Below is a card sent by a Czech “resettled worker” (I.e. Nazi slave) to his old home in Moravia on 5 Oct 1941 from where he is working in Croatia. This was translated for me by someone who says it speaks in coded language of being worked long hours with no days off.
More of the joys of Springtime for Hitler...
It took the Nazi authorities one month to get this card from Croatia to the German puppet state of Moravia, only a few hundred miles away.
Below, items sent on the English Channel Islands which were occupied by the Germans in June 1940 and held throughout the war. The stamps used were issued by the occupying Germans.
- 5 October 1942, Guernsey
- 5 October 1943, Jersey
- 5 October 1944, Jersey
Anybody out there have October 5 1940 or 1941 Jersey or Guernsey covers????
These are great summaries, Sheryll! Thank you for preparing them!
I'll pick up on 1942.
By way of background, Japan issued its first semi-postals in 1937. According to the Scott catalog, they were issued for the "Patriotic Aviation Fund to build civil airports." I don't know enough about this time period to know if there was an unstated military intention for the airports down the road.
The next semi-postals were issued in 1942. Sheryll noted above that the fall of Singapore was 15 February 1942. One day later, on 16 February, Japan issued these 2 overprints to commemorate their victory:
The overprint down the left-hand side reads "kanraku", meaning "fall" or "surrender." The overprint down the right-hand side is the phonetic ("katakana") reading for Singapore. (Scott does not mention the purpose for the surtax.)
Later on that year, on 8 December 1942, Japan issued these semi-postals to commemorate the 1-year anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. (Remember that on Japan's side of the International Date Line the bombing was on December 8th.) According to Scott, the surtax was for national defense. These were the last semi-postals Japan would issue until after the war, in 1947, during the Occupation.
They are perhaps the most troubling stamps I have in my Japan collection.
Some of the "bantams" issued for the war effort in South Africa. Made small to save paper!
WORLD WAR II
This card was sent and postmarked 5 October 1942 from British Army HQ in Cairo Egypt shortly before the second battle of El Alamein, at the height of the fear that the Germans would succeed in seizing the Suez Canal.
Was this lieutenant in that battle? If so, did he survive?
Couple of censored covers from Peru to a "drop box address" River PLate House in London. During the 2nd World War there were many South Americans who volunteered for the British Forces!
WORLD WAR II
This cover below was sent free and postmarked 5 October 1943 from US APO 7 which at the time was listed as located at Kwajalein, an atoll in the Pacific that had not yet been taken. The battle began in January.
The sender, Bob Fisk, ws a corporal. Did he survive Kwajalein?
Peter (greenwave4u)—
The sender of your 1943 cover was at APO 914: Canton Island, a mid-Pacific atoll Allied bombers used during World War II. It is now part of the Republic of Kiribati.
The sender of your 1945 cover was at APO 920, a bomber group based ai several locales in Australia, the last of which is hard to read in my APO directory (taken from microfilm). Looks like BIRK ISLAND, can’t read the country.
WORLD WAR II
Postcard, sent from Burma to Korea by a Japanese soldier 5 October 1943. The indicia on the card is a Japanese occupation issue , a dove on a helmet meant to symbolize that, since Japan has conquered Burma, the war is now over!
WORLD WAR II
After WW 2 Eastern Europe was devastated. Most of the destruction in the ETO (as well as by far the greatest loss of life) occurred in the east. Little known fact—fourteen out of every fifteen Wehrmacht soldiers who died in the war died fighting the Russians.
We were never taught this in American schools because it was the Cold War and the USSR was never painted in a positive light. We were taught that the D-Day landings resulted in the end of the war in Europe. We were left to guess what Russia’s contribution to the war was, and most pupils never bothered.
Anyway, in the utter post-war chaos many Jews fled Europe for Palestine, including the writer of this postcard sent to family already there saying they were coming too. Written in what looks like Polish It was mailed from some Russian-occupied area, probably Poland itself.
This is what I've got that might add to the discussion. Glad to see all of the participation. Was pleased to have the opportunity to go to Chicagopex this weekend!
Have a happy Thanksgiving all!
Rob
