LAGER POST

During WW II, Polish Prisoners mailed cards and letters from POW camps and Concentration Camps.  There were strict limitations on this mail, including censorship and the number of cards or letters that were permitted to be sent.

OFLAG  =OFFIZIERS-LAGER (Officer's Camp)    
STALAG =  STAMMLAGER (MANNSCHAFTS-LAGER Mainly enlisted men)
KONZENTRATIONSLAGER (Concentration Camp)


Auschwitz envelope, from a Polish military prisoner to his wife.  12 pf. stamp has been removed on this example.  Two reasons are offered for why so many of these covers do not have stamps.  The first is that censors removed them to look for hidden messages.  The other reason is a hatred of Hitler, whose portrait appeard on the stamp.  The stamps were said to have been mutilated or destroyed by some people.  Not all prisoners were Jewish.  Many Poles and persons of other nationalities went to and died at Concentration Camps.  Note that the prisoner had to provide a stamp.  Numerous regulations and restrictions are listed on the envelope.  Prisoners were limited as to how many letters they could send per month and how long each letter could be.
 


OFLAG II-D Gross-Born POW postcard.  Short letter written on reverse, reviewed by camp censor 10.  Sent to Neu Sandec, the German name for Nowy Sacz.  POW's did not have to provide a stamp for such cards.   The content of the card was limited to what could fit on the lines provided.


LOCAL CAMP POST
In some camps (II C Woldenberg, II D Gross-Born, II E Neubrandenburg and VII A Murnau) prisoners made stamps and postcards for use inside the camp, using them  like local postage.  These stamps were made using tools and materials that were available.  The stamps were often printed using dies carved of wood or linoleum.  The limited availability of paper forced the prisoners to be creative.  Some stamps were even made using cigarette paper.  Stamps were usually issued to commemorate persons or events.   Later in the War, the prisoners obtained proper materials to make stamps.  Forgeries exist.


Woldenberg Oboz OFLAG II-C 1944 "Olympic" issue.  Shown with regular cancellation.  Some stamps were cancelled with corresponding special occasion postmarks, therefor used stamps take on a whole new collecting aspect.


WOLDENBERG II C
1942
April 5.  Easter, 6 stamps, Widows (10 f. in 5 colours) and Postillion (20 f.)
May 7.    Re-issue of previous set.
May 4 - June 15.  150th anniversary of the Order Virtuti Militari.  6 stamps (3 stamps, 2 colours each).
June 18.  Souvenir sheet 150th anniversary of the Order of Virtuti Militari.
October 1.  Madonna series.  3 stamps.
November 8.  Souvenir sheet Madonna.
November 28- January 1, 1943.  "Torch" series.  3 stamps.
1943
January 22.  Souvenir sheet.  80th anniversary of the January 1863 uprising.
February 10.  23 years of access to the Baltic Sea.  1 stamp.
May 10.  400th anniversary of the death of Kopernicus.  3 stamps.
May 24.  Souvenir sheet.  400th anniversary of the death of Kopernicus.
July 1 - March 18 1944.  Famous Hetmen.  9 stamps (5 designs, 4 issued in 2 colours).
July 15.  General Sikorski.  1 stamp.
September 25.  Battle of Warsaw (Mermaid).  1 stamp.
November 11.  25th anniversary of Independence.  1 stamp (Pilsudski).
December 8.  Polish YMCA.  1 stamp.
December 27.  Wielkopolski uprising.  1 stamp (Paderewski).
1944
January 27 - May 22.  5 f. 1 stamp.
April 1.  Kosciuszko uprising.  1 stamp.
May 3.  3rd of May/Eagle.  1 stamp.
June 19.  President Raczkiewicz.  1 stamp.
June 20.  Sea celebration.  1 stamp.
August 13.  Olympic year.  1 stamp.
August 20.  Eastern territory week.  3 stamps.
September 28.  80th anniversary of the Geneva Convention.  1 stamp.
October 10.  500th anniversary of the Battle of Varna.  1 stamp and 1 souvenir sheet.
September 18 - November 1.  Axe and Oak set.  4 stamps.
1945
January 24.  1942 issue overprinted in red.  1 stamp.
Official stamp
April 1, 1945.  Posthorn, 1 stamp.
Postage Dues
November 11, 1942 - November 1 1943.  4 stamps (2 stamps in 2 colours each).
August 22, 1944.  2 stamps.
Postcards
May 5, 1942.  Widows.
June 18, 1942.  Virtuti Militari.
October 1 - November 8, 1942.  Madonna. (2 cards)
December 12, 1942.  Aviator.
February 2, 1942.  Eagle.

CAMP II D GROSS-BORN
1943
December 11.  Dove.  1 stamp.
December 11.  Cannon.  1 stamp.
1944
January 29 and February 3.  January 1863 uprising.  2 stamps.
May 5.  Overprinted Neubrandenburg edition (OBOZ II D).  4 stamps.
June 22.  Sea celebration.  3 stamps.
July 5.  Souvenir sheet.  Death of General Sikorski.
July 30.  Olympic Year.  3 stamps.
August 2.  Mountain festival.  1 stamp.
August 6.  Souvenir sheet.  Legion March.
August 12.  Souvenir sheet.  Neubrandenburg.
August 13.  Souvenir sheet.  Sea celebration.
August 14.  Souvenir sheet.  Olympiad.
August 15.  Husarz.  1 stamp and 1 Souvenir sheet.
September 1.  Souvenir sheet.  Battle of Warsaw.
September 4.  Cities' coats of Arms.  5 stamps.
November 3.  Cieszyn.  1 stamp.
November 3.  Pulaski and Kosciuszko.  2 stamps.
November 11.  Anniversary of regaining Independence.  1 stamp.
December 14.  Gorniczo-Hutnicza Academy, Warsaw.  1 stamp.
December 19.  Artillery.  1 stamp.
December 27.  Wielkopolski uprising.  1 stamp.
December 31.  Souvenir sheet,  500th anniversary of the battle of Varna.
1945
January 11.  Red Territory Week.  1 stamp.
January 28.  500th anniversary of the battle of Varna.  1 stamp.
Postage due
January 28, 1945.  1 stamp.
Labels
January 21-28, 1944.  Fox, 2 labels.
Postcards
December 3-11, 1943.  Artillery (2 issues).
December 11, 1943-January 19, 1944.  Dove.  (4 issues).
December 18, 1943-March 24, 1944.  5 cards.
December 18, 1943.  Christmas issue (4 issues)
January 18-May 8, 1944.  January uprising (3 issues).
April 9, 1944.  Overprint issue.
May 10, 1944.  Overprinted "OBOZ II D".
May 17, 1944.  Widows.
June 22, 1944.  Sea celebrations.
July 30, 1944.  Olympic year.
October 1, 1944.  Warsaw coat of arms.
October 4, 1944.  Cities' coats of arms. (5 issues).
December 4, 1944.  Artillery.
December 23, 1944.  Christmas cards.  (3 issues)
January 20, 1945.  Library correspondence card. (2 types).
January 9, 1945.  Red Territories day.

CAMP II E NEUBRANDENBURG
1944
January 22.  Chapel.  1 stamp.
February 2.  Reading room.  1 stamp.
February 5-March 21.  Various drawings.  4 stamps.  (also overprinted for use at Gross-Born).
February 9.  Recovery of access to the Baltic Sea.  1 stamp.
March 8.  Caritas.  1 stamp.
Envelopes
February 2, 1944.  Chapel.
Postcards
January 22, 1944.  Gryphon.
February 7 and April 22, 1944.  Caritas.
February 22 - March 6.  Warsaw Mermaid.
Other postcards with various other stamps exist.

CAMP VII A MURNAU
1942
November 6.  Camp grounds.  1 stamp.
November 12-17.  Wire.  2 stamps.
November 19-20.  Post horn.  2 stamps.
December 14.  Fishing exhibition.  1 stamp.
December 16.  Chapel.  1 stamp.
1943
April 15.  Mountains.  1 stamp.
November 3.  Widows.  1 stamp.
November 29.  Canteen.  1 stamp.
December 10.  Horse chase.  1 stamp.
1944
March 12.  Prison Bars.  1 stamp.
August 12.  Church.  1 stamp.
November 20.  Anniversary of the November uprising.  1 stamp.
November 22.  Music festival.  1 stamp.
1945
March 3.  White Eagle.  1 stamp.
Postage due
December 30, 1944.  Roosters.  1 stamp.
Postcards
November 11, 1942.  Camp grounds.  2 issues.
December 23, 1942.  Wire.  3 issues.
December 23, 1942.  Post horn.  6 issues (2 variants of 3 types).
December 24, 1942.  Fishing exhibition.  2 issues.
April 15, 1943.  Tryptyk.  Easter.  2 issues.
April 15, 1943.  Mountains.  1 issue.
November 29, 1943.  Canteen.  2 issues.
March 12, 1944.  Easter.  3 issues.

If you have any questions about Camp Stamps, please ask Roman: RSobus9013@cs.com

Page with Camp postal items  http://www.schoolsoftware.com/newpage11.htm

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