangered sections of the Italian front. In 1917, he was entrusted with the command of the Transylvanian Front, which he also handled with excellent skill with the limited forces at his disposal.

This badge was made for the troops of the Transylvanian Front. This front line was marked with the name of the highly esteemed and respected commander. The badge was made in two versions with an inscription in Hungarian and German, but its motif was the same. The German script made the badge understandable for the German troops serving in Transylvania too.

In the photo shown in the post, three humorous officers of the 40th Division pose in “full combat gear” in the summer of 1917. They wear the “fokos” divisional badge on their caps. One of them has the front section badge on his “entente belt”. The image comes from Fortepan material.