Polish Forces in Exile During and Following World War II

Polish Forces in Exile During and Following World War II (Text Content)

This web page, published by the Military Postal History Society, contains the text content of the single frame Polish Forces in Exile During and Following World War II . This exhibit was created by, and is the property of the late Al Kugel, and is being supplied by his heirs as a courtesy to the Military Postal History Society.

Introduction Text

The Second World War began with the German invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939. When Germany did not withdraw as demanded, Britain and France declared war on the 3rd. The Soviet Union then invaded Poland from the east on the 17th, with resistance ending three weeks later. Those Polish troops that could escaped through neutral Hungary, Romania and the Balkans, many of whom made their way to France where they could continue the fight. When France was overrun by the Germans in mid-1940, some of the Poles went into internment in Switzerland, but others fled to Britain. There, they were trained, re-equipped and made ready for the eventual invasion of the Continent in 1944, where they served in France (again) and in the occupation of Germany. The exhibit is shown in chronological order of the opening of the Polish fieldpost service in the various areas, starting with France and Britain, then the Soviet Union and Iran, and ending with the Central Mediterranean Force and Italy.

To view the exhibit page images, see: web page containing links to the image content of the exhibit frames, including PDF files.

Updated 7/17/2023

Text Content of Exhibit

Polish Forces in Exile During and Following World War II

Following the German invasion of the U.S.S.R. a second group of fighting Poles was formed in September 1941 from the POWs that had been held in the Soviet Union since 1939. However, Stalin did not trust a large number of armed Poles running loose in the country, so he arranged that they be sent to Iran where they could serve under the British as a part of the Central Mediterranean Force. As a result, Polish forces ended up in Egypt, Iran, Iraq and the Levant at various times from 1942 to 1944. Many of the men in this group eventually were sent to Italy, where they fought alongside the Americans and British in 1944 and 1945. Some decided not to return to then Communist-ruled Poland and remained in camps in Italy during 1946 and into 1947.

Polish fieldpost services were created for the troops in various locations, although much of the mail (i.e. surface first class letters and cards) were free of postage. However, special services such as airmail and registration required payment of postage and were generally franked with American or British stamps. In addition, special stamps were issued in France, Britain, the Soviet Union and the camps in Italy. Those for France and the U.S.S.R. were used only for very short periods and are highly elusive. Stamps for the Polish Navy in Exile in Britain are easily available, although commercially used covers are much less common that philatelically-influenced ones.

Special adhesive issued for the Polish exile forces in the Soviet Union. Inscribed “Polish Posts in U.S.S.R.” this stamp was only used for four days before the troops departed for Iran. This example on piece was used on the first day of issue, 18 August 1942, and sent via Kuibishev, where the Russian government had moved during the German attack on Moscow. The stamp is cancelled at Yangi Jul, Uzbekistan, which was the Polish headquarters during the exile period in the Soviet Union. Only 3,017 copies of the stamp were printed, of which 263 were sold, with less than 50 examples actually used and even fewer having survived.

The exhibit is shown in chronological order of the opening of the Polish fieldpost service in the various areas, starting with France and Britain, then the Soviet Union and Iran, and ending with the Central Mediterranean Force and Italy.

FRANCE

On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland from the west and, on the 17th the Soviet Union invaded from the east. The Polish forces were quickly overwhelmed and Warsaw fell on the 27th, with the final resistance ending on October 6. A government in exile was quickly established in Angiers, France and began to recruit soldiers from among the Polish citizens living in France. Some 103,000 of these Poles were deemed capable of bearing arms, and 82,000 were conscripted or volunteered for the exile army by June 1940. Few of these men had any military experience, so a large training program was initiated at camps set up throughout France, and most of the mail seen from this period originated from the camps during the spring of 1940. Coetquidan 20 November 1939 15 March 1940 Be OL Ps Ieot a ( a os ee Fos se ) ue = oa eee g 13 AC/e © MA FRANCHISE a ie ag! & oe _MILITAIRES - Aus | we (eee ‘ Hace der Ny leuides F hl beg hac, ‘Envoi de ae ee CRegeou Corps... = = Set. Post, 2% Patriotic postcards sent by Polish troops from Coetquidan, which was an administrative center. The upper card, imprinted with a Polish eagle, is a very early example of this mail; it was distinctly overpaid at 1£80 for posting to a Polish organization in London. Lower example depicts the British, French and Polish flags and has the unit cachet of the “Polish Army/Commandant of the Coetquidan Camp.” It was free of postage. FRANCE Administrative Mail The Poles did not have their own military postal service in France, so mail was marked “FM. (Franchise Militaire)” to denote that it was to be handled postage free and then deposited in the nearest civil post office. eee Paris a 13 March 1940 17 Anil 1940 # PA ge des | TEA TUL ES 3 perce ES bts | Karb/ ofaaN FR & aE NRO SARS rr — MTT. por o Ge f ’ RMaA7IC HEXE GiRS SOUS ae at thes ul wy tae wd awa CEM ANN AE PAMEAE EO nel amaic ft x A te ie ? iu rae EJ ies bee uo dd ee RZECZPOSPOLITA POLSKA 4 ee MINISTERSTWO SPRAW WOJSKOWYCH ee Ae PLGH. ar REPUBLIQUE DE POLOGNE ae, Y MINISTERE DES AFFAIRES MILITAIRES -/ at SOP car¢e ——— / ee BD, ? el , Upper cover has the cachet of the Commandant of the Polish Army in Paris; docketed for receipt on 4 April on the reverse. Lower cover has the imprinted return address of the Polish Ministry of Military Affairs in Paris and was sent to the Training Center of the Polish Army in Serignan, where it was received on April 18. FRANCE Administrative Mail Angers 1 April 1940 RZECZPOSPOLITA POLSKA MINISTERST YO OPIEKI SPOLECZNES REPUBLIQUE DE POLOGNE MINISTERE DE L’ ASSISTANCE SOCIALE 831, RUE MIRABEAU ANGERS (MAINE-&LOIRE) & Ministére des Affaires Militaires Hotel Régina os at ton rs aie &, Place des Pyramides PARIS Ter ‘Pere tee ees cost gee awe Ping AOE BLE HER one OM aa ATE | ~ M.BOGANDWIEZ This cover was sent between departments of the Polish Government in Exile. It went from the Ministry of Social Assistance in Angers to the Ministry of Military Affairs in Paris. Such mail was not exempt from postage, so adhesives were affixed to pay the 1 franc letter rate. FRANCE Polish Government -- Inbound Mail Chartrettes 1940 Monsieur le PRESIDEN? du CONSEIL des MINISTRES du GOUVERNEMENT POLONAIS, Hétel REGINA, 2, Plaee des PYRAMIDES, 2 PARiS. Inbound cover sent by an architectural firm to the President of the Council of Ministers of the Polish Government in Paris. A very unusual usage to a high official of the Government in Exile. FRANCE Stamps for the Polish General Headquarters The Polish authorities were desirous of printing their own stamps for use within France. However, this was impractical under the existing circumstances. However, permission was obtained from the Ministry of Posts in Paris to perforate French stamps with “W P (Wojsko Polskie/Polish Army).” A supply of stamps was then purchased from a nearby post office and a perforating machine obtained. The record indicates that a total of 8,580 stamps were perforated (Philatelic Magazine August 29, 1941) consisting of 25 different types, which were then used on mail from the General Headquarters from 3 May to 10 June 1940, when the office closed due to the approach of the Germans. The unsold stamps and perforating machine were evacuated from the office but later jettisoned in the Bay of Biscay due to overloading of ships carrying personnel to England. 7 “ay . q rere ined) ‘(Ea fi ] VD er Fond 2 REPUBLIQUE tans Shown above are the 17 definitive stamps that were perforated “W P” for this purpose. The quantities produced range from 2,800 of the 50 cent. Peace design down to 100 each of five of the denominations. The used copies shown were all cancelled to order on the first day, 3 May 1940. FRANCE Stamps for the Polish General Headquarters ORS 0 ~ ore 2 uf In addition to the definitives, eight commemorative and semi-postal stamps were perforated “W P” and used for postage. These were produced in very limited quantities, with 100 pieces each of the Maid of Languedoc and Bridge at Lyon, 75 pieces each of the Soldiers and F ield Marshals, and only 40 each of the Red Cross and Military Engineers. It has been estimated that the number saved in unused condition was between 23 and 30 copies of each, but only four of the Red Cross stamp. The used ‘copies shown were all cancelled to order on the first day, 3 May 1940. FRANCE Stamps for the Polish General Headquarters Although the “W P” perfin stamps were theoretically available for use on mail of the Polish authorities for 38 days, obtaining examples of such use is a very difficult effort. Essentially all of the (few) covers with these stamps that have been seen by exhibitor bear the 3 May 1940 postmark, but appear to be “handbacks” that were presented at the postal counter then cancelled and given back to the person presenting them, rather than something actually sent through the mail. In fact, the only example of legitimate mail that appears to have actually processed and forwarded to the addressee in the normal course seen by the exhibitor is the wrapper shown above. It is franked with three of the “W P” perfins and sent between Polish Exile offices in Paris. The postmark appears to be | dated 18 May 1940. FRANCE Army Unit Mail a MVUALE*T2 (oto 0U) Am TOA wn UNVYsuma—— ARMEFE POLONAISE Sov RHA TIAN Corre p3 Wnnirrds ve pA Loudeac 3 April 1940 Lucon 10 March 1940 fA we CO Ce A A a > a LEA 4 Additional covers from Officers Training Centers, these being sent from Loudeac and Lucon. Lower cover has additional bilingual circular cachet depicting a Polish eagle in the center. FRANCE Army Unit Mail Chateaubriant ~eet 8 May 1940 Aneet> PO QuAIae Fontenay le Comte CENTRE AN EXE 0 RUCT ON D'OFFICIERS 24 May 1940 FONTESAY-LE-COMTE QSRODEK WYSEKOLENA OFC ICEROW W. FONTENAY-LE- CONTE oe a ofa RL pt Mh MM he fu WA —- J log ML CU fa Gyros W J ne AN Ee BERE 4. oS Coit Cantatl = me 6 SIN E ést véhdue * 6 Gentimes idans-tous les} ——= Bureaux de Poste - ee a senelelll Cl est recommandé d’écrire trés lisiblement) These examples sent from Officers Training Centers in Chateaubriant and Fontenay le Comte, respectively. Bilingual French/Polish unit cachets were applied. FRANCE Army Unit Mail Angers 12 March 1940 CENTRUT \ SZROLENI \ SAPEROW- #M. Bressuire 22 April 1940 Gentre d’ Inst: ‘ion du Génie Polonais ANGER a (t tats, s94EF AS, Ce nee ae ea ee ED. ; ee L. dz. Mevap ho - alt << oh 12 : a te " eps ’ ee - €-5 “ET- ASY ate Yt ee - “Ey. an S, fee oe tear neaniee wane "ip eX TERESSUIR a a Fly SEN EG! 1c STACI Ul ON : — c [P80N GHATE EYRS ESES eging f, : : * Teale wrest 7 f; we ad. a 7 ; : me A. Upper cover bears the cachet of the Instruction Center of the Polish Engineers at Angers. Below, the cover was sent from the Staging Area of the Polish Army at Bressuire. “ee FRANCE Army Unit Mail Armee Polonaise Poste aux Armees 2 April 1940 Wi a —— Voy Le TInt 7 A ofre, “YS Vy Piet Avedeefaro a] e ee te eR Upper cover has no postal markings, hence undated. However, it was sent to Paris by a member of the 2nd Infantry Regiment. Once units were activated for service at the front, the mail was processed by the French fieldpost system with a “Mail from the Army” postmark. However, such items are rarely seen due to the impending German invasion of France. This cover sent from z a Polish anti-aircraft training unit located at the time at St. Nazaire. FRANCE Army Unit Mail Niort a 1 April 1940 20 April 1940 FM. Ministerstwe “praw iejskewych Kenisja Gespedareza Paris 2,Place des Pyranides Be De ae SM. cone RD MI i nl berorses cose ee 2 CREO ees . a oe i in oa ; i So of oe w cc oe, PE i. Monsieur le Ministre des Affaires Militaires be de Pologne Hotel Régina Rue de Rivoli Fh ie S The upper cover is one of the more unusual uses, with the cachet of the Autonomous Company at Niort. The men recruited for this unit had been Polish volunteers on the Republican side during the Spanish Civil War. When the Nationalist forces won, the volunteers crossed the border into France, where they were interned and subsequently released in order to serve in the Polish Army in Exile. Lower cover sent from the Chief of Medicine at the Hospital in Niort. FRANCE Army Unit Mail Parthenay 17 April 1940 9 May 1940 2S, te : a a , % ) -: : Poe : c 2 a tpn 8 ‘ » a | Ct BP ee aoe fg tPF eee bp Yi} a f 1s ; Bim & & wy 4 bee: ye, taste Gta = . “0 syet, gy Ors Zs inco P p ard a . ae SE LBC (beg AMO UL ARMEE Pagrus Centre f ; KOMENDBA ‘ 7 UF -FLNIEN W PARTHEN Civ ce Official covers with cachets of the Conscription Center and Reserve Center at Parthenay. Upper example was sent registered, which is highly unusual for mail from the Polish units, although no additional postage was charged for this service. FRANCE Army Unit Mail Sables d’Or 8 April 1940 Ste. Cecile les Vigues 28 February 1940 “C21 4 C7 ay Je ee Upper cover from Ste. Gecitis has an anneal cachet of the 1st Tank Battalion. There was another Officers Training Center at Sables d’Or, which also used a red cachet. FRANCE Army Unit Mail Thenezay 7 8 April 1940 ~ Thouars | Poteenezay | ae 084 ARMEE POLONAISE CENTRE ANNEXE D'INSTRUCTION D'OFFIGIERS THOUARS QSRODEK WYSZKOLENIA OFICEROW w THOUERS ae : Si : JS . Mad bie 4 al Jeo Mlptosre of Folegne Sie olen Poramcbhe Upper cover sent registered from the Command Center of the 2nd Regiment of Light Artillery at Thenezay. Lower example sent from the Officers Training Center at Thouars. FRANCE Army Unit Mail een 7 13 March 1940 Versailles 3 . . — 3 May 1940 ie ve ute EM. HO "O16 pee : f LS Oy oe Se LeGZe Lod we Kweat/ 40 2 PO tae fit 1 i ttm are BS @LLeLYes Mot bel ves Atrivées =... 4h... min. Signature du Destinataire : Ahethisessi000. b bepy- SAORGIT EL Sree Ug 2erb, CHOSE SOIL Boyeiece Ip, & 9 & oe Se © *,2. «6 x diltee LES Deedee G@Es Sete Ghd ee oo < LIES) Dp NA eM ES LY eS Lienvalogipe 681 rendué au porteur. : ee % So G ee eee Ge © Upper registered cover from the Polish Officers Training Center at Val Andre. In this case the cachet is a standard type for the French Army with symbol of France in the center and no inscription in Polish. Below is a card sent from the Signal Corps Training Camp at Versailles. FRANCE Polish Red Cross Mail CROIX-ROUz eee 2, RUE EULER - PARIS“(8°) —' COMMIT Ee, : ce = “81, 22-04 ET 79 OQ nomen, a, Paris 25 April 1940 Toulouse 14 November 1940 HO6tel Regina fy ides POLSKI CZERWONY KRZYZ WE FRANCJI DELEGAT DO SPRAW OPIEKI NAD 8. KOMBATANTAMI OKR. TULUSKI : TOULOUSE : : CROIX ROUGE POLONAISE EN FRANCE 21. RUE D'ORLEANS DELEGUE POUR L’ASSISTANCE AUX ANCIENS COMBA Si TELEPHONE 210-65 CIRCONSCRIPTION DE TOULOUSE aX : ATT T oo cere att Oo Ot Bat Sad mts At KD Ne. Ros It is said that the Red Cross follows the troops and, for the Polish Army in Exile, this was clearly the case. Upper cover sent from the Red Cross office in Paris to the Ministry of Military Affairs. Lower cover sent from Toulouse to Geneva after the armistice, presumably inquiring about Polish POWs. FRANCE Polish Red Cross Mail Vichy 25 April 1941 La Tronche 12 December 1942 a ae Ue eC Ronee oe Ae eS . : £ : 4 - aS : eS é ee a G e n é Ve & = 4 G ‘ = é = a 7 . — Bo 14.996/e. ~~ Groapement d’Ascistance 2nx Polonais en France | _» >. BURESY BE RECHERCHES _ Pe — Vine « BELL ES -L PEs a m LA TRONCHE, prés ‘Grenoble (Isare) "eo Even after the armistice between France and Germany, the Polish Red Cross remained active in humanitarian services, attempting to trace Polish citizens caught in the fighting. These covers sent from Polish offices located in Vichy (unoccupied) France to the International Red Cross in Geneva. FRANCE Polish Organizations Marseille 30 March 1940 Carvin 14 May 1940 7 Comité International OFFICE POLONAIS A MARSEILLE — hi ee de le Croix Rouge BIURO POLSKIE W MARSYL | oe Agence Centrale des Prisonniers a, Place Félix Baret de Gyerre Tél, D. 48-64 Nee BOL r/Si aes née ve . Oalais du Conseil General seo Stow. Hez. i B. Wojskowyeh Rzplitej Polskiej we Franeji (EERO LS LE RBMDE CLALL, . eee CAB AG PEERS EGIL BERG A pe Kee TECORD ‘ Association des Anciens Combattants Polonais om SimesS Rue St. Jacques, 44 — DOUAI (Nord). — Tel. 1354. eo = ry NO z des Have tub bin 2 Desc | : ) Pace de ep race i Various Polish agencies operated in France prior to the armis Association of Former Polish Combatants to the Minister cover from the Polish Bureau in Marseille to the Internation tice. The upper registered cover was sent by the of Polish Military Affairs in Paris. Below is a al Red Cross in Geneva dealing the POWs. FRANCE Polish Organizations Paris 21 December 1945 Cover sent in the early postwar period from the Central Union of the Poles in France to the Polish American Congress in Washington. Adhesives paid the Trans-Atlantic airmail rate of 18 francs in effect at that time. FRANCE Polish Participation in the French Forces of the Interior ca. 1944 Mystery hand delivered cover with endorsement of the Military Commandant of the French Forces of the Interior (partisan resistance fighters). On the reverse is the cachet of the First Polish Battalion. This usage not seen previously by exhibitor. GREAT BRITAIN Some of the Polish soldiers in France were taken as POWs by the Germans, some crossed the border and were interned in Switzerland and some were evacuated by sea to Britain in July 1940. In contrast to the situation in France, the Poles were permitted to establish their own fieldpost operations in Britain. The first military postal markings appeared as receiving marks on inbound mail starting in September 1940 but were used to cancel the required British postage on outgoing mail from the fall of 1941. In general, mail from the troops in Britain did not have regimental cachets as in France. Initially, the Polish military postal service was established in Glasgow, Scotland, but it was transferred to Perth at the end of 1940. Biuro Pocztowe/1 Korpsu 28 January 1941 Ly WARK | The first Polish fieldpost marking was a double oval inscribed “Postal Bureau/1 Corps,” which is recorded as being used from September 1940. This example is used as a receiving mark on an inbound letter to the Polish postal box at the GPO in Perth. GREAT BRITAIN 1.Korpus Wojsk Polskich 17 December 1941 5 January 1942 GLASGOW POLISH MILITARY BUREAT] A newly designed double-circle postmark with a Polish eagle and bilingual inscription “1st Polish Army Corps/Field Post” was introduced in October 1941. It is shown above applied in black on an inbound letter and in purple on an outgoing postcard from the Polish Headquarters in Glasgow. GREAT BRITAIN Polska Poczta Polowa Nr.1 25 February 1943 3 August 1943 POST CARD 99 FEB 84 oe Oo fein L=7OO LOTTIE ?O? Yo Ms. Hi 27, Ac Jie x Kinkea i Jp —— ee ee ie in ap o Oo a : as Wp ee A, px 1 My. Jb. W addy, 56 514 Se EN a > > eM MWwWwoan rd (ada /j f i v eS He } BY AIR MAIL A third type of postmark was introduced in November 1942. It was also a double- circle type with a bilingual inscription reading “Polish Field Post Office No.1.” It is shown above applied in black on an official postcard of the Central Committee of the Polish Red Cross in London sent to Scotland. Below, the postmark is applied in red violet to a registered airmail cover sent to California. GREAT BRITAIN Polska Poczta Polowa Nr.1 6 September 1944 27 November 1944 |. WEDO NOT BEG FOR FREEDO LIBERDA Stanis2aw Chorazy KU 10 Learmonth Terrace EDINBURGH 4. P/ o5 eS “ies Polish Forces A similar but larger postmark was introduced in April 1944. It had a different style of lettering and did not have lines above and below the date. It was normally used on registered mail and struck in red, as shown. GREAT BRITAIN Biuro Poez. Deleg. In. Lot 5 November 1943 Biuro Pocztowe Bazy Sil Pow. 85 YEARS OF THE POLISH AIR FORCE 1918 3 1943 95-LECIE LOTNICTWA POLSKIEGO oe = a * 2s EEREFORM ..~ 21 December 1944 There were two different postmarks prepared for use by the Polish Air Force in 1943 and 1944, respectively. The wording of the Polish inscriptions differed but both read “Polish Air Forces Mail” in English at the bottom of the dial. GREAT BRITAIN Inbound Mail Field Post Office 406 3 September 1943 ante $ milf f s Only” : oe 4 Picture postcard (of Delhi) sent from Karachi, India to Scotland, paying the 4 annas airmail card rate. This example was addressed to a Polish serviceman and censored twice en route. Arrived at FPO 406 in two weeks. This was a British FPO that was allocated for use by the Polish forces during the period from 13 July 1943 into 1946. It is considered to be a scarce usage. GREAT BRITAIN Inbound Mail Polska Poczta Polowa Nrl 13 November 1945 Saluti e auguri a “ie unighs oA. Loret S : A s ' = “ah Stas. Tip, O. Marcwesini .. Loneto Picture postcard (of Loreto) sent to a member of the Polish Forces in Scotland. Postmarked Loreto on 19 October, this card took 25 days to arrive at the Polish FPO. Censored by the Italians. GREAT BRITAIN Polska Marynarka Wojenna 22 21 April 1943 ON HIS MAJESTY’S SERVICE. ~ FASTEN Envelope by gumming this Label across Flap. OPEN by cutting Label instead of tearing Envelope. Rpg SKIE BiURO WOdSKOWE POLISH MILITARY BUREAU NBURGH . We. 18094 6/43 (Lablese’ Picture postcard showing Prime Minister Churchill and Polish Forces in Scotland, where they were in training for the invasion of Europe. Cover below was sent in 1943 from the Polish Military Bureau in Edinburgh. GREAT BRITAIN Polish Forces P176 21 August 1944 Field Post Office 27 November 1945 (PASSED BY * \ CENSOR Se = ~P Lyle haw (ex Want . x Some of the Poles in Great Britain were integrated into British military units. As a result, most of the later mail was sent through the British fieldpost system. One exception is the “Polish Forces” postmark shown above on cover to Edinburgh. GREAT BRITAIN British Liberation Army Field Post Office 431 20 December 1944 Field Post Office 406 26 October 1945 = = - When the Poles were transferred to the Continent, they became part of the British Liberation Army and used the British fieldpost. Belgian-Polish patriotic postcard was mailed through FPO 431 serving the 1st Armored Division. The cover below was sent by a member of the BAOR (British Army on the Rhine) during the occupation of Germany. Note censorship label of the First Polish Corps. GREAT BRITAIN British Liberation Army {Crewn Copyright Reserved}. > ALF, W3078 this cover, but these-miust all be from the same writer, The cover should be addressed ~ in such cases to the Base Censor. 2. This envelope must not be used for coin or valuables, It cannot be accepted for registration, $. Correspondence in is Dae need not be censored regimental, he contents are liable to examinatign iyhe Base. 4. The following Certificae terest Se signed by the writer. L certify on ey Pan 1G Phe ton- tents of this enuelypefeéfer. to nothing but private and teNE af fan’. Si agit | Name. only The address only to be written on this side. If any- thing else is added the post card will be destroyed. {Crown Copyright Reserved] Field Post Office 251 16 September 1944 8 October 1944 “ADDRESS Roe lie Marszalek Stanislaw P/107 Polish Forces . - g; 5 i British Liberation Army. oe O loth: ee lode. oped homolou 3 E, CA Poles in the British Liberation Army used the British fieldpost. Upper example of an Active Service Envelope was sent between members of the BLA from near Caen, France. Lower example of a Field Service Card was sent from he same FPO to a member of the Polish forces in Britain. GREAT BRITAIN British Liberation Army Re -- Field Post Office 406 14 October 1944 D Field Post Office 801 21 August 1945 Upper cover mailed by a member of the First Polish Armored Division of the BLA via FPO 406, which was assigned to the Polish Army. Lower cover from the HQ of the Polish Recruiting Mission in Paris was mailed through FPO 801, which was assigned to the British Liberation Army. GREAT BRITAIN British Liberation Army -- Inbound Mail Termunten 25 December 1944 - Retell 4 PnP a | = a | P Leek force, “Drutete? | be heaa de. . a ere _ feo No. 076 V Inbound New Year’s greeting card mailed from The Netherlands to a member of the Polish Forces serving in the British Liberation Army. A very unusual usage not seen otherwise by exhibitor. GREAT BRITAIN Polish Navy At the time of the German invasion, Polish naval and merchant marine vessels that were at sea or could escape headed for Allied or neutral posts, especially those in Great Britain. Although there was no communication with the homeland, official and other letters sent by Polish sailors were allowed free postage just like members of the Royal Navy. However, for political and propaganda reasons, the Government in Exile decided to establish a postal service and issue stamps to be used on the ships, which were considered Polish territory. This service was inaugurated on 15 December 1941, with post offices being established on the various vessels. Post Office/Maritime Mail 2 October 1944 Official Navy Letter from a crew member of the submarine O.R.P. Dzik (Republic of Poland Ship Boar) to the Chief of the Planning Bureau of the Navy % G.P.O. London. Postage for mail sent through the British naval postal system was free if bearing imprints or cachets of units attesting to their military status. In this case, the cachet was of the “Senior Officer/Polish Submarines.” However, special services, such as registry or special delivery, required payment of the appropriate fee -- 3d in the case of registration shown above. GREAT BRITAIN Polish Navy Post Office/Maritime Mail 12 January 1945 Official registered letter sent from the submarine O.R.P. Dzik to the Polish Naval Headquarters in London. Bears the special registration label for maritime mail and a 3d adhesive to pay the registry fee. GREAT BRITAIN Polish Navy Polska Marynarka Wojenna 1 15 December 1941 WOUSKO POLSKIE W W. BRYTANII * -— ag = ae - Polska Marynarka Wojenna 27 \ 11 August 1943 oe eee Ee ey Ae AERTS RE a $A fF =ORCES POLSKA MAR. Tanne es POCZTOWA em | ONG. ccc Y CZ A [od essai : Par ps 6 7 " Street in = Betbeie GLOW = On 15 December 1941, eight pictorial stamps were issued, with the lower denominations depicting scenes of destruction in Warsaw while the higher values showed Polish military forces in Great Britain. Pictorial postmarks were provided in two types, one for naval vessels and the other for ships of the merchant marine, with each being assigned its own number (except for Polish Naval HQ in London, which was No. 15). Upper cover mailed on the first day of issue from destroyer O.R.P. Piorun (Thunderbolt) to a Polish soldier in Scotland. Lower cover franked with the complete set was mailed from the sub O.R.P. Wilk (Wolf) to the Bank of Poland in London. GREAT BRITAIN Polish Navy: Polska Marynarka Wojenna 1 15 December 1941 MINISTERSTWO SKARBU BSS car ~ BULLETS ALES LUZ Teese N G Polska Marynarka Wojenna 27 29 September 1943 as |S POLSKA MARYNARKA ZO wouenna | ‘ Ie 3 (isxn ales 1 Wetliry lollege heat POCZTOWA | ‘ GREAT BRITAIN Polish Navy Polska Marynarka Wojenna 12 31 March 1942 11 May 1942 BRIS eae ue ne AGENTS e. ake PIeHOAA | PO. AGENCIA P <5 SKA MAR, vet ) 17 Be i‘ P rr tn LA alt aft ea eS Steleaebd oli cin Hoe “wr4oy “pa7 ss2uqrysingdipy & fe yy fe B f = BR i nae? “oa & \ S we z a . b Toe 5 ‘G . ry 7 digourwey oly. ) i. 1 e [) { 4 : A { Boslon- fa macca Matn : 7 WANTIAVYXA AG GHNHdO Written un Folch PP 101 moved to Baghdad, Iraq, where it operated from january to August 1943. This cover to the U.S. was franked with an Iraqi 20 fils stamp and passed by Polish and Indian military censors. The marking of a “7” in a small circle is said to have been applied in Iran. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Base Field Post Office 101 -- Inbound Mail Glowna Poczta Polowa 101 18 September 1943 Polish Forces . 2 , PALFORCE No. #42. 47 eb, JL er. flor. | f_ LA te 3p. ZZ yz. i ¥ é = ie weoe in NZ Jeers fe Ci GS. a OPENED BY Pee ia ciate ABN A ER | | | i i Inbound mail to Polish troops is much more elusive than outbound, importantly because the soldiers had no way to save correspondence. This letter from London was franked with the appropriate 2-1/2d international letter rate postage to Baghdad, where it was backstamped by a GPP 101 postmark and forwarded to PP 123 in Kirkuk. Censored by both the British in London and the Poles in Baghdad. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Base Field Post Office 101 Glowna Poczta Polowa 101 9 December 1944 18 December 1947 OLE, ve Be my clej ap = Car ardtg ae 4 Don A aie reer was Ye 2, ees Gt rh z & ¥ A itt MA 12 7 PAR A v7 0 we | { fo f Crs) f Later, GPP moved to El Qassasin Camp, there until it was closed down on 6 April in Scotland (censored in Cairo) and a reg Egypt, about 25 miles west of Ismailia, in March 1944 and remained 1948. Shown here are an unfranked military letter to a Polish officer istered letter to the Polish Relief Society in London after the war. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 102 Poczta Polowa 102 15 June 1944 C € 4 Et PC a" Jor tit Odds - \ ; , ASS / we 4 Cc q e Oe j : A) 94 a fe ‘ile é t ¢ y 7 ~ PP 102 opened in Cairo, Egypt in March 1943 and operated there until the beginning of 1947. This cover was sent to the Polish Delegation in Nairobi, Kenya. Censored both by the Poles and British. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 102 a : —- me Poczta Polowa 102 25 August 1945 W razie niedoreczenia zwrocic do : POLISH FORCES Pr EAST. ; 6 March 1946 lf not delivered return to: ; No. 5B Kierownictvo Marynarki Wojennej Polish Naval H.. 51 New-Cavendish Street LONDON S,W.1, ENGLAND CENTRALA POSZUKIWAN - ZAGINIONYEH SOB MISSING PERSONS INQUIRES OFFS Polish Forces Middle ee Ne. B) p a) Written in Polish lp Kpt.ROZYCKI LUDWIK Folish Forees Nr.347 cy ke The return addresses of Polish Forces Middle East No. 55 w as a code for the Red Cross. The above covers were sent seeking information about missing persons. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 103 Poczta Polowa 103 8 October 1946 ps eer —— a — be Sane os Oo FS Age Jou, at~8 Gj O. a ad. pone f? (Qt d ly Le The PP 103 post office was a relative latecomer opening in Qassasin, Egypt in March 1944 and operating there until August 1947. Airmail postage from someone at the Polish YMCA to the U.S. of 20 pence indicates a double weight letter. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Base Field Post Office 104 Glowna Poczta Polowa 104 10 August 1945 27 September 1945 N BY AIRMAIL 77 RS STORY (| MSL OGRT Ge jp r 17. TOMN ier, Roaxy | ATR ie gd ee Lee dente a Fate os vA ~AS-gee ve JS3 ele eee x ee Z so GPP was the Base Post Office for the Polish troops in Italy starting in February 1944. Registered cover above paid 10 pence to Scotland as U.S. postage was not valid for service to the United Kingdom. lower cover sent by surface was free of postage to England. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Base Field Post Office 104 This space is reserved for Official Registration Label, ‘ THis LETTER MUST FE Post OFFICE To BE OBTAIN THE ADDRE WRITTEN O STs Bard2/ top L RECISTERIED LETTER. “ Z Glowna Poczta Polowa 104 18 December 1945 GIVEN TO AN OFFICER OF ify REGISTERED, ANDA Recep) / _. . ED FOR IT. Ol SS MUST BE GN N THIS SIDE. Ny bs ha J, Boston la 5 a a. 4A FEE PAID, Pou rney str oR a 55 USF - Re Subject to the limitations Office Guide, the registration fee for loss or damage of an Inland the entire loss of a Registered and conditions notified in the Rost of 8d. covers compensation upt | Registered Letter, and up to ae Letter sent to a place abroad. oo This registered stationery envelope was uprated by 10d to pay the airmail rate from PP 118 to the US. However, what is noteworthy about it is the GPP 4 transit marking, that was used only for transit purposes. which is a different style with thin letters CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 106 Poczta Polowa 106 19 June 1945 20 July 1945 17) 108 -) Oy achive Seruice C Ww sep 4 Le WA Seve Sh Schenecle Ly 5 Ay a Bis. eS oe Late postmarks used at San Basilio, Italy, where PP 106 was in service from January 1945 to January 1946. Upper cover sent as soldier’s mail to the Polish Red Cross in London, while that below was to the US. Note that postmarks for 105, 107 and 108 were never placed in use. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 109 Poczta Polowa 109 17 September 1945 ON Aktewe r = Pz. SCrwice ! P (_ begs 7; BELGRAVE SQWERE = 2 A & os arp S tes y a # ee PP 109 was assigned on 28 January 1945 to a newly-formed tank brigade in Alexandria, Egypt. At that time, the unit was awaiting transport to Italy, where it arrived on 17 October 1945. The cover was addressed to the Polish Red Cross in London. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 110 Poczta Polowa 110 9 March 1946 N 7) : Pa % Sar Wo gairiee oe : WY 1 ~ Mrs, Peefanaia Desveluiteemea. In Sigcerue Shy. YD. FB. This particular style of postmark had unusually large letters and numerals for the date in the center of the dial. PP 110 was never assigned to a specific unit but was used as a back-up cancel for PP 117. Known used briefly from October 1945 into early 1946, in this case on an airmail letter to the U.S. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 111 Poczta Polowa lil 18 June 1942 . ia 2 GP oe Srefever y Reb worbepereg, =. Bisel Pie Ge ie) @ C,C eT, PP 111 operated at Qastina, Palestine from 28 April until 5 October 1942. This cover, franked with 3d for an international surface letter was sent from this office to the Polish Ambassador in the Soviet Union, who was at that time stationed at Kuybyshev. Unusual routing via British FPO 154, Indian Base Office No. 7, Indian FPO 103 and Moscow, before arriving at its destination on 3 August 1942. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 111 Poczta Polowa 111 18 June 1942 2 November 1943 Beef ean ja Le j Sigourney Str. Hamel ¢ 4 =P bain Written in ene 4 Oi 8. As > 0a aevhrve serucee = Wendl _ paxcuras Qa é a } Switfo ary fugzee Polabow ra granlcg fro -Loadya | BOSTON “Mas 5. att on oe ee b, \ eS Sf i ~wpl{{en 11 Petrik 2 | sina? PP 111 operated at Qastina, Palestine from 28 April 1942 until 24 November 1943. Upper cover, franked with 3d for an international surface letter was sent from this office to the Polish Ambassador in the Soviet Union, who was at that time stationed at Kuybyshev. Routed via British FPO 154, Indian Base Office No. 7, Indian FPO 103 and Moscow. Lower cover sent to London; has Polish and British censor markings. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 111A Poczta Polowa 111A 5 April 1943 15 July 1943 CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 112 Poczta Polowa 112 16 February 1943 12 April 1944 GANIWV X4 zIge “MA D144 0 - C. K hy. in pt fot PP 112 moved to Iraq in August 1942 and was located at Khanaquin at the time that the upper cover was mailed to the Polish Delegation in Nairobi, Kenya. A irmail postage was 8 annas. In March 1944 this post office moved to Jerusalem: the lower cover was sent from there to Teheran, Iran. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 112 Poczta Polowa 112 £ : 18 September 1945 . == —— 29 December 1945 POLSKI CZERWONY KRZYZ DELEGATURA na SYRJE i LIBAN POLISH RED CROSS in SYRIA and the LEBANON CROIX ROUGE POLONAISE en SYRIE et au LIBAN POLISH RED CROSS ees Bisle, rips ne eee Homer ee ewe Senet tem eee 5 e We ZL 9 Belgrave Square 34 PP 112 established a branch in Beirut, Lebanon that functioned from 26 April 1945 to 21 September 1946, Upper examples sent from there to the Polish Red Cross in London. Lower cover can be attributed to that branch as the return address is from a Professor Romanski at the American University of Beirut. Polish mail from Lebanon is considered very elusive. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 113 Poczta Polowa 113 25 June 1943 PORLUR we & vy AL, (eh A If A AAT Awe 7 ADT a eae bgp ones y EAST AFRICA This cover with Indian franking was sent airmail and registered from PP 113 from Kirkuk, Iraq to the Polish Delegation in Nairobi, Kenya, paying 12 annas postage. CENTRAL MEDITERRAN EAN FORCE Field Post Office 113 P. a 9 Polish Leaison : - j 7 6 at = j a Bast 2 £ By March 1944, PP 113 was in Italy. Allied Area Command in Rome. Below i unusual usage. Poczta Polowa 113 — ; 6 March 1945 ee 12 August 1945 Offer Home Mlbed Brea Command : elude WALA Upper cover sent from Forli to the Polish Liaison Office with the Ss an air letter sent from Predappio Nuova to the United States -- an CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 114 Poczta Polowa 114 17 March 1943 14 December 1945 & A f yr re Oe é KARTKA POCZTOWA. POST CARD RUNDE Borah, MORLME Ripert Polish Foatees. ME AKL... Set getrre Pyceeh ca | oe “ee Kesoljeh Sait ¢ Secepsbnege Mg S GHVUEBOWSK/ 2 > f / ¢ i Vonege Mahl 1946 a : gry eee | 3S GRVIO S i A Lid - & as : a y ; =,AIVER = tae a Je Lalesobr, Lf = Fh. A Wydaw. Wydzialu Kultury i Prasy Jedn. Wojska na Sr. Wsch. | Y « <<, < } : a J PP 114 was in Khanaqin, Iraq when the upper cover was sent to airmail to Brooklyn. Postage of 110 fils was paid in Iraqi adhesives. Below a patriotic Christmas card from the Polish Forces in the Middle East mailed from El Kantara, Egypt to New York. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 115 Poczta Polowa 115 1 October 1945 25 March 1947 L This space is reserved for Official Registration Label. Ge envelope, REGISTER THIS LETTER MUST SE POST OFFICE To BE CETAIN THE ADDRE ED LETTER. GIVEN TO AN OFFICER OF THE REGISTERED, AND A RECEIPT ED FOR IT. S MUST BE Ss A WRITTEN OIN THIS SIDE, tel Le Si Xo GOTT 72 Lt 0 Len Cele (OOF . Te lee YP (C8 722 blo Le YD DX (Re | ees See 5 FEE 1 PAID. ——— PP 115 was the only Polish field post office that spent its entire life in Palestine. Upper cover was mailed free of postage from Barbara to the Polish Red Cross in London; censored in Cairo (#102) en route. Below is a late usage of a British registered letter envelope with the 3d registry fee already paid by the imprinted stamp. This office was closed down on 23 August 1947. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 116 Poczta Polowa 116 26 September 1945 _ as a a 4 March 1946 & Senet : : ’ a " eo Ofc aetipyse Clyy 1 Ck (572) : eS = fepe fai T1b- (0 Dhe- ST Je ssaste ty wo Ween oe Te In September 1945, PP 116 was located in San Benedetto del Tronto and in March 1946 at Bologna, Italy. Upper cover was sent to the Polish Red Cross in London free of postage. Lower cover sent to New Jersey at 3d international letter rate. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 117 -- Inbound Mail Poczta Polowa 117 2 April 1943 This cover was addressed to the Army Hospital #3 of the PAI (Persia and Iraq) Forces, located in Qizil Ribat, Iraq at the time. The receiving mark on the reverse is a different type than was used later at this office. The censor marking #115 is reportedly the scarcest of all the Polish censors and was used in Baghdad. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 117 Poczta Polowa 117 29 May 1945 17 July 1946 - On active service _ Ksigtniea Polska 250,Hope Str. @LASGCGCW B62 se ENGLAND 4 3 = 4 In May 1945, when the Active Privilege Envelope was mailed to the Polish Red Cross in London, PP 117 was located in Civitanouva, Italy. Lower cover mailed from Porto Recanati, Italy to Glasgow, which is in Scotland, not England. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 118 Poczta Polowa 118 1 September 1943 Be ree Eonar ee =I = <= SS 5 8 When this letter was mailed in 1943, PP 118 was located at Kirkuk, Iraq. It was endorsed “By Pan American Clipper” which was a premium service under which mail went on the next flight, as compared to “ordinary” airmail, which traveled by military aircraft and was subject to delay if there were a Space or weight problem. The cost was 22 annas at the time. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 118 Poezta Polowa 118 12 September 1945 6 September 1945 in Gua US2 és FOL isu ne In September 1945, PP 118 was located in Porto Recanati, Italy. Upper cover sent to Scotland by surface without postage. Lower cover sent to Mexico -- a highly unusual destination -- backstamped British-Base Army Post Office 15 in Naples and and transited Nuevo Laredo on 9 October 1945. Reportedly, U.S. stamps were used for just three weeks in August/September 1945 during a shortage of British postage. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 119 Poczta Polowa 119 12 May 1945 In May 1945, PP 119 was located in Trefolci, Italy, from where this cover was mailed to the Polish Red Cross in Winnipeg, Canada. There is an interesting receiving marking on the reverse, inscribed “Divisional Social Assistance in Unorganized Territory” and dated 28 May 1945. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 120 Poczta Polowa 120 17 July 1946 Henryk FLOYAR4 RA]CHMAN _ 620, West 115 street CRS Beavis NEW YORK 25 Ney. PP 120 was opened in August 1944 to serve the Polish civilian settlements in Barletta and Trani, Italy as well as the military units in the area. It remained in operation until 19 October 1946. This cover mailed from Barletta to New York paying 10d airmail and 3d for the registry fee. ae ONY ete CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 121 Poczta Polowa 121 2 January 1943 12 November 1943 2 Ppeetees sty POLINA, BY AIR MAIL ae QV Alo) ie BY PAN AMER ChY ELILPER SER MRS. KATARZYNA FILIPIAK ‘ a ~~ 1527-10 TH-GRANTST PERU: ILLING | & 4 Upper cover mailed while PP 121 was in Qayara, Iraq to the U.S. Postage of 25 annas pays the airmail and registration fees. Lower cover mailed from Hill 69, Palestine to Illinois. Letter was overweight as indicated by auxiliary marking “Over 5 Grams Surcharge” with 2/- postage paid for service by Pan Am Clipper. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 121 Poczta Polowa 121 15 September 1945 26 June 1946 (Yas. ; 7. Seu Vn gelire eS ez B o> 8 2343 0 Seeley ax ig ms ey Chreage, ¥2, Tbr 9 oft, JF © LC Gaye APC te f = G te %¢ tte aL. <= , = @ <2 : é A , f tai "19 A These covers mailed from Cesenatico, Italy after the end of the war. Upper example of a postal stationery envelope was sent by air to the U.S., while lower cover was sent with the military franchise to the Polish Red Cross in London. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 122 Poczta Polowa 122 22 September 1945 xR PAALL a eee ee a Tack eo , Ss; 7 84 Belavave Square i London SO —~ %& ENGLAND oe PP 122 moved to Italy in December 1943 and was located in Grottammare when this cover was mailed to the Polish Red Cross in London. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 123 T cpepeot_ ARMY yt At, SERVICES: _ Registered Letters. Oifice of / : Entd. or . pais 0% ft rtd. ee oe bye = b oe ! UNIT... = List: No: Ape. : Poczta Polowa 123 22 August 1942 No. Office of Posting Regn. No, Regimental No. and Name Wieierdionth Wb Atle 9a Jelly) eg. 2 hot Cate YONGE» ie The | a | re ve ez 15 Total No. (in words) plus by RECEIVED Signatures. vote be: Abr; ae Regtl. No. Unit Oh tad Date. (No. = words ) Lette. 2s above “If not delivred to Post Orderly. FF 49 « Delivering Office Stamp 2170/PM. —_ /2—2000 200—12/41 £y ~f- ps Pee o , pale sen, A & a any ful z ? i, E : fr «/ e q o j PP 123 opened in June 1942 at Massimya el Kabira, Palestine and operated there until September of that year. Its postmark is shown here used on a form used by the British for keeping records of registered mail. In fact, the notation shows that 2 regular letters and 1 registered were sent on 22 August. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 123 Poczta Polowa 123 22 September 1945 30 March 1946 = Center Romms 1 te o4 he Ven.sn “eo Cross ay BEUGRAVE SAVA CEs PP 123 moved to Italy in April 1944 and was located in Macerata when this cover was mailed to the Polish | Red Cross in London. Below is a receipt for a registered letter mailed from Recanati. | CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 124 Poczta Polowa 124 21 March 1944 20 May 1946 be, leh Wa GYave = Py f g Ge z 5 Kaysha Eda tA ae 2 PS 8. alg ee x x, foras Glt te Z a Voljoh kta Cros. = \ WY A 0.8. Lofo A fi ee 2 ley a PP 124 moved to Italy in February 1944 and was located in Campochiaro when the cover above was mailed to Haifa, Palestine. Below is a picture postcard (of Venice) mailed to the Polish Red Cross in Jerusalem. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 125 Poczta Polowa 125 1945 7 February 1946 Bs ‘Passed By] | | CENSOR) > “fe ae m . , ae | 13076 qd Li fog Le eer oe JE i oe a aS ey LE ie Sa Y fae LS. < val eds Le, GO 6 + ey ee CEP LE J oe re Crea — Ved ao < Si - ff COPA DI pee Oe econ a Pacer cage ae Sp emt apeerngggat at SSE ai IE ss e P| | pECISTEED LETTER. LETTER MUST BE {GIVEN TO AN OFFiCen GF THE yh A Rist OFFICE To BE | REGISTERED, AND A RECEIPT YO é OBTAIN{ED FOR IT. Es . i Ta fap ae Ss wo ee a Canis 3 SRO is Biles Meter SZAL LKOurS KI oe | Eis Sa esi alah a oe PP 125 was only stationed in Italy, being there from 7 January 1945 to 14 September 1946, most of the time at Forli, from which upper cover was sent to the Polish Red Cross in London. Below is a British Registered Letter envelope mailed to Illinois with 3d additional franking for international letter for Porto Civitanova. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 125 -- Inbound Mail Poczta Polowa 125 13 November 1945 SeeegieeRan This letter from Manchester, England was properly franked with the 2-1/2d international letter rate postage and sent to a soldier in the C.M.F. Backstamped for receipt at PP 125, then at Porto Civitanova, Italy. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 126 Poczta Polowa 126 11 December 1945 PP 126 was opened late in the war, primarily to provide service to refug it also accepted mail from soldiers as indicated by the endorsement from Camerino, Italy to the Polish Red Cross in London. ees and displaced persons. However, “On Active Service.” This letter sent from CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 127 Poczta Polowa 127 28 December 1943 24 September 1945 Upper cover sent by registered mail from PP 127 in El Qassasin, Egypt to Tel Aviv, Palestine, where it was received on 2 January 1944. Lower cover sent by surface to London when this station was located at Porto S | Giorgio, Italy. | CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 127 Poczta Polowa 127 2 April 1946 ay AR. eye gormcza : : = 17 July 1946 ey Aik AM igPAn aviog “POLISH RED CROSS ZARZAD GEOWNY 9 4 5 LopDYH 5.W.1 FALE TT OS AEE a et I ER RAE: eae 34 Belgrave § a hee TAPSLOWA, 1a? Cee Nr Tey - -f orotate Upper cover sent by airmail to Cleveland and | Ower cover sent registered to London, both when this office was located at Ancona, Italy. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 128 ee Foto peensnnc iit Se ee — : Poezta Polowa 128 Magee ed Le fees cian 25:September 1945 1 April 1946 The PP 128 postmark was used from 19 February 1945 to 12 September 1946. Upper cover went from Gallipoli, Italy to the Polish Red Cross in London. Lower example sent from Maglie, Italy to the Polish Red Cross in Jerusalem -- note faint application of its cachet in red violet. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 129 Poczta Polowa 129 7 December 1945 es FE DI0ZAA PS icy VOI 7 Old i, “ oe. S/ Goer ce ni ONE Kes wr Yor 2c | [LOTMICZA, 2 BY AIR MAIL 1 PAR AVION ee, /7 Gly PP 129 was assigned to Naples from where this cover was sent to the U.S. paying 10d airmail postage and 3d registration fee. Backstamped for receipt on 31 December 1945. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 130 Poczta Polowa 130 . gl 29 October 1943 ee Betedate ce Le ne 17 November 1943 of The Polish Ministry of Labour | And Social Welfare on active seby ion. TERIFIAN, av. Bocharestan ~ Ne Tel. 90-12 and 97-68 NO A Poof. G0 LDA steniszaw polish eee” Mee 929 Written in Polish This FPO was opened in January 1943 in Teheran, Iran, where it served various Polish administrative activities. Examples.shown are from the Chief Roman Catholic Chaplain in Iran to the Polish Red Cross in Kenya and from the Polish Ministry of Labor & Social Welfare to a member of the Polish Forces in the Middle East. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 130 Poczta Polowa 130 BG = | : A. Rudowski | é 3 jue i945 “, ~ Serusalem, Hambilish Ra 2 oe ~~ Lorenzo House a5 ee: = > i JERUSALEM RINo 9355 Kanonier RU pOW S EL. énarze) GO: ms HOSNAZD AG GANadO PP 130 moved to Italy in May 1944 and was at Mottola when the upper inbound registered cover arrived from Jerusalem. Lower outbound cover was sent to London in early June. Note application of both British and Polish censorship markings. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 131 Poczta Polowa 131 A oe 17 July 1943 Qu aegive. Soadeie, hot 26 September 1945 Befrree IH Bees Praccg io Aho, % flags bgatls oe “s Se See On Odive SeicgscRyy i > \ (a 5, | PUK.(BELGRAVE SK WARE LONDON SW. 7 \PRITTEN IN Polists Upper cover mailed by a soldier at As Sadiya, Iraq to a compatriot in the PAI (Persia and Iraq) Force. Lower example sent from Porto Recanati, Italy to the Polish Red Cross in London. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 132 Poczta Polowa 132 2 May 1944 27 June 1945 Upper registered cover mailed from Mottola, Italy to Tel Aviv, Palestine, where it was received on 8 May 1944. Lower example sent from Faenza, Italy to London. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 133 Poczta Polowa 133 16 May 1944 7 November 1944 ee cers _ a fo a s a CAL 2e¥7o-e o Crue ME nt wilh ff ‘ rf Se a INDIA Sif Ana POSTAGE | Se — ai Y NP j 24 Geovaey 6 Ki 94 J c re oo ij y the Polish fieldpost service. This cover was sent PP 141 was the highest numbered postmark used b It was backstamped at GPP 101 and by the civil post registered from Ahwaz, Iran to Tel Aviv, Palestine. offices at Rehovot and Tel Aviv. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Field Post Office 141 Poczta Polowa 141 20 February 1946 2 July 1947 & Ho | 7), H Oe le ‘ j— Fiza ‘, eC 7h ‘7 phd 92 2 SS, 4 : Apelrrroct2 b Gre LA f 4 j - ff 4 ChetfoteGlOl2 RIM 2UFO) Ge 7, fp f aw. Jdjist, (tee Crass Y /- ay wk Jecersollerre , ftta~ StaeCrre J é 4 Sr cena, Ledlee in Iehsh. | . :' wSoronca | REGISTERIED LETTER. egistration Label. Recitreate THis LETTER MUST BEIQIVEN TO AN OFFICER OF THES Post OFFICE To gf | REGISTERED, AND A Receipt \ OBTAINJED FOR IT. forest. ) o ss < . 8 % i THE ADDREISS MUST BE { Z WRITTEN OjN THIS SIDE. . - ‘ LF eee oat Ay XX: ae /\ Sif A ( st fo a Ai ry [Poczm pniow) <7 A +3 foo 7 ‘ re! > hin AF! PID. Fph FEE PAID. oT AES Be 7 ee 4 Upper cover sent from Nazareth, Palestine to the Polish Red Cross in J erusalem. Lower example of a British registered stationery envelope was sent from the same location to Haifa, where it was received on 3 June 1947 -- a very late usage. CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN FORCE Courier Mail Army Signals AP_W 14 May 1944 “‘DELEG AF Ministerstwa Pracy i Opieki Spotecznej przy Do nal, of the Polish Mi l try of Labour and Social Welfage~H.Q. Polish Army M.E. Die King George Ave. * \) \ SAA [i L gO. . LOO 4 fam og ‘ % Letters containing secret information were sent by British military couriers. This service used special handstamps inscribed “Army Signals” with a code for the various units and locations. “AP W” stands for Polish Army East from which cover originated; “JE_M” indicates Jerusalem. The particular unit to which the cover was addressed was not there, so it was returned as indicated by a second strike of AP_W four days later. oe ITALY Red Cross Mail by Courier Warszawa 29 December 1945 HM, LX pet bay a 4 ies Cube G D Von ms od opaty pect we Us, ee j f LS wee Fg Rozp, Maid. 7.1 7, 2-dn. 30. DV 1 pe ere Ns PL in wd te pe 8 KS oS Cy rink This cover originated from a Corporal in a Polish Repatriation camp under British control and was delivered to the Polish Embassy in Rome. From there, it went by diplomatic pouch to Warsaw, where it was endorsed by the Polish Red Cross and received a red handstamp that indicated that it was to be sent free of charge according to the PTT regulation PZ 122 of 30 April 1945. It was then postmarked in Warsaw and forwarded to the ee in Wesola, Upper Silesia. A most unusual usage. ITALY Second Polish Corps Issue After the end of the war, the men of the II Polish Corps did not wish to return to then Communist-controlled Poland, so remained in Italy. In January 1946, Polish officials had a set of four stamps and a souvenir sheet printed for use by the troops sending mail through the fieldpost stations. In fact, they were only valid for postage on letters sent between the FPOs, and additional British postage was required for other destinations. Polska-Poczta-Polowa 18 January 1946 Poczta Polowa 117 10 March 1946 NN Bexsaumser wna es Upper cover shows the set of II Corps stamps on an envelope printed for use on the first day of issue; it has a postmark not otherwise seen by exhibitor. Below is a set sent from FPO 117 at Porto Recanati to a Corporal in the Central Mediteranean Force and backstamped at FPO 123 in the same town. Because it was sent internally through the Polish postal system, no additional franking was required. ITALY Second Polish Corps Issue Poczta Polowa 135 1 March 1946 Glowna Poczta Polowa 104 3 February 1946 We SE one po ASAI oan oot SSC EE REE RRR mcr oe) 1530 N.Damen Ave. Chieago 22,111. SO et cn nm Sm EY SNR GED eS gene HE me aoc samy Ae USA ‘oe 5 GRE a eo ao 3 ‘ > sunset rciintae ee =— ie ee eee eats < — Il Corps postage stamps were sold at the Polish fieldpost offices at the exchange rate of 1 zloty = 10d but were not valid on mail sent outside the Polish system. Thus, letters sent to other destinations, i.e. from FPO 135 at Recanati to Switzerland and from GPP 104 in Naples to the U:S. in the case of the covers shown, had to be franked with 3d in British stamps for the international letter rate plus 3d for the registry fee. ITALY Second Polish Corps Issue ere tne iat As i _ Poczta Polowa 117 17 March 1946 DOPEATA Zh. 4.-NA WDOWYi SIEROTY PO POLEGEYCH ZOLNIE- RZACH 25 KORPUSU Also in January 1946, 20,000 imperforate ' of eee : souvenir sheets of the Y yw" ’ CH, lately k four II Corps stamps were placed on sale. ] Covers are elusive WoL ote Ey Ly and seldom seen. ITALY Second Polish Corps Issue Poczta Polowa 117 1 October 1946 zewski,C.M.P.Pol Pas me 715 ‘M.Konopka_ = Sigsionn : : S - MARINA © a : Se met =e = = =~ On 1 October 1946, 10,000 of the remaini zloty applied. This additional money was for the benefit of the . to Italy and to the Polish Embassy to the Holy See in Vatican City ng 2 zloty stamps were overprinted “Wartosc” and a surcharge of 5 Covers above were mailed on the first day (backstamped for receipt on 4 October.) | ITALY Barletta-Trani Camp Also in early 1946 a set of ten stamps were issued for use in the Barletta-Trani Camp for wounded soldiers and civilian refugees. These were neither endorsed by nor used in the Polish fieldpost but were a privately-sponsored issue of the Polish War Relief Services. However, they were denominated in lire, produced at the Italian government printing works in Rome and accepted for postage within Italy. Poczta Osiedli Polskich w Italii/Barletta Trani 11 February 1946 Z ZIEME WEOSKIE} DO POLSKI ‘aaa Nata fi : Mico oe There were nine denominations for regular postage from 15 cent. to 10 lire plus the 1 lira stamp printed in yellow-orange, overprinted “Airmail” and surcharged 25 + 100 lire. The low values of the regular stamps are shown above in mint along with a philatelic cover franked with the higher values and sent to Rome. ITALY Barletta-Trani Camp Osiedle/Barletta 12 February 1946 Urzedewe. .Dyrekcja War Pelief Service N Roma via Buencempagni 1[8. eh area wo The lire 25 +100 airmail was also issued imperforate. An example is shown above on cover to the office of the War Relief Services in Rome, where it was backstamped for arrival on 14 February. ITALY Barletta-Trani Camp JESZCZE POLSKA NIE ZGINELA POCZTA OSIEDLI POLSKICH W 1945 A POLSKICH W ITALII 1945 Z ZIEMI WLOSKIB] DO POLSKI L: 5 #195 Z ZIEMI WLOSKIE} BO POLSKI In addition to the set of stamps, three of the high values were issued as souvenir sheets, but in different colors from the originals. POCZTA OSIEDLI POLSKICH W ITALII I ae oe 24 ITALY Barletta-Trani Camp Pocata Polskich w Italii 15 August 1946 east AVAL aint: PAR AVION b Later m 1946, the low values of the set were overprinted “Airmail” with the image of an airplane and surcharged “+ L.25” Above is a set postmarked on envelope, but exhibitor has never seen any of these actually used. ITALY Barletta-Trani Camp Pocata Osiedli Polskich 9 October 1946 Paral iia tees) 413) DO POLSKI aay p So I o2s Sel ey a : In the final iteration of these stamps, the five low values were overprinted “Honor the Four Freedoms” in English, French and Polish, with a facsimile signature of President Roosevelt below. Above is a cover with these stamps affixed, but it appears that the postage to Genoa was paid with normal Italian adhesives. Backstamped for arrival on 12 October. ITALY Red Cross Mail + POLSKI CZERWONY KRZYZ przy D-wie 2 Korp. A. P. RZYM Mottola 26 October 1945 Roma 21 June 1946 fen ee ee ae me ee em Ledz+869/45- COMITH INTERNATIONAL CROIX ROUGH ogee / i 00K Jishland Aree DEPARTMENT OF CALIFORNIA — Lreago 44, JU USF These covers were mailed by Poles through the Italian civil postal system. Above is a letter from the Polish Red Cross in Rome to the International Committee in Geneva. Below is a cover from a member of the CMF to the Catholic League in Chicago. ITALY Use of British Fieldpost Field Post Office 2 September 1946 at AMERICAN RELIEF FOR POLAND Sekretarz Gene ralny ‘SI BE 25 SERRE PELE DLL SERIE SAAD LEAS SP DBE AES DETAIL RR AED ERLE PILLAR DADE p-WOJCIECH F. SOSKA moose more aa neenn res SSeSrer es SSSeSeessss CHICAGO 22 IL. LINOIS 11200 N ASHLAND AVENUE ” WeSeke cae a rant tan Late usage of the British fieldpost office in Rome to send a registered letter from the Soldiers Philatelic Section of the Polish 2nd Corps to the American Relief for Poland in Chicago, where it was received on 23 September. _ Polish Red Crass INDIA Bombay 2 January 1946 AIR MAIL. al? s POLISH RED CROSS, 54,Belgrave Square, @ORDON s.Wa. SS SS er ee ee ee ee re et ee ee ee ee SS ERE See ee Rens SD Gem Ch Ey tee Aes iow ead Seem aoe Sone Le Se Se DELEGATE OF THE POLISH RED GROSS BOMBAY 15/17, Queen’s Road. A small number of Polish wounded were sent to hospitals in India. As a result, the Polish Red Cross established an office in Bombay to establish contacts with these men. This cover sent by a delegate of the PRC to its office in London, paying 14 annas for the airmail rate to Britain. SWEDEN Naval Internee CENZURA Z ff 4 ie w Sieckholmi YS any, “J | Aivache ft Wabrezno 23 March 1945 At the time of the invasion, some ships of the Polish Navy escaped and went to Sweden, where the crews were interned from October 1939 until the end of the war. This was the case with the men from three submarines, O.R.P. Rys, Sep and Zbik. Once parts of Poland were liberated and the postal system reestablished, letters could be sent to the internees. In the case of the cover above, which was censored by the Poles and Swedes, it arrived just after the sailor had been released, as confirmed by the red manuscript notation “Left for England 12 VI 1945.” Note the handstamp of the Polish Naval Attache in Stockholm with filing number.