Militaria Plaza

'Der Kyffhäuserbund in den Vereinigten Staten von Nordamerika' (USA) Document Grouping from a member named 'F.Arthur Link' who was a member within the 'Kameradschaft: Detroit, MICH'. Inculding many period documents. The grouping includes his 'Technische Nothilfe' (TeNo) Member Card (Ausweiskarte) with member number #60, he became a member in the 'Ortsgruppe Eisenach' on 6 October 1922, at that time still living in Germany. According to his travel pass (Reisepass) he paid one Dollar to the American Consular Service in Leipzig on 15 May 1923 for the Alien's Declaration. On 20 June 1923 he sailed to the Unites States, port of departure was Rotterdam, and the ship was the 'Nieuw Amsterdam', he arrived in Ellis Island, New York. He moved to Detroit, Michigan. There he became a member of the "Stahlhelm" (Bund der Frontsoldaten) within the USA, he became a member on 21 March 1928 in Chicago. He was the only member in Detroit and on 18 May 1928 he welcomed Ehrenfried Günther Freiherr von Hünefeld and Hermann Köhl who were the cross the atlantic from East to West. 

After Charles Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic from West to East in May 1927, the idea of flying in the opposite direction, which is more difficult because of the prevailing winds, became more and more popular. In 1927 Hünefeld bought two Junkers W33 aircraft from the Junkers company in Dessau, naming them after the two Norddeutscher Lloyd flagships SS Bremen and SS Europa. His plans were supported by Hugo Junkers and Hermann Köhl, a World War I pilot and head of the Deutsche Luft Hansa Nightflight Branch. After some test flights, and breaking the record for flight duration, Hünefeld and Köhl flew to Baldonnel, Ireland, where they met James C. Fitzmaurice, the Irish Air Corps Commandant of the Baldonnel Airodrome. On 12 April 1928 these three left Baldonnel in the "Bremen" (W33 aircraft) and crossed the Atlantic Ocean, landing at Greenly Island at the south coast of Labrador, Canada. Even though they failed to reach their original goal, New York City, they were the first to cross the Atlantic from Europe to America. By a special act of the Congress of the United States on 2 May 1928, Hünefeld and his two companions were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

On August 1928 Arthur started plans to create a branch in Detroit called the 'Ortsgruppe Detroit'. On 8 September 1928 the 'Ortsgruppe Detroit des Stahlhelm, B.d.F.' was officially instituted, Arthur was officially appointed as founder of this department by the judge of the Gau New York and this was noted in his membership booklet. On 22 October 1934 he was awarded with the 'Stahlhelm-Diensteintrittsabzeichen ("Alte-Garde-Abzeichen")' Ausland No.12-1928. On 5 Mach 1939 he as a founder led the transformation and affiliation with the 'Kyffhäuser-Bund in Amerika'. Detroit was now called 'Kyffhäuser-Kameradschaft Detroit'.

During his membership period he was an active member for the organisation. For example he took part in the organisation and was the propaganda-leader of the first Stahlhelm day in America (Erster Stahlhelmtag in Amerika), held in Detroit from 30 August to 1 September 1930. From 15 March 1931 to 10 January 1932 he was the first 'Ortsgruppenführer' (Local Leader). He was the propaganda-leader of the Gauamt Nord-Amerika in Detroit. From 5 January 1936 to 10 January 1939 he was the 'Adjutant' from the 'Kreisamt Michigan'. From 1 August 1937 to 31 October 1938 he was active in the organisation and again propaganda-leader for the "Deutscher Soldatentag in Detroit", this was the 10 year anniversary of the 'Ortsgruppe Detroit'. 

A list of all events he took part in is pasted in his membership booklet. He took part in multiple events in Chicago, Detroit, Rochester N.Y.,, Toledo Ohio, Bay City Michigan, Kitchener (Ontario, Canada), and from 4 to 6 August 1932 he was sent to Germany by the 'Gauführer' to report to the Stahlhelm-Bundesaemtern in Magdeburg and Berlin about the developments in the USA. The original menu of the last dinner on board of the ship on his way back to the USA is included in the grouping, this was a dinner on 30 August 1932 on board of the 'St. Louis' from the Hamburg-Amerika Linie.

After the war he worked at the company 'A.J.Schuster Electric Co.' in Warren, Michigan. He retired on 28 November 1980. The leaflet of his retirement party is included as well. This is an extremely rare and historically interesting original document grouping, only a few documents of these organisation int he USA survived!