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WATCH ON THE RHINE...
ALLIED OCCUPATION OF THE RHINELAND: 1918-1930 (Text)
10 20. 30 40 50 Mites
: 2
i, ia: cy y *| pp \+
2 aaa rust ace
gritish > \
p J BAS
eatin eel ‘
edan : , A * ~‘
4 &, Luxemburg: fe & ee Tay Longuyon*.,
Montfaucon\ Reims |
Verdun yn
¥ i
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Ligny-en-Barrois, *% a
: fi. 4
i" Nancy Sa Strasbourg (<3 a f
—xxxx— Boundary of Zone of Advance fan Gridgehead 18 Mite Radius
Settee international Boundary DEREES Neutral Zone 6 Miles Wide
Armed conflict of World War | ceased with an armistice between Germany and the Allies on
11 November 1918. As part of that agreement, German Forces on the Western Front returned to Germany, east of the Rhine River, and Allied Forces
subsequently occupied the area of the ‘Rhineland’ with bridgeheads at the cities of Mayence (Mainz), Coblenz & Cologne.
Occupation of the Rhineland involved three phases or periods...
|. American & Allied advance to the Rhine River...
17 November to 14 December 1918;
ll. Establishment of Allied bridgeheads, zones and bases of occupation ..
13-21 December 1918.. and military occupation prior to signing of the
Peace Treaty of Versailles by Germany;
ill. Occupation after signing of the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919
and subsequent ‘inter- Allied Commission of Control of the Rhineland’.
EXHIBIT Commencing with the Armistice of 11 November 1918, this exhibit shows the
evolution of the Allied Occupation of the Rhineland, German civilian,
commercial & official censored mail during the period, Allied evacuation by 1930 and an epilogue, as closure.
EXHIBIT OVERVIEW
I. Map & Background Exhibit Overview
Il. Armistice & Peace Conference Mail
Ht. American Forces Mail Advance fo the Rhine
Principal Bases
Soldier & Officer Mail Censorship
Military- Affiliated Civilian Mail Military Unit Mail
Welfare Organizations
IV. Allied Forces’ Mail
Belgian British
Canadian
French
New Zealand
Vv. Inter-Allied Occupation & Control Commission Mail Aeronautical Control Disarmament High Commission Administration Railway Control Reparations Administration Censorship
Vi. Civilian German, Commercial & Official Mail
Restricted Mail
Civilian & Commercial Censored Mail
Mayoral, Government & Multiple Censorship Mail
Bavarian Palatinate Mail
VIL. Allied Evacuation of the Rhineland
Vill. Epilogue
TEXT COLOR-CODING
BLACK: General historical, geographical & postal rate/route/marking information.
BLUE: Chapter-Start-Page Heading & Important annotative information.
Blue-matted examples indicate particular importance & scarcity.
MAROON: Postal Rate Information
GERMAN ARMISTICE COMMISSION Armistice Discussions
By September 1918, German defenses on the Western Front had collapsed, whereupon
THE GERMAN MILITARY REQUESTED ARMISTICE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE ALLIES ON 5 OCTOBER 1918,
culminating in an armistice agreement to be signed on 11 November 1918.
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11 MAY 1919
Registered correspondence cover, postmarked at the German Commission's Post Office at Spa, Belgium,
sent to the Mayor's Office at Posen, Germany.
Arrival Postmark: (Reverse)
“Posen, 13 May 1919”
35 Pfennig.. 10 Pig + 5 Pig War Tax = 15 Pfg..
Single-weight (20 grams) domestic letter-rate
+ 20 Pfg.. Registration fee
One of less than five known registered business mail covers.
ARMISTICE 11 November 1918
AT 11:00 HOURS ON 11 NOVEMBER 1918 AN ARMISTICE BETWEEN THE FORCES OF THE GERMAN EMPIRE AND THE
ALLIES TOOK EFFECT RESULTING IN CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES OF WORLD WAR I.
As a result of the armistice and subsequent required return of German soldiers to Germany east of the Rhine
_ River, as part of that agreement, German ‘Fieldpost’ Mail was interrupted or had delayed delivery.
11 NOVEMBER 1918
German newspaper wrapper, postmarked at Berlin,
sent to a driver with a military transportation column on the Western Front,
returned to sender marked... “Luruck..
Beférderung eingesfelif (Return to Sender ..
Delivery Suspended”)
”
Free-frank when mail endorsed
“Feldpostbrief”
GERMAN ARMISTICE COMMISSION
The
‘GERMAN ARMISTICE COMMISSION’
HEADQUARTERS WAS LOCATED
Spa .. Belgium
in the former residence of
Emperor Wilhelm II .. rf, “Le Neubois", located gat 15 wine
AT SPA, BELGIUM. sa gl ra oo aS Lnyetee
, - se OS poe Branch Offices of the Commission were Los — ae aaa —
located in the Cities of Dusseldorf, pond (TF part _elalurh, Frankfurt/Main & Posen. a ™ 4. fu
ee France x \
Subsequent to agreement between Germany me io ’ # & the Allies concerning armistice, the former wets < a Emperor's residence was used for diplomatic
conferences involving Peace Treaty, Reparations, etc.
9 JULY 1920
View-card of
Kaiser Wilhelm’s former residence at
Spa, Belgium, with Commemorative Postmark...
“Spa.. Diplomatic Conference”
“ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT!”
With the signing of the armistice, German soldiers soon commenced return to Germany in accordance with the terms of the agreement, most
of whom were discharged from service.
Postcards having the theme “PEACE” were available for sale, many of which were purchased and mailed by Allied Occupation Forces who
moved into heretofore German tenitory.
“Home Again!”
n “Hope..
GERMAN PEACE DELEGATION Post Office Mail
A GERMAN PEACE DELEGATION OFFICE & POST OFFICE WERE ESTABLISHED AT
VERSAILLES, FRANCE
to negotiate a peace agreement.
A special postmark was applied belween 16 May — 16 June 1919 “Deutsche Friedensdelegation”
with all Delegation Mail being free-frank.
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Delegation mail was taken by courier to the Berlin Post Office “C2” for distribution through the Reichsposf.
GERMAN PEACE DELEGATION Courier Mail
THE GERMAN PEACE
DELEGATION’S OPERATION CONTINUED
WELL AFTER THE SIGNING
OF THE
‘TREATY OF VERSA ES’
ON 28 June 1919 in order to define and
administer that
agreement.
Any mail from the Peace
Delegation had to be applied with the
delegation’s cachet mark in order for it fo be
valid for free-franking handling by
the Reichspost or for delivery by the post
office courier service.
Delegation mail was taken by courier from Versailles to Berlin where it
entered the Reichspost system for delivery or by the post office courier service
located at the “Berlin W&" Post Office.
AMERICAN PEACE DELEGATION APO 975 .. Paris
THE AMERICAN PEACE DELEGATION OFFICES WERE LOCATED AT
PARIS, FRANCE, WITH ALL MAIL ROUTED THROUGH THE
‘AMERICAN EXPRESS SERVICE APO 975’.
Official or related mail was free-frank while mail sent by civilians affiliated with the delegation required postage equivalent
at the American domestic rate.
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Pay < =: SSeS elena, 2 —s - el a ee sank Cag :
7, OF. .
Pa fd
AMERICAN COMMISSION. @ y : nage Fis has s PEACEDELEGATION = TO NEGOTIATE ‘PEACE
AFFILIATED 4 cae | CIVILIAN MAIL 4 ;
28MAY1919 | | Mrs Charlton M Lewis
Cover, milita q : AOR He rte He
aaah a 425 St Ronan St postmarked atthe = aoe oe ee
‘APO 975’ Post New Haven, Conn Office, 7 ;
senttoNew Haven, ese xe Geo ‘ aes Connecticut ‘am a # U.S.A
3 Cents..
Domestic USA single-weight
letter-rate {2 November 1917 —
30 June 19719)
Se SE se Se ae
PEACE DELEGATION FREE-FRANK
MILITARY PERSONNEL MAIL
29 MARCH 1919
Cover, military-base censored,
postmarked at
‘APO 975’, written by
a soldier (military return address
“APO 702") of the
Peace Delegation
Guard, sent to
Audubon, lowa.
| = Pi So ae it wt = |
PEACE TREATY OF VERSAILLES Postmarks of the Peace Conference
Three amendments to the Armistice Agreement of 11 November 1918 were approved prior to signing of a peace treaty officially ending World War |. Negotiations between the Allies & the German Government took place at the Palace of Versailles, France.
SIGNING OF A PEACE TREATY TOOK PLACE ON 28 JUNE 1919 in a railway car on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles with the official
proclamation taking place in the “Hall of Mirrors” at the palace, where 48 years earlier King Wilhelm | of Prussia proclaimed the ‘Second German Empire’.
Fa ee aA BO eae era aS TST zr —
Postmark: ; SR Rise EN ee “Versailles .. ‘s As Mase Baar
Congres de la Paix” BIR Dike sb lye Te go NEN aie Sere (“Versailles .. Peace s aaNet teat, rea uaa
Congress”) fost PP Biot carer, Sete rae
\ i mee a! o % Se ve fs ‘ \ % ¥ ee ~ ” i S , ‘
31 MAY 1919 Be Ne te ye Se LA a Se i
Cover,postmarked at. kong ewe ee B, t, AeGTt Liter pore ; the Versailles PP SO eee, PAR eh tS aay CR ie mu one
Peace Conference, Phi Oy meh ay cules She: areR aes iLe mae : er een NS i
sent toa I hs a ey / BXpéatt tons eae : freight forwarder at it Me SMe my eye eo Nee ba |
Paris. Le Fe aR BAR a JARDIN re KE
oe
Ty nase BARTS * Bes
Postmark: “Versailles Chateau -
Congres de la Paix” (“Versailles Palace -
Peace Conference”)
ee aN
Vesailles Palace”
bes 7 iy 28 JUNE 1919
.
“ti “Hall of Mirrors ..
Local printed-matter view-card mail, postmarked at
a eae i | a ‘3 PM’ = 15 hrs, he Se cee ree es e time of signing of the
aii, treaty.
’ | if
ea
i t
§
i
Ou fut fondé l'Eimpire Allemand le 48 Janvier 1871, En 1919 les Alliés y proclament 8a dachesnes “is Ja Conference de la Pe ore =
Palace of VFRSAILLES — Miror’s Galery - 245 ft. long 35 ft. wile, There was founded the German Empire on the 18th January 187i. In 1919 the Ailies proclaim its fall by the Conférence of the Peace
AMERICAN FORCES Advance to Germany APO 745 .. 5" Division (VI Corps)
Postmark Usage: 26 November 1918-3 July 1919
SOON AFTER SIGNING THE ARMISTICE, AMERICAN & OTHER EID COMMENCED MOVEMENT TO GERMANY TO TAKE UP THEIR RESPECTI
THE GERMAN RHINELAND.
The American 5" Division (6 Infantry), heretofore in France, took up its position at Esch, Luxembourg, near Trier, Germany, with its mission to control traffic circulation
at the Luxembourg-German Border.
Ret SS oie c= me
Sa % ;
a i n rage ie 26 DECEMBER 1918
“U.S. Army Post Office MPES *745*” a
Le o:
§ S s
" Z e
_H Op uo y- pe g
‘s ay re un yr s
“ty o} 04 pj a4
px
Free-frank , i officer-censored MAL 2
view-card, Z sent to z
Fort Worth, Texas. 5
7 APRIL 1919
Free-frank
officer-censored
cover, sentto
New York City.
AMERICAN FORCES Advance to Germany APO 750 .. 33rd Division (VI Corps)
Postmark Usage: 30 November 1918 - 25 April 1919
The American 33rd Division (VI Corps) ... known as THE “PRAIRIE DIVISION” FROM ILLINOIS ... SPEARHEADED THE OCCUPATION
OF LUXEMBOURG (20 November 1918) & SAARBURG, GERMANY (on 7 December 1918).
30 NOVEMBER 1918
“U.S. Army Post Office MPES *750*”
Free-frank officer-censored
cover, sent to
Chicago, Illinois.
8 DECEMBER 1919
“U.S. Army Post Office
MPES *750*”
Free-frank
officer-censored
cover, sent to
Harvard, Illinois.
AMERICAN FORCES Advance to Germany APO 750 .. 33rd Division (VI Corps)
Postmark Usage: 30 November 1918-25 April 1919
SOON AFTER ITS OCCUPATION OF SAARBURG, GERMANY, ON 7 DECEMBER 1918, THE “PRAIRIE DIVISION” WAS RECALLED TO LUXEMBOURG
to participate in control of the Luxembourg-German Border, having its headquarters at Diekirch, Luxembourg,
remaining there until its return to the United States in April 1919.
11 MARCH 1919
“U.S. Military Postal Express Service *
No. 750”
Free-frank military-censored
‘Knights of Columbus’ Cover, sent to
Chicago, Illinois.
AMERICAN FORCES Advance to Germany APO 777 .. 6th Division (IV Corps)
Postmark Usage: 20 November 1918 - 28 May 1919
IN APRIL 1919, THE AMERICAN ‘6" DIVISION’ (IV CORPS) MOVED INTO GERMANY
AS PART OF THE ‘ARMY OF OCCUPATION’, STATIONED AT BAD BERTRICH
between 28 April - 19? May 1919, whereupon it was redeployed to Brest, France,
and returned to the United States.
17 APRIL 1919
“U.S. Army Post Office
MPES *777*”
Free-frank,
officer-censored (red-purple ink) cover,
sent to
Springfield, Illinois.
AMERICAN FORCES Advance to Germany APO 951 .. VI Corps (II Army)
Postmark Usage: 20 May 1919-18 July 1919
‘VI CORPS’ WAS STATIONED IN LUXEMBOURG & PORTIONS OF BELGIUM
between 19 December 1918 — 11 April 1919, whereupon its units were transferred to ‘Vil Corps’ in Germany
or redeployed to the United States.
‘APO 951’ WAS ORIGINALLY LOCATED AT LUXEMBOURG CITY.
19 JUNE 1919
“U.S. Army Post Office MPES *951*”
Free-frank, officer-censored (black ink) cover,
sent to Chicago, Illinois.
AMERICAN FORCES
ON 1 DECEMBER 1918 FORCES OF THE AMERICAN ‘THIRD ARMY’ CROSSED THE GERMAN
BORDER advancing fo fulfill their initial
missions of taking up their
designated positions of occupation
in the Rhineland.
Advance into Germany
German Border Crossing: 1 December 1918
American and Allied Advance to the Rhine December 14, 1918
9.210 20,30 40 50 Miles
“Dusseldorf es ee
ca
8 i? Aix-*;
KeGiay la-Cha elle Pon
° rh % Ne xxxx Mayen, Coblenz# Z
»
eReims
St. Mihiel\. Pont No a-Mousson \\.
ZL ANS N NN —xxXxX— Boundary of Zone of Advance a Bridgehead 18 Mite Radius
Ligny-en-Barrois,
iba ahah, International Boundary @EZazz Neutral Zone 6 Miles Wide
Br au
n,
H a y i n g e n
i. L
Ve rl
ag
Ge br
anys ox er
1 DECEMBER 1918
“U.S. Army
Post Office MPES
*No. 746” (4 Division, IV Corps)
Free-frank, military-censored soldier's mail, sent to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania,
postmarked on recorded day of crossing into Germany.
AMERICAN FORCES Advance into Germany Rhineland Occupation Locations
BY 21 DECEMBER 1918, Zone of American Army of Occupation, December 21, 1918
THE AMERICAN THIRD ARMY HAD ra
REACHED ITS ADVANCE-MISSION ct Boies &
OBJECTIVES AND ESTABLISHED N 4 i yt iy
UNIT HEADQUARTERS IN THE ‘ * = nines a GERMAN RHINELAND: | 3 ~ Hed oy DY
| ‘ £ One wied Montabaur
Third Army Advance.. Trier | So fern f Permanent.. Coblenz Sota NM mesg
@ rf BAL Bertrich &. es
ill Corps Neuwied BE * © Berncaste =
IV Corps Cochen = ViICorps — Witlich san a
1* Division Montabaur 24 Division Heddesdorf
3 Division Andemach 4h Division Bad Bertrich
E C’O ND sel
=»xxxx- Boundary of American Zone
32nd Division Rengsdorf —xxxx— Boundary between American Armies
42 Division Ahbrweiler 8| | 8 & Aleem enon Rounany 8 gth Division Kyliburg * Headquarters Third Army
9QIh Division Berncastel 2 ¥ 2S" Neutral Zane | Bridgeheacd
2D DIVISION {SIDIVISION =», 9O7# DIVISION.
4Z2 DIVISION ©
-
Each unit of the American Third Army had its own Insignia, occasionally illustrated on subsequent military or soldier correspondence.
AMERICAN FORCES Advance General Headquarters in Germany APO 930 .. Third Army
Postmark Usage: 25 January 1919- 10 August 1919
Advance General Headquarters 4% American Expeditionary Forces, Government Building, S@ Treves, Germany, GENERAL OPERATION
HEADQUARTERS during the advance
was initially located at
Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, and RELOCATED TO THE
GERMAN CITY OF TRIER
AS THE ADVANCE COMMENCED & UNTIL
ALL UNITS WERE SITUATED IN THEIR
RESPECTIVE RHINELAND
MISSION LOCATIONS.
Kis &
Mh pate. ee oe (5 a
NN Loong "0300 oe 2 5JANo9
25 JANUARY 1919
“Postal Express Service No 930”
(Earliest known usage.)
Free-frank officer-censored cover,
written by an airman affiliated with the ‘166™ Army Air Squadron’, sent to Dayton, Ohio.
AMERICAN FORCES Advance General Headquarters in Germany APO 930 .. Third Army
Postmark Usage: 25 January 1919-10 August 1919
‘GENERAL OPERATION HEADQUARTERS’ AT TRIER REMAINED UNTIL RELOCATED TO THE CITY OF COBLENZ (Rhine River Bridgehead) BY 1 JUNE 1919.
With the dissolution of the ‘Third Army’ in July 1919, the Trier District
was evacuated and replaced by French Forces (38" Division) by September 1919.
: ee THE
12 MARCH 1919 a
“Postal Express Service Me ae of Washington | look down
No 930 ~ \\ Upon this ancient German town
(Inverted postmark date ae And see the flag you loved fly free insertion in postmark.) > ae Upon the spire of Monarchy.
a Porta Niaee olden gate es Bete till stands in sombre ruinous state,
Free-frank censored, ates The officers of the U.S.A. : Patriotic View-Card, ‘ Go briskly to and fro each day.
sent to And soldiers, thousands aes ly ols Ns “rvi ee These ancient streets and try to ta ae
Port Jarvis, New York. é _ The German language with a”Oui” Bae ---Exponents of Democracy.
So far From home. Great Spirit guide
Our every step, that we with pride : May go back soon with laurels won,
Ye é a hear our loved ones say’Well Done“
wrxr"igy Dor jhe ce aii Oe
21 MARCH 1919
“Third Army .
APO 930” (Very early use of
German-
manufactured
postmark-stamp)
Free-frank officer-
censored cover,
written by an
airman affiliated with
the ‘166™ Army Air
Squadron’, “Army of
Occupation”, sent to Dayton,
Ohio.
AMERICAN FORCES Advance to Germany .. Coblenz Bridgehead APO 927 .. Third Army
Postmark Usage: 19 December 1918 — 2 July 1919
ONE OF THE EARLY MISSION OBJECTIVES OF THE ‘THIRD ARMY’ WAS TO REACH
& SECURE THE ‘COBLENZ BRIDGEHEAD’, strategic location of the convergence of both the Mosel & Rhine Rivers. By 7 December 1918, American Forces had reached the area around
Coblenz with occupation by 12 December 1918.
19 DECEMBER 1918
“Postal Express Service |, No 927" bg
Earliest Known Usage :
Free-frank, | 2 officer-censored, i
(red-purple ink) | 2 view-card, ea
sent to | : Philadelphia, sf
Pennsylvania.
12 FEBRUARY 1919
“Postal Express
Service
APO 927”
Free-frank,
officer-censored (black-ink)
cover,
written by a
member of the
Pioneer Infantry
of the “Army of
Occupation”, sent to
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.
AMERICAN FORCES Advance to Germany .. Coblenz Bridgehead APO 927 .. Third Army
Postmark Usage: 19? December 1918 — 2 July 1919
AMERICAN FORCES FIRST CHRISTMAS IN GERMANY (1918)
BY 24 DECEMBER 1918, AMERICAN FORCES HAD ARRIVED AT THEIR
DESIGNATED BASE LOCATIONS IN THE RHINELAND,
leaving a six-mile neutral zone between the occupation zone
and un-occupied Germany.
24 DECEMBER 1918
ENVIRONMENT
“Dear Mother,
T'was the night before Christmas,
And all over camp,
The rain fell in torrents,
O’ Lord it was damp...”
24 DECEMBER 1918
PRIDE & HONOR
“My dear Dad, Christmas Greefings
from your son,
now in a large city
in Germany,
now occupied by the
U.S. Army of Occupation,
fo which | belong and
proud of the honor...”
Reverse
AMERICAN FORCES Advance to Germany .. Coblenz Bridgehead Third Army Headquarters
EARLY OCCUPATION MILITARY LIFE
To alleviate forces’ boredom & melancholy,
or French Occupation Zones.
‘THIRD ARMY’ HEADQUARTERS PERMITTED EDUCATIONAL DAY-TRIPS to sightsee & visit other German cities in the American, British
DUTY, BOREDOM, LIFE & LIBERTY..
Reverse be
G ell funsit—well
ene free derty,
sts | ae
Date issuea WE b LTC, Ze Date ae
SK SIAL
fase No. ( Dates a | iach we Arona, |
SC ‘Berg frede Organization_F
Has perm ion to leave the Third Army Area bo visit Loe
By Direction: Malin Craig, Brie. -Genl... G58: Chief of Staff.
ONE-DAY MILITARY TRAVEL PASS
6 MARCH 1919 yy) Ay ore
‘ez Wahi 4/4 ‘Provost Marshall Third Army Headquarters’ ,
validity hand-stamp on : ‘One-Day Travel Pass’ for two officers to travel
from Coblenz (American Zone) to Cologne (British Zone).
Reverse
AMERICAN FORCES Civilian Permission to Travel “A.E.F. 3'¢ Army Provost Marshal”
Prior to signing the ‘Treaty of Versailles’,
‘AMERICAN-OCCUPIED RHINELAND’ WAS UNDER MARSHAL LAW REQUIRING CIVILANS TO APPLY FOR PERMISSION FROM THE CITY MAYOR & AMERICAN MILITARY
PROVOST MARSHAL’S OFFICE TO TRAVEL to localities in non-occupied Germany
3 Pan tel
31 JANUARY 1919
“Third Army U.S. Provost Marshal Authorization”
Travel document permitting a student living near Trier to travel ‘via Coblenz’ to Freiburg to continue his university studies.
AMERICAN FORCES Advance to Germany
Unit & Rear Base Censorship
DURING THE ADVANCE TO GERMANY, MAIL CENSORSHIP BY A UNIT-OFFICER WAS REQUIRED WITH OCCASIONAL REAR BASE
CENSORSHIP TAKING PLACE DURING THE EARLY PERIOD.
Until the ‘Treaty of Versailles’ had been signed by German authorities (28 June 1919), all American soldier mail during the occupation period was fo be censored by a unit-officer or by the rear-base postal unif.
eg Be ¥ eee le | ae So th N@ OS® CUOMO
NSS And aT UNIT & SS taeleehset 73% g heen
REAR-BASE DUAL Ly LAVAL UY F pe i518 y é -. j 2 t » 1 nn
CENSORSHIP ( \G \‘ S
Ww) /JURM B aS 16 DECEMBER 1918 Boies ta: ae
| 1 3 ‘\) usamyretonce nel dei. We Aas Gas MPES *746*” Nf VA oi , YRS \
ee ee ee tee hi, aa | Nf , aA y &
Free-frank, UV VATA MMA, } cz officer & rear-base cp WIA bya tag DSS x Na AIS (‘International’ Machine M4 Bis her 4 s 5 VM
Postmark) CO Ke me Vie (7 ry Jat
censored view-card, eid es a 5 TA
sent to EES Vy | ue Lanark, Illinois. ; AQ AAI MAA ries a
vs naa OP LO pT
eae : Raine Nirburg 700 m
mit Hotel zum Grafen von Hochstaden o Tel, 28 Bes.: WILH. FRINGS REAR-BASE SINGLE zugleich Besitzer des :
Hetel zum wilden Schwein, Adenau o © Tel. 27 CENSORSHIP
VW p , # #3 Oh htt ROR 17 JANUARY 1919
“U.S. Military Postal
‘sp Express Service * Fe aa No 746”
i Free-frank, rear-base-censored (‘International’ Machine
Postmark)
So Sea view-card, f sent to
Green Bay,
bee eg Wisconsin.
AMERICAN FORCES Advance into Germany
APO 710.. 2nd Division (Ill Corps)
Postmark Usage: 26 December 1918 - 13 July 1919
DURING NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 1918, THE ‘2"° DIVISION’ ADVANCED INTO GERMANY FROM VIRTON, BELGIUM, AND ARLON
& BROUCH, LUXEMBOURG. Between 7-13 December, it had reached its initial occupation
locations near the City of Coblenz.
26 DECEMBER 1918
“U.S. Army Post Office
MPES *710*” (French-Manvufactured
Hand-Stamp.. Earliest Known Usage Date
in Germany)
Free-frank
officer-censored (red ink)
Marine's Mail (6 Regiment),
sent to Chicago, Illinois.
63 71 >
LOU IS
OL AS ER ,
LEI PZI
G.
T T E E
T r e e
27 FEBRUARY 1919
“U.S. Military Postal Express Service
No 745" (American-Manufactured
Hand-Stamp)
Free-frank
officer-censored {green ink)
cover, sentto Portland, Oregon.
AMERICAN FORCES Principal Base - Heddesdorf (..heim) APO 710 .. 2nd Division (Ill Corps)
Postmark Usage: 26 December 1918 — 13 July 1919
THE ‘28° DIVISION’ OCCUPIED AREAS NEAR THE COBLENZ BRIDGEHEAD WITH HEADQUARTERS LOCATED AT HEDDESDORF (Heddesheim).
Unit’s mission involved training and readiness to advance into Germany
if the German Government's representatives did not sign the ‘Treaty of Versailles’.
APO MAILTO AN AMERICAN CIVILIAN
IN PARIS & RE-DIRECTED TO CANNES, FRANCE
9 FEBRUARY 1919
“U.S. Army Post Office
MPES *710*” (French-Manufactured
Hand-Stamp)
Free-frank, officer-censored mail
(green ink),
sent to Paris &
re-directed to
Cannes, France.
MILITARY -AFFILIATED
CIVILIAN MAIL
POSTMARKED ‘APO 710’
26 MAY 1919
“Third Army APO 710”
(German-Manufactured
Hand-Stamp)
Block of Twelve of ‘Washington’
One Cent Stamp used to frank
military- affiliated civilian non-free-frank mail.
AMERICAN FORCES Principal Base - Heddesdorf APO 710 .. 2nd Division (Ill Corps)
Postmark Usage: 26 December 1918 — 13 July 1919
SOMETIME IN MARCH 1919, AMERICAN UNITS OF OCCUPATION RECEIVED GERMAN-MANUFACTURED POSTMARKING HAND-STAMPS
INDICATING “THIRD ARMY”.
ae
30 MARCH 1919
“Third Army
APO 710” (German-Manufactured
Hand-Stamp)
Free-frank,
officer-censored mail (maroon ink},
sent to Wilkes Barre,
Pennsylvania.
2"¢ Division Insignia: ‘indian with Headdress
Within a Star’
embossed on reverse of ‘APO 710’ Cover
20 APRIL 1919
“Third Army
APO 710” (German-Manufactured
Hand-Stamp)
Free-frank,
officer-censored mail {black ink) sent to
Louisville, Ohio.
AMERICAN FORCES Advance into Germany APO 715 .. 42nd Division (IV Corps)
Postmark Usage: 10 December 1918 — 2 April 1919
THE 42° DIVISION ADVANCED INTO GERMANY FROM BELGIUM & LUXEMBOURG AND ESTABLISHED HEADQUARTERS AT AHRWEILER
(Ahr Valley) BY 14 DECEMBER 1918.
Their mission was to train and to maintain a state of readiness
until being re-deployed to the United States on 6 April 1919.
10 DECEMBER 1918 | | R
“U.S. Army Post Office | MPES *715*" | \
(French-Manvfactured begs Hand-Stamp.. ae ue
Earliest Known Usage Date
in Germany) fe yeh
Free-frank, bee \,
officer-censored pe (red-purple ink) =
view-card, ‘s ,
sent to
Lancaster, Ohio. | y
‘ EPP ein estas, 5
mn ; AK. &
\
ostkharfe , 4. .
\ RM or dalbehe i } : A ° : g Bee re
NV PABG21 — vepeshiare kunstoauckensien METZ &LAUTZ G.M B.¥. DARMSTADT,
ear bs ae AoW we SiO ome ee ee
12 DECEMBER 1918
“U.S. Army Post Office
MPES *715*” (French-Manufactured
Hand-Stamp)
Free-frank, officer-censored
(green ink)
cover, sentto
Davenport, lowa.
AMERICAN FORCES Principal Base - Ahrweiler APO 715 .. 42nd Division (IV Corps)
Postmark Usage: 10 December 1918 — 2 April 1919
NL HN
KS ts Pe | = ret gy |
id 20 =2y Postkayte
20 FEBRUARY 1919 | ; AN LA ra
“U.S. Army A, Ya Post Office Eo a aS
MPES *715*” | K nee
| Ng Free-frank, brea
officer-censored . q (purple ink)
view-card, | ° sent to Vay
Athens, Ohio. | A } :
7 F Ie yoyo é = ip ss th Oe aes
Lo ppneritecor lt b AIMLESS ¢% <p 0a ae |
P4 EE er 4p he ‘ aa, 72 |
| | 28 MARCH 1919
E | “U.S. Army Post
ae Office ae Z MPES *715*” ao f 3 us mies eG ; y
eo ss ie Free-frank, officer-censored
Geer | sent to = Bl AN | Delaware, Ohio.
See ese
fo E —_ , 0 :
2 APRIL 1919 AO - Ea sier @reeti ip) a pe G5) * AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FO 4
“U.S. Army Post ca tae ae ae se ARMY OF OCCUPATION & -
— | Y gare KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. | MPES *715*” | Se Ee 4
(latest known usage BNE : date) t ;
Cag ©. AeveAen | Free-frank, Ree ee enter eeatat RONL Seng chan gies i eaaeabaerewacunpossr cee st
officer-censored =a 4 (black ink) B22 Yd son OT. j Knights of | : a
Columbus’ Easter Basi aang Ot 4 Greetings Card, as :
sent to Lads Pre | Indianapolis, _ LAG enna ceeer esto pee easeeecasscereasses ts aoe WT a |
Indiana.
Es s
AMERICAN FORCES Advance into Germany APO 729 .. 1st Division (Ill Corps)
Postmark Usage: 7 December 1918-3 August 1919
THE ‘15' DIVISION’ AVANCED FROM AUDON-LE-TISCHE, FRANCE, &
HESPERANCE, LUXEMBOURG, ARRIVING AT COBLENZ ON
12 DECEMBER 1918.
Its initial mission was to occupy and secure the Coblenz
Bridgehead as well as maintain readiness.
7 DECEMBER 1918
“U.S. Army Post Office
MPES *729*" (French-Manufactured
Hand-Stamp..
Earliest Known Usage Date
in Germany)
Free-frank,
officer-censored {red ink)
cover, sent to
Phenix, Rhode Island.
; A | \ Wid \ Based on the Christmas
} Greetings Card
até i i of this cover, the
e yy / N ‘15 Division’ arrived at _ os Berncastel, Germany on
all rs ty, 7 December 1918.
14 DECEMBER 1918 Lea! CF, Z fo LG
“U.S. Army Post Office
MPES *729*” (French-Manufactured
Hand-Stamp)
Free-frank,
officer-censored (purple ink)
cover, sentto
Oakland, California.
AMERICAN FORCES Principal Base - Montabaur
APO 729.. 1st Division (Ill Corps)
Postmark Usage: 7 December 1918 —- 3 August 1919
THE ‘157 DIVISION’ ESTABLISHED ITS HEADQUARTERS AT MONTABAUR.
On 18 June 1919, the Division was ordered to prepare to advance
Upon signing on 28 June, the Division occupied ( by 19 July) the territory
into the German heartland in the event that German authorities
would not sign the Treaty of Versailles.
vacated by the American ‘29 Division’, having been deployed
to the United States.
12 MARCH 1919..
{The “8” of the"1918” year
slug was hand-altered to
“9” for year date “19”)
“U.S. Army Post Office MPES *729*”
Free-frank,
officer-censored (purple ink)
view-card, sent to
Greensburg, Pennsylvania.
e e
O w
M y
n n
K u n s t y e r l a g
L u d w i g
K l e m e n t ,
F r a n k f u r t
a M,
3 ~ - l / I - 1 9 1 G 6
De ut sc he
Bu rg en
un d
Sc hl ds se r.
D i e
M o s e l .
Ma l
Gg .
Ro th ge b.
We
&
Grifinburg bei Trarbach, Mitte des 14, Jahrhunderts erbaut von der Grifin Lau- Yetta v. Siarkenburg oder deren Sohn, Graf Johann II]. 1743 von den Franzosen zerstért. Herrlicher Moselblick. No, 10.
13 JULY 1919
MPES *729*"
Free-frank.
uncensored
view-card, (effective 2 July 1919
censorship
of military mail ceased)
sent to
Ada, Michigan.
1, Kobern, Altenburs !
\ 1 2. Schloss vy. d. Leyen : cok (Oberburg, Gondorf) |
“U.S. Army Post Office
AMERICAN FORCES Advance into Germany APO 734 .. 32nd Division (III Corps)
Postmark Usage: 10 December 1918-10 April 1919
THE ‘32"° DIVISION’ ADVANCED INTO GERMANY AND SETTLED NEAR THE TOWNS OF
DIERDORF & RENGSDORF having as its mission to maintain readiness and guard
the Coblenz Bridgehead.
In anticipation of German signing of a peace treaty and
reacting to American public pressure, the U.S. Military ordered a reduction of
occupation forces, resulting in the ‘32"¢ Division’ being redeployed
to the United States in April 1919.
10 DECEMBER 1918
“U.S. Army Post Office
MPES *734*” (French-Manufactured
Hand-Stamp)
Earliest Known
Usage Date in Germany
Free-frank,
officer-censored (green ink)
‘American Red
Cross’ cover, sent to
Lake Mills,
Wisconsin.
16 DECEMBER 1918
“U.S. Army Post Office
MPES *734*”" (French-Manufactured
Hand-Stamp)
Free-frank, officer-censored
(purple ink)
view-card,
sent to
Plymouth, Wisconsin.
AMERICAN FORCES
SOLDIER’S MAIL
18 JANUARY 1919
“U.S. Army
Post Office MPES *734*” (American-
Manufactured
Hand-Stamp)
Free-frank,
officer-censored {purple ink)
view-card,
sent to
Wainola, Michigan.
Advance into Germany
APO 734 .. 32nd Division (Ill Corps)
Postmark Usage: 10 December 1918 - 10 April 1919
ne ye r, N e u w i e d a.
Rh ei
n,
a Oy
6b ,
FE I,
OFFICER’S MAIL
28 FEBRUARY 1919
“U.S. Army Post.
Office MPES *734*”
(American-Manufactured Hand-Stamp)
Free-frank,
officer-written &
self-censored (black ink)
view-card,
sent to
West Salem, Wisconsin.
AMERICAN FORCES Principal Base - Rengsdorf APO 734 .. 32nd Division (Ill Corps)
Postmark Usage: 10 December 1918 — 10 April 1919
ee ee ee dill i as mh eee as N. Kihn - Set. Soldiers wail |
SOLDIER’S MAIL . Btrye A, S25rd Fe As F. American Ee Fe |
31 MARCH 1919 te ;
“Third Army |
APO 734” (German-Manufactured
Hand-Stamp)
Free-frank, officer-censored oho Miss Agnes Murray, grey 4 = (red ink) | FSF SN, Parkers Landing, Pennade, cover, sent to gs77 3) ON ox 284 T Parkers Landing, fief * =} — Pennsylvania. lan POD p}
\ | ly
I,
‘ EW Af-C Jo¢ ’
’
OFFICER'S MAIL
4 APRIL 1919
“Third Army
APO 734” (German-Manvufactured Hand-Stamp)
Free-frank officer-written & self-censored cover {red-purple ink),
sent to Cincinnati, Ohio.
AMERICAN FORCES Advance into Germany APO 740 .. 3rd Division (IV Corps)
Postmark Usage: 30 December 1918 — 23 July 1919
THE ‘3rd DIVISION’ ADVANCED FROM LUXEMBOURG AND ARRIVED AT THE
GERMAN TOWN OF MAYEN IN MID-DECEMBER having as its mission to train & to maintain readiness.
30 DECEMBER 1918
“U.S. Army Postal Service
No. 740” (French-Manufactured
Hand-Stamp.. Earliest Known Usage
Date in Germany)
Free-frank, officer-censored
{purple ink)
view-card,
sent to
Manistee, Michigan.
7 JANUARY 1919
“U.S. Army
Postal Service
No. 740” (French-Manufactured
Hand-Stamp)
Free-frank officer-censored
(purple ink)
‘YMCA’ Cover, sent to
Paxtang-
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
AMERICAN FORCES Principal Base - Andernach
APO 740 .. 3rd Division (IV Corps)
Postmark Usage: 30 December 1918 — 23 July 1919
Similar to the 2"4 g 4 Divisions between 19-27 June 1919,
THE ‘3rd DIVISION’ WAS ORDERED TO PREPARE TO ADVANCE INTO GERMANY’S HEARTLAND IN THE EVENT GERMAN AUTHORITIES DID NOT SIGN
THE PEACE TREATY AT VERSAILLES. Upon German signing on 28 June, the division stood down and was on
4 August 1919 redeployed to the United States.
29 MARCH 1919
“Third Army
APO 740” (German-Manufactured
Hand-Stamp)
Free-frank,
officer-censored (purple ink)
‘YMCA’ Cover,
sent to
Canfield, Ohio.
29 APRIL 1919
“Third Army
APO 740” (German-Manufactured
Hand-Stamp)
Free-frank, officer-censored
(purple ink)
‘YMCA’ Cover,
sent to
Spearfish, South Dakota.
AMERICAN FORCES Advance into Germany APO 746 .. 4th Division (IV Corps)
Postmark Usage: 1 December 1918 — 10 July 1919
THE ‘4th DIVISION’ ADVANCED FROM THE TOWNS OF BRIEY, HAYANCE & REMICH IN LUXEMBOURG INTO GERMANY AND SETTLED NEAR
THE TOWNS OF COCHEM & ADENAU, having as its initial mission to train and to maintain readiness.
16 DECEMBER 1918
“U.S. Army Post Office
MPES *746*” (American-
Manufactured
Hand-Stamp)
Free-frank, officer-censored
{purple ink)
view-card,
sent to
Thorntown, Indiana.
22 DECEMBER 1918
“U.S. Army Post Office
MPES *746*” (American-
Manufactured Hand-Stamp)
Free-frank,
officer-censored (black ink)
‘YMCA’ Cover,
sent to
Minneapolis,
Minnesota.
AMERICAN FORCES Principal Base - Bad Bertrich APO 746 .. 4th Division (IV Corps)
Postmark Usage: 1 December 1918 - 10 July 1919
Between 20 May — 5 June, the mission of the ‘4" Division’ was to guard area railheads & supply depots with subsequent similarity to the
2°4 & 3rd Divisions’ missions between 19-27 June 1919, THE ‘4th DIVISION’ WAS ORDERED TO PREPARE TO ADVANCE INTO GERMANY’S
HEARTLAND IN THE EVENT GERMAN AUTHORITIES DID NOT SIGN THE PEACE TREATY AT VERSAILLES.
Upon German signing on 28 June, the division stood down and was on
15 July 1919 redeployed to the United States.
19 APRIL 1919
“Third Army
APO 746” (German-Manufactured
Hand-Stamp)
Free-frank,
officer-censored (black ink)
view-card,
sent to Montclair, New Jersey.
6 MAY 1919
“Third Army
APO 746" (German-
Manufactured Hand-Stamp)
Free-frank, officer-
censored {purple ink)
‘YMCA’
- Cover,
sent to Fredonia,
New York.
AMERICAN FORCES Principal Base — Bad Bertrich APO 746 .. 4th Division (IV Corps)
Postmark Usage: 1 December 1918 — 10 July 1919
During its occupation of the Rhineland, APO 746 APPLIED FIVE DIFFERENT POSTMARK STYLES or types: American, French and German manufactured.
Cpe Se aaa a SO ORM A Q 7 {> Yaa" 4] 7 : f em Wpetige ese east
facta bese wee ene e wee seenes
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AMERICAN FORCES Principal Base —- Neuwied
APO 754 .. Headquarters Ill Corps
Postmark Usage: 18 March - 9 July 1919
UPON GERMAN SI
‘IH CORPS’ RET ITS DIVISIONS BET
WAS
GNING OF THE PEACE TREATY AT VERSAILLES ON 28 JUNE,
TO COMMENCE REDEPLO NT OF aa
S ORDERED WEEN JULY-AUGUST 1919 TO THE UNITED STATES
12 APRIL 1919
“Third Army
APO 754” {German-Manufactured
Hand-Stamp)
Free-frank,
officer-censored (purple ink)
view-card,
sent to
Brooklyn,
New York.
9 JULY 1919
“Third Army APO 754 "
(German-Manufactured Hand-Stamp)
pen 2B secaioin
Laresi Known
usage G —_
ees ee cnective
July 1919, = g
censoring Of
mil ss alemeatll
ceased.
i]
trerur peraren rary mail
Free-frank,
censor-free
‘YMCA’ Cover, sent to
West Milton, Ohio.
AMERICAN FORCES Advance into Germany
APO 761 .. 89th Division (VII Corps)
Postmark Usage: 17 December 1918 - 8 May 1919
THE ‘89™ DIVISION’ ADVANCED INTO GERMANY FROM
BELGIUM & LUXEMBOURG TO THE BORDER AT TRIER, LOCATION OF THE ‘AMERICAN THIRD ARMY ADVANCE HEADQUARTERS’.
19 DECEMBER 1918
“U.S. Army Post Office
MPES 761” (American-
manufactured Duplex
Hand-Stamp)
Free-frank, officer-censored
{purple ink)
cover, sent to
Farmington, Missouri.
20 JANUARY 1919
“U.S. Army Post Office
MPES 761” (American-
manufactured Duplex
Hand-Stamp)
Enclosure:
Acknowledgement of receipt with thanks for a gift
parcel.
Free-frank,
officer-censored {red ink)
cover, sent to
Indianapolis,
Indiana.
AMERICAN FORCES Principal Base - Kyllburg APO 761 .. 89th Division (VII Corps)
Postmark Usage: 17 December 1918 - 8 May 1919
THE ‘89™ DIVISION’S’ INITIAL MISSION WAS TO TRAIN, TO MAINTAIN READINESS, TO GUARD THE FRONTIER & RAILWAY NETWORK UNTIL BEING
REDEPLOYED WITH THE ENTIRE ‘Vil CORPS’ IN MAY 1919 TO THE UNITED STATES.
29 MARCH 1919
“Third Army
APO 761” (German-manvufactured
hand-stamp)
Free-frank,
officer-censored (purple ink)
‘Knights of ss I, cee Columbus’ | ee ¢ WU rere oni ,
j & t re a, a 4 o ~ Cover, sent to
Wyaconda,
Missouri.
GA acd. s, ced — ad SOREN 1 MAY 1919 e 3 aaa d f WF > !
oy +4 ts me “Third Army
Cede 4 Nees APO 761” v (German-
manufactured hand-stamp)
Free-frank,
officer-censored (purple ink)
‘YMCA’ Cover (Sender: Military
Police Battalion),
sent to
Lupton,
Colorado.
: Dope Sheet of this First Battalion. B54. Ent. Army ot Occupation, A. IK. mE.
3 No.
Salvage
[Some of the street car companies at | home would pull that old stunt of turning green with envy if they could see the umber of German children, men, women and U.S. soldiers that can be. put into one little billet room.
surprised | in the |
each |
Wouldn’t the parents be §f they knew you were usually house and in bed by seven o'clock évening. :
As one way to make the Kaiser pay we suggest a lone walk with a full pack.
Our idea of a useless calling i is. that of a real estate man in Vanebach oe in Hurope for that matter.
fhe folks at home no doubt made sacrifices during the war but they have | nothing on us who dwell in Pronsfeldand Ltinebach when it comes to lightless nights.
Did you ever think that the time would come when you would go wild over a half of a half-pound box of hard andy?
At home money belles.
ié also remarks. In- Genns ny
Cheer up, this isn’t so bad What | if you were trying to dig in in frozen ground right now?
Did you know that, so far as is known, this is the first regular -publicat- gon of its kind to be put out by members of the A. K. F. on German soil?
Put Something in the Box
In the K” of C. room there is a little box nailed upon the wall waiting to re- eeive good jokes for The First Call. If. you know ore on some comrade . write it | out and drop.it in the box, marking @ach contribution for the proper Company. The more stuff the better, so don’t hesi- that to fill up the box. - |
Liinebach, Germany,
| the Regiment are to go to Treves. | quota for the First Battalion
\isoldiers are to go.
time men of this
Volt January 26, 1919. :
‘ Leaves
ieee coming in winter may sound somewhat strange, but that, fortunately, is just what is happening in the area of the 354 Infantry. And believe the boys when they say these leaves are some re- lief (no pun intended), for they are fur- nishing a change of scenery long enough at least to break the monotony of dwell- ing in a single village as a member of the Army of Occupation.
Each thirty-six hours forty men from The
is twel¥e ‘men. The trip is to be made by train -and only men who show themselves good
Billets will be furnish- ed through the Red Cross.
With the exception of a few leaves granted at Cesse, France, this is the first.
Regiment have had a chance to relax a bit from regular duties «
| or fighting since arriving in France. Short though the play
| something to be | not to be lost by thoughtless acts of those -who are to go first.
time is +0 appreciated;
Cit Ww something
The Divisional Commander proved the passes to Treves following notation: —
- “Jt will be explained. i all concern- . ed that any failure to comply both in
has ap-
with the
Jetter and spirit with established rules as to conduct and appearance of men in Treves will inevitably result in withdrawal
| of further privileges to. make the trip.” From this it is readily seen. that
| whether or not all the men of the Bat- talion eventually get to enjoy the trip is entirely dependent upon the conduct of each man in ‘Treves’
to
AMERICAN FORCES Advance into Germany
APO 770.. 90th Division (VII Corps)
Postmark Usage: 26 December 1918 - 26 May 1919
THE ‘90th DIVISION’ ADVANCED INTO GERMANY AND WAS
LOCATED NEAR THE CITY OF TRIER IN THE TOWNS OF BERNCASTEL, DAUN & WITTLICH,
with its initial mission to guard the railway network.
1 FEBRUARY 1919
“U.S. Army
Post Office
MPES *770*” (Duplex
American-
Manufactured
Hand-Stamp
with “770” in
Obliterator)
Free-frank, officer-
censored (black ink)
cover,
sent to Chicago, Ilinois.
27 FEBRUARY 1919
“U.S. Army Postal Service
No 770” (Duplex
American-
Manufactured
Hand-Stamp without “770" in Obliterator)
Free-frank, officer-
censored (purple ink)
cover, sentto
Portland, Oregon.
AMERICAN FORCES Principal Base - Berncastel APO 770 .. 90th Division (VII Corps)
Postmark Usage: 26 December 1918 - 26 May 1919
AS PART OF THE ‘Vil CORPS’, THE ‘90th DIVISION’ WAS REDEPLOYED TO THE UNITED STATES IN MAY 1919.
16 APRIL 1919
“Third Army APO 770” (German-
Manufactured Hand-Stamp)
Free-frank,
officer-censored
cover, sentto
Wheeling, West Virginia.
PT. LEDODER CeO. Jo
Ae SO
9 MAY 1919
“Third Army
APO 770” (German-Manufactured
Hand-Stamp)
Free-frank, officer-censored
(blue ink)
‘YMCA’ Cover,
t sent to Rochester,
Minnesota.
AMERICAN FORCES Principal Base - Cochem APO 775 .. Headquarters IV Corps
Postmark Usage: 8 February — 15 April 1919
THE DIVISONS OF ‘Ill CORPS’ ADVANCED INTO GERMANY THROUGH LUXEMBOURG ALONG WITH ‘Il CORPS’ ABREAST AND
ESTABLISHED ITS HEADQUARTERS AT COCHEM, with its initial mission to supervise the training of troops.
pene eae rer es
Bs
Chi LM fobtson ne pet, GRP Div,
Alo. 740, Oe, 8
8 FEBRUARY 1919 po
“U.S. Army Post Office ~
MPES *775*" : (Duplex
American-
Manufactured
Hand-Stamp
with “775” in
Obliterator)
Free-frank,
officer-censored (purple ink)
cover, sent to oe ay Ottawa, Kansas. PAG
Ce oe
”
(iets oe ee coe oe
~ 21 MARCH 1919
“U.S. Army
Postal Service
No 775" (Duplex
American-
Manufactured
Hand-Stamp with aly fy hv
in Obliterator)
Free-frank,
officer-censored (purple ink)
view-card, sent to
Johnstown,
New York.
AMERICAN FORCES Principal Base - Wittlich APO 792 .. Headquarters Vil Corps
Postmark Usage: 24 December 1918 — 10 May 1919
THE DIVISONS OF ‘Vil CORPS’ ADVANCED INTO GERMANY TO THE REAR OF THE ‘Ill & IV CORPS’ THROUGH LUXEMBOURG AND
ESTABLISHED ITS HEADQUARTERS AT WITTLICH, with its initial mission to guard railroads, bridges, & ferries and exercise
general control of the area of the Luxembourg-German frontier.
On 11 May, the corps organization was discontinued with its headquarters and troops being transferred to other corps of the Third Army.
7 347UTR,R “YS. Army Cn. Forrece Post Office
MPES *792*” (Duplex
American- Manufactured Hand-Stamp with “792” in Obliterator)
24 DECEMBER 1918
Earliest known usage date
Free-frank,
officer-censored (purple ink)
cover, sent to
San Francisco,
California. i RRM OSS ES oh ae
25 JANUARY 1919
“U.S. Army Postal Service No 792” (Duplex
American-
Manufactured Hand-Stamp with “792”
in Obliterator)
Free-frank,
officer-censored (purple ink)
view-card, sent to
Johnstown,
New York.
AMERICAN FORCES Principal Base - Coblenz APO 927 .. Headquarters Third Army
Postmark Usage: 19 December 1918 — 2 July 1919
UPON GERMAN SIGNING OF THE PEACE TREATY AT VERSAILLES ON 28 JUNE 1919, THE ‘THIRD ARMY’ DESIGNATION DISCONTINUED ON 2 JULY
WITH ALL PERSONNEL & UNITS THEREAFTER DESIGNATED “AMERICAN FORCES IN GERMANY”
31 MAY1919
“Third Army
APO 927” (German-Manufactured
Hand-Stamp)
Free-frank,
officer-censored (black ink)
cover, sent to
Detroit, Michigan.
28 JUNE 1919
“Third Army
APO 927” (German-
Manufactured Hand-
Stamp)
Date of Signing of the Peace Treaty
of Versailles.
| Free-frank,
_ Officer-censored Fe (purple ink)
‘YMCA’ Cover,
sent to
Alliance, Ohio.
AMERICAN FORCES Principal Base - Coblenz ‘Services of Supply’ Command APO 934 .. Headquarters Third Army
Postmark Usage: 23 March - 11 August 1919
in anticipation of German signing of a peace treaty & reacting to American public pressure, the U.S. Military ordered a reduction of occupation forces commencing in May 1919.
TO SUPPORT THE EVACUATION TO THE UNITED STATES OF SELECTED DIVISIONS, ‘SERVICES OF SUPPLY’ (SOS) COMMAND (Neufchateau /Vosges, France),
TEMPORARILY ASSIGNED SPECIALIST OFFICERS & SUPPORT STAFF TO ‘THIRD ARMY GENERAL HEADQUARTERS’ AT COBLENZ TO COORDINATE THOSE EFFORTS.
THEIR DEDICATED APO-NUMBER AT COBLENZ WAS ‘APO 934’.
SOLDIER’S MAIL
7 MAY 1919
“Third Army
APO 934” (German-Manufactured
Hand-Stamp)
Earliest known Usage date.
Free-frank
officer-censored (purple ink)
‘YMCA’ Cover,
sent to
LeRoy, Illinois.
OFFICER’S MAIL
8 JUNE 1919
“Third Army APO 934"
(German-Manvufactured Hand-Stamp)
Latest known usage date.
Free-frank
officer-censored {purple ink)
French view-card,
sent to
Two of six examples known. Boston, Massachusetts.
AMERICAN FORCES Principal Base - Coblenz “Silesian Brigade” APO 927A .. Headquarters Third Army
“927-A” Indication on Mail: 10 April -— 21 June 1920
For overseeing the plebiscites in Upper Silesia & other parts of Germany, mandated by the ‘Peace Treaty of Versailles’, American Forces in Germany (AFG) were
temporarily increased with the 5" & 50" infantry Regiments from the United States in November 1919 for deployment to those areas.
The United States Senate never ratified the ‘Peace Treaty of Versailles’,
resulting in those units never being deployed to Silesia but remaining in the
Andernach area, with later integration into the ‘2rd Brigade’ of the ‘AFG’.
ALTHOUGH THE UNIT POSTAL ADDRESS FOR THE “SILESIAN BRIGADE” WAS “927-A”, HAVING NO DEDICATED POST OFFICE, MAIL WAS ROUTED OVER ‘APO 927’ IN COBLENZ.
10 APRIL 1920
“U.S. Army M.P.E.S. 927” “Enlist Today
Germany Army of
Occupation” (Universal
Postmarking
Machine Slogan
Cancel)
Earliest Known
“APO 927A” Endorsement
Free-frank ‘YMCA’ Cover, sent to
21 JUNE 1920
“U.S. Army
Post Office M.P.E.S. 927"
Address Endorsement:
“5th infantry, APO 927A"
Latest known usage for
“927-A” Unit mail.
Free-frank cover,
sent to Harriston, Virginia.
AMERICAN FORCES “Silesian Brigade”
21 JUNE 1920
“U.S. Army Post Office
M.P.E.S. 927”
Address Marking:
“5th Infantry, 24 Brigade,
A.F.G. APO 927A”
Latest known usage:
for “927-A” Unit mail.
Free-frank, cover,
sent to Harriston,
Virginia.
Principal Base — Coblenz
APO 927A .. Headquarters Third Army Address Markings: 10 April —- 15 November 1920
“5th” g. “50th” INFANTRY ADDRESS MARKINGS
15 NOVEMBER 1920
“U.S. Army M.P.E.S. 927”
“Enlist Today Germany Army of
Occupation” (Universal Postmarking
Machine Slogan
Cancel)
Address Marking: “50* Infantry, 2"4 Brigade”
Earliest Known “Enlist’..” Slogan
Marking Use
Free-frank,
“A.E.G.” Cover, sent to
Ann Arbor, Michigan.
AMERICAN FORCES ‘Machine Postmarks’
Type |
Principal Base — Coblenz
APO 927 .. Headquarters Third Army Type | Markings: 25 January — 9 September 1920
A MODEL ‘D’ ‘UNIVERSAL’ POSTMARKING MACHINE, operating at the Central A.E.F. Post Office at Bourges, France,
until 18 December 1919,
WAS TRANSFERRED TO ‘APO 927’ AT COBLENZ IN EARLY 1920.
Postmark Type I:
20mm dater dial & six wavy-line obliterator
SOLDIER’S MAIL
10 JUNE 1920
“U.S. Army M.P.E.S 927"
Free-frank cover,
sent to
Norwalk,
Connecticut
_™ —s_ Sc a erent nici. ed mre C
Sgt eM. B, MeCoy, : Postal Express Service., Soldiers Mail, U. 5S. Army, A.P.O.# 927. SSRN ae ore Amer, Forces In Germany. <u 19-O% ee
Mr. Loyal J. Cooper,
4 16 Grand St.,
Fa el “Anemones - vi FF owe
v), an sg = Si IN ac
259
Norwalk, Oonn, U.S.A.
CARTE PRS TALE
—— ~
a A
bo on
e e K
e < 2
i
= - Ca < = , (a = < o
=) ° a = < i
Ss r) oO Fe
wi 2 o z ° a
<
a
° = ° x Cs
a =
OFFICER’S MAIL
14 JUNE 1920
“U.S. Army M.P.E.S. 927”
Free-frank, View-card,
sent to
Missoula,
Montana.
AMERICAN FORCES Principal Base - Coblenz ‘Machine Postmarks’ APO 927 .. Headquarters Third Army
Type Il
‘YMCA’ CIVILIAN
EMPLOYEE MAIL
29 NOVEMBER 1920
“U.S. Army M.P.E.S 927”
Postage-franked ‘YMCA’ view-card,
sent to
Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Military service organization civilian employees were
permitted to use the military post office
but required to frank mail based on U.S. domestic rates.
1 Cent..
U.S. Domestic
Postcard Rate {Valid between
1 July 1919 —2 April 1925)
Type Il Markings: 15 November 1920 — 26 April 1921
Postmark Type Il:
20mm dater dial & slogan obliterator “Enlist Today Germany Army of Occupation”.
TUCK'S 2OSR CARD deen & NE 3
aa e CARTE pene Oy
aa. ty dps 3 PM i bod | ) ae E : By Appointment \e ie ay org rh ) ;
(oe Vets \ (927 2 :
B 5 2 9AMERICAN A. P. O. 927 = ag
ae COBLENZ es: GERMANY alls Ld
Dees ; = ey oovev
The Hastings
ve imine <Pore
EVAgianne.
of &- Ke Le. elo ae "SOLDIER'S MAIL.. An ft 0: ween : S - ee th < ey
(a
o e
>
| FESS - ASSIGNED TO ce AN oS x fe ‘INTER-ALLIED
-—- RHINELAND HIGH ARHYOF -o 4 <7, yo BUPATION: fio=_ COMMISSION
| Y 927. , ' (LA.RH-C,)
' Lets / Shy ee 26 JANUARY 1921
“U.S. Army M.P.E.S. 927”
. Free-frank,
cover, sentto
‘ Brantford, North Dakota.
AMERICAN FORCES Principal Base - Coblenz ‘Machine Postmarks’ APO 927 .. Headquarters Third Army
Type Ill Type Ill Markings: 30 April 1921 — 9 May 1922
Postmark Type III:
20mm dater dial & slogan obliterator
“Address Mail Legibly and Correcily”.
OFFICER’S MAIL.. ~ ADDRESS MAIl. iz
‘A.F.G. 7] WW Pst A Ki =
HEADQUARTERS’ (G \) BepieEY Biles ~ CORRECTLY
5 JULY 1921
“U.S. Army M.P.E.S. 927”
Free-frank, / .
cover, sent to / /} ss
Easthampton, | C24, | / ;
Massachusetts. // AA
j Ae pelts on
3a,
Otic crs Mail ye 3S ANE Ge iw RIY ANT e sae
PORRUCVA spe ENR eee Sas OFFICER’S MAIL
‘A.F.G.’
ARMY -AIR SERVICE
fips 20 DECEMBER 1921
i — la j vA cnr : “U.S. Army
M.P.E.S 927”
Free-frank, cover, sent to
ig s Joy — Easton, Maryland.
AMERICAN FORCES Principal Base - Coblenz ‘Machine Postmarks’ APO 927 .. Headquarters Third Army
Type Ill Type Ill Markings: 30 April 1921 — 9 May 1922
Postmark Type Ill: 20mm dater dial & slogan obliterator “Address Mail Legibly and Correctly”.
American Forces in Germany Christmas 1921
Y ee = enn aarti a a
Sa = | AD! RESS MAREE —— Q- DEC 8 : ras $2
< opi A) LEGIBUY ae CHRISTMAS eae | 4G IOSD (aes = Nay eh
Ri Sea ef Ee 8
GREETINGS MAIL . @ 3 tf a CORREGALY
FROM THE ‘MOTOR
TRANSPORTATION
SERVICE’ OF THE AMERICAN
FORCES
GERMANY
8 DECEMBER 1921
“U.S. Army M.P.E.S. 927”
Free-frank,
cover, sentio
Cortland, Ohio.
a
f hf, Spe 3 t PEO Se og CH aed SA bGEAE GY wat iy ch ae Cf atueoe
Reverse
AMERICAN FORCES Services of Supply - Antwerp U.S. Naval Supply Port
Postal Express Service A.P.O. 944
Usage: 13 May 1919- June 1920
ON 8 APRIL 1919, A BASE WAS ESTABLISHED AT ANTWERP, BELGIUM, THROUGH WHICH ALL SUPPLIES FOR THE
‘AMERICAN FORCES IN GERMANY’ WERE NOW BEING ROUTED, having ‘APO 944’ with mail prior to 2 July 1919
censored by the U.S. Naval Port Office.
U.S. NAVAL CENSORED
13 MAY 1919 ~
“Postal - Express
Service No. 944”
(American- Manufactured Hand-Stamp)}
Free-frank,
naval-port- censored (black ink)
‘YMCA’
Cover,
sentto |
Lemon
Grove,
California.
Only known
‘APO 944’
U.S. Naval
Port- POSTAGE DUE MAIL censored
covel. 6 OCTOBER 1919
“Postal Express Service
No. 944” (American-Manufactured
Hand-Stamp)
©) oN
oon - “te Mas. vis ae : vy _ Free-frank, postage-due, a Oar & : ¥ a, om un-censored view-card,
re ; a Be sent to ae Arrvcn— ‘in K \Ylera acthe, q Baa ama Springfield, Ohio.
; tothe United States through the Belgian Post Office, free-
franking was not valid but postage due was applicable.
- > Since this mail had been routed CHa Y2k3 oh mae Te 3
Er n.
Th il l,
B
Postage Due:
) 4 Cents..
> 2Cents.. UPU International
Postcard-Rate + 2 Cents Penalty
AMERICAN FORCES Services of Supply - Antwerp U.S. Naval Supply Port
“Third Army A.P.O. 944”
American Supply Port at Antwerp, Belgium, discontinued operation in June 1922. Its postmark “Third Army A.P.O. 944”
is known to have been used only between 13 June 1920 - 25 December 1921, with
LATE-DATE MAIL ROUTED THROUGH THE BELGIAN POST OFFICE.
‘ARMY \. de a rege NURSE CORP’ |
MAIL QO. .A. 44]
22 NOVEMBER [ena Sean 1920 \ Ag ~
“Third Army \ A.P.O. 944” (German- , ‘ ‘ _—
Manufactured “SU iy Ask OU, ie Hand-Stamp)
Free-frank
visiting-nurse’s
mail, sent to oy WSEAS
Albany, Chie A a Wee ee New York.
| | 3 |
: Ob, vo Ae de \ mee : ~ ;
LATE DATE MAIL
25 DECEMBER 1921
“Third Army A.P.O. 944”
(German-Manufactured Hand-Stamp)
Belgian-franked soldier's cover, postmarked at
Mrs. Med te | ‘A.P.O. 944’, sent to
Lily Simon. z . Hoboken, New | Jersey.
128 River Street.
Postage Due: 50 Centime.
Hoboken. N.d. | UPU Single-Weight international Letter-Rate.
One of two known Belgian- Franked
Covers.
AMERICAN FORCES Military Censorship Soldiers’ Mail & Auxiliary Markings
Censorship Period: 1 December 1918 - 2 July 1919
AS LONG AS A PEACE TREATY HAD NOT BEEN SIGNED BY THE GERMAN AUTHORITIES, TERMS OF THE ARMISTICE WERE STILL VALID, AND ALL MILITARY MAIL REQUIRED THE
SENDER’S NAME, UNIT & RANK FOR CENSORING BY AN OFFICER OFTEN USING AUXILLIARY HANDSTAMPS.
10 APRIL 1919
“Third Army APO 927”
Free-frank,
officer-censored (purple ink)
bya
“Captain, Sanitary Corps”
20 JANUARY 1919
“U.S. Army Post Office
MPES 746”
Free-frank
officer-censored (black ink) by a
“24 Lieutenant
U.S. Army”
| 3 ae 3 { wes
| 7 4 io ¥ 4 f woos ;
a / Holes © f } : i
eek , ] ud a € As ff tense buff,
rr
: Aetdlix 7 Therk. .
Ce be CL: ie (48 “7, 43 \ i
23 MAY 1919 . Be | Neca er A > ee <> Af
“Third Army ? } Vie. A Cer (4. / f SALVO. APO 927”
Free-frank, S09 P a: 2. f WF 7 pe 7%
officer-censored i" “es ; (purple ink) ass Se 4 A by a faa ss —. Le ter,
“Captain 154%, O7
U.S.Army, A.E.F." ‘. 1 ff / we Por.
41.4. Q,
AMERICAN FORCES
11 JANUARY 1919
“Postal Express
Service No. 927”
Free-frank,
officer-censored (purple ink)
by a lieutenant in the
“Air Service”,
sent to
Scotia, New York.
Military Censorship
Officers’ Mail
Censorship Period: 1 December 1918 - 2 July 1919
‘OFFICERS’ MAIL WAS SELF-CENSORED.
, a Be =
ee _
ee a Se cat a7 fe Eee PR yes é Eid a fE &
(PUM ERG APIS BF
fe : Y
a wt a ees
bg ae
Nas /VrRTLE ORM GER
(OO SIE Ss S7-
a Wee ae ees
Neu Fores i
J
Cel Rebert Davis
“ony ARA a =
| MADD
ortieds Sete adist FA. . 49 40. V9
fee \ Kt : eee
Sey a
30 APRIL 1919 The Unien Bank Note Co
Kansas City “Third Army Me. USA APO 761”
vr Leo Crabbs Free-frank, officer-censored
(red-purple ink}
by a colonel in the
“3415! Field
Artillery”, reese sent to
=/ Kansas City, Missouri.
AMERICAN FORCES Military Censorship
Honor Envelopes
Censorship Period: 1 December 1918 - 2 July 1919
“BLUE HONOR ENVELOPES" (USED BY SOLDIERS FOR FORWARDING PERSONAL OR FAMILY MAIL
WITHOUT HAVING SUCH BEING READ BY OFFICERS KNOWN TO THEM) WERE AVAILABLE TO A.E.F. MEMBERS IN FRANCE AND
COULD LATER BE USED BY FORCES IN GERMANY. Such envelopes were not subject to unit censorship,
but subject to possible rear-base censorship.
Similar ‘Green Honor Envelopes’ were used by the British Expeditionary Forces
AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES Blue Envelope Authorized by
Paragraph 10, G. 0. No. 13
Must not be used for money or valu- ables. Cannot be registered. Not to be censored regimentally but liable to censorship at the Base.
I certify that the enclosed letter or
Countersigned :
Kms eso a
Rank
rs oO emma
\
~SOLDIER’'S. LETTER
More than afhetléttep tray be sent in this envelope. | this case, it-simpyld be addressed, ‘‘ Base Censor.”
fy A SY <n Aon — ee
ALE ~
ede
~~ Address-only) = 9 ad at /
WS LG I TE Vinge Q f ~ -
tY ye Hi / } 7% 2 if (yi af
J Oe Bs cc bsg (2 VG, L |
: Z : f CA HAA A
igs rd
‘ ao a4 Vly ae
4 JANUARY 1919
“U.S. Army Post Office MPES 7—”
Free-frank, rear-base-censored ‘Honor Envelope’
{red ink)
sent to Puyallup, Washington
AMERICAN FORCES Repeal of Military Censorship Officers’ Mail
Effective: 2 July 1919
Upon German signing of the ‘Peace Treaty at Versailles’ on 28 June, the designations ‘Third Army’ & “Army of Occupation" were renamed ..
“American Forces in Germany”, ALONG WITH REPEAL OF CENSORSHIP FOR ALL SOLDIERS’ & OFFICERS’ MAIL.
American Censorship of German civilian and commercial mail continued until
10 January 1920, when the ‘Treaty of Versailles’ took effect.
MARINE’S MAIL
11 JULY 1919
“Third Army APO 710”
Free-frank,
un-censored
‘Knights of
Columbus’
Cover, sent to
Stulville, Missouri.
OFFICER'S MAIL
5 AUGUST 1919
“Third Army APO 927”
Free-frank,
un-censored ‘YMCA’ Cover,
sent to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
AMERICAN FORCES Military Unit Insignia
APO 710.. U.S. Marines
The unit was a unit of the ‘Army of Occupation’...
after 2 July, ‘American Forces in Germany'
until re-deployment to Quantico, Virginia, on 8 August 1919,
its permanent Marine Base established in 1918.
THE ‘4™ MARINE BRIGADE’ (2° DIVISION, Ill CORPS ... APO 710)
WAS THE ONLY UNIT WHICH PRINTED THEIR OWN INSIGNIA LABELS ..
‘INDIAN WITH HEADDRESS’ IN A CIRCLE, applied to out-going marines’ mail.
2 APRIL 1919
“Third Army
APO 710”
Free-frank, officer-censored
(blue ink), cover, sent to
La Grande, Oregon.
Ge M1 isissgy i SQ fe ALL ADGIE
3 MAY 1919
“Third Army APO 710”
pA ee Free-frank, cen AA pil itn, VOOR | — officer-censored
Se view-card, wT ft? sent to
og +--+ 2-2 --- ; can Shelbyville, Illinois.
win pitino? ? G / Pp) ILT .
oe ron r Rey ae fon ee sete eens tee e tee oe eeeee ee eeen ee |
oe <€ Pree we) :
Un € PX
AMERICAN FORCES Military Unit Insignia
APO 740.. 4 Infantry
THE ‘4™ INFANTRY BRIGADE’ (3®° DIVISION, Illi CORPS ... APO 740)
HAD LOCALLY -PRINTED ATTRACTIVE STATIONERY.
Between 5-31 August 1919, the unit was redeployed to
the United States & demobilized.
U7 A™. INF. 3®° DIV. ‘Ay, (ff ARMY OF OCCUPATION
G2.
Ranma AF. AF AE
a ee <2 as =
: é ze -- ,Col 4 sii, Altace ys
| a. 7 :
U7 a INF. 3 DIK Jd ARMY OF OGCUP Ryne? | Zo
ws LPG Krt ss ee y az Lae TOR
22 MAY 1919
“Third Army
APO 740”
Free-frank officer-censored (purple ink)
decorative cover & stationery. sent to
Audubon, lowa.
AMERICAN FORCES Military Unit Insignia APO 761 .. 3415 Field Artillery APO 927 .. 164th Field Artillery
APO 927.. 164! FIELD ARTILLERY
(Grenzhausen)
6 APRIL 1919
“Third Army A.P.O. 927”
Free-frank
officer-censored (black ink)
cover,
re-directed to
Prescott,
Washington.
APO 761.. 314th FIELD ARTILLERY
OFFICER'S MAIL
16 MARCH 1919
“Third Army A.P.O. 761”
Free-frank officer
self-censored (blue-green ink)
cover, sent to
New York City.
AMERICAN FORCES Welfare Organizations
Masonic Club
TO SUPPORT AMERICAN FORCES, A NUMBER OF WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS, STAFFED BY CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES, ESTABLISHED
BRANCHES IN FRANCE & GERMANY DURING WORLD WAR I & THE OCCUPATION PERIORD,
offering the troops writing stationery, use of library facilities,
and other conveniences gratis.
Gapt- A.E,Buncan.
Hq.6th,Brig, 3rd, Nason ¢ 3 U,S, Army ny ACB. O. 748, MCE. F., A. 0. O
re ; }
Miles
Miese Helen M Ripley
fee eas ce (5, ME North Chelmsford, Wass.
f , \ = '
< OK Ua
.. ®
r F
m eo r i
‘MASONIC CLUB’ OF APO 740 (3 Division Headquarters)
AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE
ARMY OF OCCUPATION
4 JULY 1919
“Third Army
APO 740”
Free-frank
officer's self-censored (red-purple ink) cover,
sent to
North Chelmsford, Massachusetis.
AMERICAN FORCES Welfare Organizations
Knights of Columbus
In addition to the gratis conveniences offered by welfare organizations,
THE ‘KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS’ FURNISHED SOLDIERS WITH HOLIDAY
GREETING CARDS FOR MAILING HOME ALONG WITH AN ‘OFFICERS CLUB’ for commissioned officers.
‘KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS’
CHRISTMAS 1918 GREETINGS CARD
29 DECEMBER 1918
“Army Post Office MPES 746”
Despite the card’s indication
“Somewhere in
France”, card written & sent
through ‘APO 746’ in Germany.
Text:
“Bingen on the
Rhine”
Free-frank, dnp, PScansoer 3.6%. Paris
rear-base a cee SW
censored,
postcard
sent to Oakland,
California.
‘OFFICER’S CLUB’ .. ‘KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS’ STATIONERY
22 MAY 1919
“Third Army
APO 740”
Free-frank
officer’s self-censored {purple ink)
cover,
sent to Albany, New York.
AMERICAN FORCES Welfare Organizations
Knights of Columbus
‘KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS’ ‘EASTER GREETINGS’ CARDS FOR SOLDIERS
28 MARCH 1919
“Third Army APO 746”
Free-frank, => officer-censored
(red-purple ink)
postcard, sent to
Clearfield County, Pennsylvania
EasterGreetings | AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES —
i _ ARMY OF OCCUPATION —— KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, .
Ms as 29 MARCH 1919
| “Third Army
| | APO 930”
ae Free-frank officer-censored
: | (purple ink)
postcard. sent to
Erie, Pennsylvania.
BS aa S te ad
AMERICAN FORCES Welfare Organizations
Knights of Columbus
‘KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS’ ‘ARMY OF OCCUPATION’ STATIONERY
15 MARCH 1919
“Third Army APO 927"
“Evacuation
Hospital No. 22” (Coblenz)
Free-frank,
officer-
censored (purple ink)
cover,
sent to.
East Liverpool,
Ohio. |
14 JUNE 1919
“Third Army APO 930”
“39 Pioneer Infantry”
(Trier)
Free-frank officer-censored
(purple ink)
cover, sent to
Schenectady, New York.
AMERICAN FORCES Welfare Organizations American Red Cross
‘AMERICAN RED CROSS’
‘AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE’ STATIONERY
OFFICERS MAIL
ON ACTIVE SERVICE AMERICAN RED CROSS
AMERICA ch ane RCE
6 APRIL 1919
2 Ph Ee Oe “Third Army NAME ...< To as LETHAIER A, HL, &,
APO 927" (2TH Agfa Pf,
“12! Aero AimeéR. EF ee" Squadron” ese many we x06 — . — fh. be. Sb
ERIM ALY FT
Free-frank, officer
self-censored (black ink)
Cover,
sent to
Scotia,
New York.
10 MAY 1919
“Third Army
APO 930”
“715" Engineers”
Free-frank, officer
self-censored (black ink),
Cover,
sent to
Santa Monica, California.
AMERICAN FORCES Welfare Organizations The Saivation Army
10 JANUARY 1919
Free-frank, officer -censored
{red-purple ink)
cover, sent to
Bayme City, Michigan.
21 MARCH 1919
“Third Army
APO 740"
Free-frank officer
self-censored (purple ink)
cover, sent to
Anderson, Indiana.
"ENLIST TODAY ie 15 FEBRUARY GERMANY
1921
- y q . i ‘
or ik 7 j % : St “ Enlist Today .. OD ce ‘ Germany ..
Army of Arm aft
:
Occupation” cues ; (B ro ~
Free-frank 2 a
uncensored ; ;
cover, sent fo Boston,
Massachusetts. | : Cle, re , Dg Ge
AMERICAN FORCES Welfare Organizations American YMCA
‘CHRISTMAS CARDS’ ..
AMERICAN FORCES’ FIRST CHRISTMAS IN GERMANY 1918
pe Pt.Waldo E.Mayer A | ‘Soldier's APO#O27. AEF.
22 DECEMBER 1918
“Postal Express Service
No 927”
Mrs. Leo I, Mayer, |
350 W. 29th Place,
Chicago, 31.
CR RES RISTPV\AS
Free-frank,
officer-censored (purple ink)
view-card,
sent to
Chicago, Illinois.
Miss Mae M. Schaer,
from France, where we hight lor Peace 2943 S. Wallace St.,
lo America, where our loved ones dwell in Peace
We soldiers of the AEF.
Send home our loving greetings, on
Christ's great Day of "Peace.
Chicago, Till,
wv. S. A.
De YMIC.A DevambezParis |
AMERICAN FORCES Welfare Organizations
American YMCA
‘AMERICAN YMCA’ ‘ARMY OF OCCUPATION’ STATIONERY
26 FEBRUARY 1919
“Postal Express Service No. 927”
Free-frank,
officer-
censored (black ink)
cover,
sent to Akron, Ohio.
7 MARCH 1919
“Postal Express Service
APO 927”
Free-frank,
officer-censored (purple ink}
cover,
sent to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
AMERICAN FORCES Welfare Organizations American YMCA
‘MOTHER’S DAY’ STATIONERY
11 MAY 1919
“Third Army, A.P.O. 754”
(Ill Corps,
Neuwied)
Free-frank,
officer-
censored (black ink)
cover,
sent to.
Denver,
Colorado.
13 MAY 1919
“Third Army, A.P.O. 770” (90'" Division, Berncastel)
Free-frank
officer-
censored (black ink)
cover,
- sent to
Fredell,
Texas.
AMERICAN FORCES Welfare Organizations American YWCA & Exchange Office
AMERICAN ‘YWCA’ HOSTESS HOUSE (TRIER'SCHER HOF HOTEL IN COBLENZ)
WELFARE-ORGANIZATION CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE MAIL WAS SUBJECT TO FRANKING AND
HAD TO BE OFFICER-CENSORED WHEN MAILED THROUGH THE MILITARY POSTAL SERVICE.
American Exchange
5 Pfg Coin Unit (Stamp encapsulated)
on Reverse)
23 APRIL 1919
“Third Army APO 927"
Free-frank, | officer-
censored (purple ink)
view-card of
“YWCA Hostess
: House” in i Coblenz,
: sent to
APO 706
‘AEF Band Master School’,
France
SMAY1919 @ ———
“Third Army APO 927" AMERICAN Y. W.C. A. HOSTESS HOUSE
TRIER’SCHER HOF :
COBLENZ. Franked,
civilian welfare-
organization employee
‘YWCA' Cover,
officer-
censored (black ink),
sent to- Holyoke,
Massachusetts.
3 Cents..
Single-weight US-domestic letter-rate
{2 November 1917
- 30 June 19719)
AMERICAN FORCES American Civilian Employee Mail Postcards
28 MAY 1919
a eas . . “Third Army ’ APO 927"
i, Oo an woe eed Franked, - ep > ee eee officer-censored
(black ink)
view-card , sent to
Los Angeles,
California.
Oo |
+t
“ w e p s o u d “ H “ g m p 0 0
F 19%
2 Cents..
U.S. domestic
postcard-rate (2 November 1917 -
30 June 1919)
6 DECEMBER 1919
“Third Army
APO 9327”
Franked,
view-card, uncensored,
sent to
Chicago, Illinois.
1 Cent.. US-domestic postcard-rate
(1 July 1919 - 2 April 1925)
AMERICAN FORCES American Civilian Employee Mail
‘Victory’ Stamp Franked Cover
3 APRIL 1919
“Third Army APO 734” (Rengsdorf)
‘Victory’ Stamp-franked American civilian employee cover, officer-censored (purple ink), American ‘YMCA’ stationery ,
sent to Detroit, Michigan.
3 Cents.. U.S. domestic single-weight
letter-rate (2 November 1917 -
30 June 1919)
Only known ‘Vicfory' Stamp usage on APO-Mail from Germany.
AMERICAN FORCES American Civilian Employee Mail
Covers
4 JUNE 1919
“Third Army APO 927”
Franked,
officer-censored (black ink)
‘YMCA’ Cover, sent to
“Brentano's” (Book Store),
Paris, France.
3 Cents.. U.S. domestic single-weight
letter-rate (2 November 1917 -
30 June 1919)
27 OCTOBER 1919
“Third Army APO 927”
Franked cover, uncensored,
sent to Clemson College, South Carolina.
& ee
Ee %
ic s
7
2 Cents.. US-domestic single-weight,
letter-rate (1 July 1919 -
5 July 1932)
AMERICAN FORCES Registered Official Mail Covers
Official registered mail was free of franking
except for the registration service fee.
10 APRIL 1919
“A.E.F Postal Express Service No 930
Registered”
Franked
official cover,
officer-censored (black ink),
sent to
“The Chief Disbursing
Officer, Air Service,
Paris, France”
10 Cents..
US-domestic registration fee
AMERICAN FORCES Registered Non- Official Mail In- & Out-Bound
OUT-BOUND REGISTERED MAIL
anal
16 JUNE 1919 om= : eer
Bibert W, Morrison, : Ist. Lieut. {.M.C.
ifiackeshamped) Graves Registration vervice. Postal Express Hdars. Srd. Army, 0.0. ji.
Service A.P.0.4927. American EF y Registered \y y APO 927” (Coblenz) 4 . Gy ry) ; roe
\we Franked
non-official,
officer self-censored (black ink)
cover, sent to
Mahomet/re- directed to
Sadorus, Illinois.
MRS. ELBERT 4. «MORRISON, i¢
oe Sgro ee Ca
3 Cents.. Single-
Cf, , ILLINOIS.
, y, CAcCy
Weight UcseAs
US-Domestic
Letter Rate +
10 Cents.. Registry fee
13 Cents..
Ist. Lieut. ©
IN-BOUND REGISTERED RETURNED-TO-SENDER
—~ or MAIL
4 NOVEMBER 1918
(Back-Stamped)
“Postal Express Service Registered APO 746” (Bad Bertrich)
Franked, in-bound
non-official,
uncensored cover, postmarked at
Erie, Pennsylvania, sent to
“Walter L. Young
AEF 77" Field Artillery”, unknown upon arrival, re-directed & finally returned to sender on
20 April 1919.
13 Cents.. 3 Cents.. Singie-Weight
US-Domestic Letter- Rate
rte
10 Cents.. Registry fee
AMERICAN FORCES
OFFICER’S MAIL
7 DECEMBER 1918
(blue ink)
“U.S. Army Postal Service
M.P.E.S. APO 927” (Trier)
Free-frank,
officer self-censored (purple ink)
view-card,
sent to “Captain W.L. Tower
(Marine Corps)
Evacuation Hospital
A. E. F. *
(APO 747 = Mail Transfer Center)
_WAR DEPAXYEMENT. se
Fst SG batho) ad
Inter-Unit Mail
INTER-UNIT MAIL WAS SENT THROUGH THE MILITARY POSTAL EXPRESS SERVICE
gall vas Le ee | Speed base
¢ Qe Cc, a 1%: ik.
See re a Fe. fa Wik, nd eg u7 & VTE Kies hind “oo. ij
WL; Ma) IP BP a
aioe bale if Oh ae tn H Sef. fie is ee JTW, is
LAA ett a Sy eae Co fi 7, , Cr
u hes fg tray 5A Cr. fhurd vr ‘ Cota Cor z ered. Nrvped ee 83 |
fg FO. a | > er
GA os E es, @ &
C4 OSS, : A s
4 8
. i CN i 197621 }
OFFICER’S MAIL
6 JULY 1919
“Third Army
APO 740” (Andernach)
Free-frank,
manuscript-
censored cover,
postmarked at
‘APO 740’, sentto
“Captain U.P. Scobey 2" Division .., Heddersdorf,
Germany” (APO 710)
7 QLA_AA fe Ae ¢
AMERICAN FORCES Re-Directed & Forwarded Mail
APO 727 Coblenz (Germany) to
APO 742 82"9 Division (France)
_ 7 t OREO 9 55s pares ORT a ripe a —_
SS ee oa she. es: “ yee b teense: ae
es est af ewok « iB : perro eaten is 4 } | wt
A $
}
Spee ogee hey
eas hy Evie anette
. 2b PEI § LGA Bos v a ik Mr tol Real Rose 7 2 ao
"On Oh GENENLE
25. MARCH 1919 APO 727 to APO 742..MILITARY POLICE/FRANCE ps
28. MARCH 1919 "NO RECORD OF RECIPIENT" AT APO 742
2. APRIL 1919 APO 742 REDIRECTS LETTER TO APO 910...
QUARTERMASTER - POSTAL SECTION
11. APRIL 1919 APO 910 INDICATES RECIPIENT 15S
"UNASSIGNED/NO RECORD"
23. JULY 1919 APO 910 APPLIES "NO RECORD" DATE STAMP &
POSTMARK... "ADDRESSEE RETURNED TO U.S.A." |
eee epee oe i 3 < Se = i em
Sa cae tof NSS oe f Sara ees j ome Namen aia eee GE Be re BP
American Expeditionary Forces gee :
- . ee oe POM INOY ‘4 me Sai pa eer wat US
Knights of Columbus ; one gb) ‘ ‘ Biter wefan thE os
OVERSEAS SERVICE pe Pa ra ") ‘Se: i a . a we
de as Sees oo fines Set SONG apes ett nna Ne Nes ee oan Oe es CH eS tes oR eet exp
FROM he poll Se { Zi A se i nage
J = asi ES . i
\ E
ie
aie 2B
TY o f of I n
if oe (
phi oN : rae F tbr
aX } fe co EPS ey 2 > Eo fo Fy
bite ff 4
/ y
sete ca ee
o e
AMERICAN FORCES
OUT-BOUND MAILTO FRANCE
21 MARCH 1919
“U.S. Army Post
office M.P.E.S. APO 729”
(Montabaur)}
Free-frank,
reply cover, sent from
“18 Infantry” (cachet hand-stamp)
censored (purple ink),
sent to
“The Farmers’ Loan
Soldiers’ Mail to Foreign Destinations
France & ltaly
OUT-BOUND MAIL TO ITALY
28 JULY 1919
“Third Army
APO 927" (Cobienz)
Free-frank,
‘YMCA’ Cover,
postmarked at
APO 927 (military police),
sent to Trieste, ltaly,
with Italian military
censorship
upon arrival.
AMERICAN FORCES Army Air Service
An independent air force did not exist during World War I, but “air squadrons” were part of the
“ARMY AIR SERVICE”
OFFICER’S MAIL
7 MAY 1919
“Third Army APO 927” (Coblenz)
Free-frank, officer
(Capt. R.S. Ripley,
2% Aero ’ Squadron)
self-censored cover, sent to
New York City
10 APRIL 1919
Free-frank, officer (Lt. Beymer, 12 Aero Squadron)
self-censored cover,
sent to
Scotia, New York
SOLDIER'S MAIL
25 MAY 1919
Free-frank,
‘YMCA’ Cover, officer-censored
(F. Cavender,
463'9 Aero Squadron),
sent to | Silverton, Oregon. |
|
AMERICAN FORCES Bugler's Mail Company “C”, 39" Infantry
With their rank and unit identification necessary to obtain free-franking validity for mail,
soldiers having a
SPECIALTY FUNCTION in the American Forces, would indicate
such in their return-address.
14 MAY 1919
“Third Army APO 746” (Bad Bertrich)
Free-frank,
officer-censored {purple ink)
cover, sent to
East Paris, Maine.
AMERICAN FORCES Chaplain’s Mail
~ ~
8 MARCH
1919
“U.S. Army
Postal
Service (APO) 710” (Heddesdorf)
Free-frank, officer self- censored (black ink)
‘Knights of
Columbus’ Cover sent to
“Right Rev. R.
J. Hayes” New York, New York.
a ate a vee aa
ag. AVE Cat They
£. ya. Veep — . 40.947 Am. b&TS
8 JULY 1919
“Third Army APO 927” (Coblenz)
Free-frank,
: officer (manuscript) Y self-censored
peat (Cee George f feng te cover,
ON sent to
ee Onde “Rev. George J. Waring”
AMERICAN FORCES Cook’s Mail
19 APRIL 1919
“Third Army
APO 740” (Andernach)
Free-frank,
officer-
censored
Cover, sent to-
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
31 MARCH 1919
“Third Army APO 740” (Andernach)
Free-frank, officer-censored (purple ink) cover,
sent to St. Joseph, Missouri.
AMERICAN FORCES Journalist Corps
JOURNALISTS were not independent/segregated from the forces In World War |, but WERE PART OF THE MILITARY.
All war and occupation news releases were communicated & monitored by military ‘Journalist Corps’ personnel.
Ee R E T e E S
A aR
Se a
ae
h a
7, ra e
oS e g e t ) ! A
AE a l e ee
08
5 ae
4 ‘
ma l
|
-
: 3
i a
| A
JOURNALIST MAIL TO THE ‘LOS ANGELES EXAMINER’ NEWSPAPER
18 JUNE 1919
“Third Army
APO 927” (Coblenz)
Free-frank,
officer (Colonel H.C. Nutt)
self-censored cover,
sent to
Los Angeles, California.
AMERICAN FORCES Marines’ Mail
Marines of the ‘4"" Marine Brigade’ (2"4 Division, Ill Corps, APO 710)
INDICATED “MARINES MAIL” ON THEIR OUT-GOING MAIL
with or without unit insignia labels ..
(‘INDIAN WITH HEADDRESS’ IN A CIRCLE).
22 APRIL 1919
“Third Army
APO 710”
Free-frank
officer-censored (purple ink)
view-card,
sent to
Helena, Oklahoma.
censored {purple ink)
sent to
Gualala,
California
Reverse
AMERICAN FORCES Medical Corps Mail
OFFICER’S MAIL
30 March 1919
“Third Army
APO 740” (Andernach)
Free-frank,
officer
self-censored (purple ink)
Cover,
sent to
Anderson, Indiana.
SOLDIER’S MAIL
3 APRIL 1919
“Third Army APO 740” (Andernach)
Free-frank,
officer-censored (black ink}
cover,
sent to
York, Pennsylvania
AMERICAN FORCES
OFFICER’S MAIL ‘STATION HOSPITAL’
15 APRIL 1921
“U.S. Army M.P.E.S. (APO) 927”
(Coblenz)
“Enlist Today
Germany Army of Occupation” _
Free-frank, view-card,
sent to
Chicago, Illinois.
Medical Corps Hospital Facilities
NURSE’S MAIL TO FRANCE
28 AUGUST 1919
“Third Army APO 927” | (Coblenz)
Free-frank, view-card
sent to
Paris, France.
AMERICAN FORCES
OFFICER’S MAIL “FIELD HOSPITAL 127”
23 JANUARY 1919
“U.S. Army Post Office | M.P.E.S.
(APO) 734” (Rengsdorf)
Free-frank, officer self-censored ©
(Capt. H.M. Carter,
Marine Corps)
cover, sent to
Oberlin, Ohio.
Medical Corps
Hospital Facilities
HOSPITAL PATIENT'S MAIL
SENT HOME TO ‘MOM’.
29 MARCH 1919
“Third Army APO 746" (Bad Bertrich)
“Dear Mother, Just a line fo let you know |
am in the Hospital with mumps..”
Free-frank, ‘American Red Cross’
Card, sent to
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
AMERICAN FORCES Medical Corps Evacuation Hospitals
SOLDIERS BEING REDEPLOYED WERE SENT TO “EVACUATION HOSPITALS”
for physical examinations (etc.) before being transferred home.
“EVACUATION HOSPITAL NO. 12”
18 FEBRUARY 1919
“Postal Express
Service No. 930”
(Trier)
Free-frank,
officer-censored (blue ink)
view-card,
sent to
Portland, Oregon.
“EVACUATION HOSPITAL No. 30”
(Mayen)
JUNE 1919
“Call fo Colors”
View Card
“EVACUATION HOSPITAL NO. 6”
19 FEBRUARY 1919
“Postal Express
Service
No. 927” (Coblenz)
Free-frank,
Officer-censored {purple ink),
‘American YMCA’
Cover, sent to
Albany, New York.
AMERICAN FORCES Musicians Mail
yt feet: tem, ff,
‘pion postale universelle. — Weltpostverein.
Duché de Luxembourg. — Grossherzogtum Luxembut fl
_2¢Carte postale. — Postkarte. Ag 5 - 1 oR yN os 4 : {
¥ =~,
a hy
“MUSICIAN U.S. INFANTRY”
21 DECEMBER 1918
“Postal Express Service No. 927” (Coblenz)
ra .
57
¢ = =
f . .
bs ey,
Free-frank, es officer-censored
view-card, sent to
Springfield, Ohio
‘BAND CONVALESCENT HOSPITAL CENTER’
8 FEBRUARY 1919
“U.S. Army Post Office M.P.E.S. 715”
Inter-unit view-card mail,
APO 715 (Ahmeiler) to
APO 909 (Cdte-d’On),
officer-censored (black ink).
“360 INFANTRY BAND”
25 MARCH 1919
“Third Army
APO 770” (Berncastel)
Free-frank,
officer-censored (purple ink),
cover,
sent to
New Braunfels,
Texas.
AMERICAN FORCES Postal Address Notification Card
“Army of Occupation”
Upon deployment, ‘POSTAL ADDRESS NOTIFICATION CARDS’ COULD BE SENT TO FAMILY OR FRIENDS
advising them of a soldier's new mailing address.
Address all mail to me as follows:
Name and Rank . Organization Leen
Coblents-Lutgel, Germany. Jo iePs 0s. 927. ee o .
14 NOVEMBER 1919
“Third Army APO 927” (Cobienz)
Free-frank, address notification card,
sent to
Douglas, Arizona.
AMERICAN FORCES Use of German Postage on Soldier-Mail
Use of German postage on Soldier Mail was not required, since military mail
through the APO System was free-frank.
FOR SOUVENIR REASONS, GERMAN POSTAGE MAY HAVE BEEN OBTAINED & USED ON SOLDIER'S MAIL SENT
THROUGH THE MILITARY POST OFFICE.
De Officer's Mail >
: 20 DECEMBER
1922
or COT OS COO Riek 2 Ot
(rien Jubilaums-Couvert Fron er ererere
German-franked, Lt. Carl H. Hackert Ce
souvenir Corps of Interpreters >
private-printed Ad. G. He Qo. A BF. 4
stationery cover, Au, P. 0. # 930 :
officer self- ‘Treves Germany : i
censored de i: S ?
(purple ink), Mrs Caroline 8, Hackert . 4Q99- 2 = santa 8, Hacker’. 1398-1913.» New York City. # 1 West 85th. ST.
Boro of Manhattan < =—.
Me. Ye City, We Y.-C
a MILITARY POLICE as SOLDIER’S MAIL
iia Roy
240 m- 07> Ge i 10 APRIL 1919
20 “Postal Express
: 4 A,E. F Service No. 918”
German-franked, ‘American Red Cross’ Cover,
officer-censored (purple ink),
postmarked at APO 918 (2°94 Army
Headquarters),
sent to
East Orange, New Jersey.
AMERICAN FORCES U.S. Military Mission Official Mail ‘Rhineland’ Interpreter Corps Presence Berlin
Prior to re-deployment home of American Forces in the Rhineland, selected officers, such as interpreters, were
ASSIGNED TEMPORARY DUTY AT THE US MILITARY MISSION IN BERLIN,
as “Lieutenant Hackert" (below), previously assigned to ‘Third Army Advance-Headquarters’ at Trier.
PENALTY FOR P pre Use,
10 OCTOBER 1921
“Berlin *10*
10 October 1921
6-7 AM”
American Military Mission Berlin “War Department” Official Cover,
sent to
“Lieutenant Carl H. Hackert”
temporarily residing in Berlin
“by Frohlich"
Arrival Postmark: (Reverse)
“Berlin NW “6* ..10 August 1921, 8 AM -12”
300 Pfg... 60 Pfg .. triple-weight
(100-250 grams)
city- local-mail letter-rate +
240 Pig .. convenience over-franking {1 July1921-1 October 1921)
AMERICAN FORCES Closing of ‘APO 927’ Post Office Redeployment of Remaining Americans
With the re-deployment home of the remaining American Forces in Germany in 1922 & with closing of the ‘APO 927’ Postal Station,
LAST AMERICAN MAIL TO THE UNITED STATES HAD TO BE SENT THROUGH THE GERMAN POSTAL SYSTEM,
requiring requisitioning of postage from the Reichsposf.
Se etithe a
20 DECEMBER Terry Baker 1922
|
“Coblenz *lo”
German- franked
cover,
sent to Stockton,
California.
80 Marks.. ‘age?
UPU
International ©
Single-Weight (20 grams)
Letter-Rate (15 December
1922 - 15 January 1923)
27 DECEMBER
AMERICAN ores. 1922
“Coblenz, *lo”
“American
YMCA" Cover,
sent to
Stockton, California.
377 Marks...
360 Marks..
Domestic fifth -level-
weight {180 grams)
letter-rate +
17 Marks
over-franking (15 December
1922- 15 January 1923)
Reverse
AMERICAN EVACUATION _
HEADQUARTERS OF ‘AMERICAN FORCES
GERMANY’ OFFICIALLY CLOSED ON
24 JANUARY 1923 with
‘Colonel W.W.Harts’, in command to
finalize any
remaining matters regarding transfer of
the Rhineland Zone
to French Occupation Forces.
“U.S. Army Postal Service APO 927.. 1923 A.F.G.”
Official “Headquarters — American Forces in
Germany” Cover, sent by “Colonel W.W. Harts”, Commanding Officer,
via British Army Courier Services, Cologne, to the American Embassy in Berlin.
Transit Postmarks: (Reverse)
“(British) Army Post Office
$.40 (Cologne)
21 & 22 February 1923”
Last Mail ‘American Forces Germany’ 1923
Official Courier Mail to the
» ‘American Embassy’ Berlin
HEADQUARTERS AMERICAN FORCES IN GERMANY. © #
COBLENZ
22 Feb. wa
Reverse
During World War I, ‘Colonel Harts’ (sender) served
as AEF Mission Chief to the British Expeditionary
Forces. ‘Major Koenig’ (mail recipient) was
commander of U.S. Forces at the
Port of Antwerp from 4 February to 30 June 1922.
One of three ‘1923’ Covers known:
19 & 21 February & 8 March 1923.
AMERICAN EVACUATION Last Mail ‘American Forces Germany’ 1923
Official Courier Mail to ‘American Embassy’ Berlin
OFFICE OF THE
- AMERICAN FORCES IN
CHIEF OF STAFF
GERMANY COBLENZ
februa bork
* JO ~ a
io "hy om %
cue J i 1 uA
pi - Sssé
Vv i~ Abe ep pe
! ce
Ny A ig mR
AA YA. f LAr WW. Per Gare)
at o Vo >»
j/* Se Cx - he
Letter Document of one of three ‘A.F.G. 1923’ Covers known:
19 & 21 February & 8 March 1923.
ALLIED FORCES MAIL .. BRITISH Advance to Germany .. Through Belgium
BRITISH FORCES ADVANCED FROM BELGIUM INTO GERMANY ON 1 DECEMBER 1918, crossing into the German Malmedy Region, later annexed by Belgium,
establishing principal bases at Bonn, Cologne & Dien
between 9-21 December 1918.
16 DECEMBER 1918
“Army Post Office $.45"
(Elsenborn, Malmedy, Nodrvenich)
9» Brigade, 34 Division
December 1918 - August 1919.
Free-frank,
censored,
“YMCA” Cover,
sent to
Birmingham, England.
24 FEBRUARY 1919
“Field Post Office 9"
(Bonn)
2"4 Brigade, 1* Division
December 1918 - August 1919.
Free-frank, censored (red-ink)
cover,
sent to London,
England.
BRITISH FORCES Advance to Germany .. APO R.62 = “Highland Division”
The 62"4 Division commenced its
advance into Germany
from Belgium, first : i crossing the border by
14 December.
14 DECEMBER 1918 n . ‘
“Army Post Office R.62”
62" Division p 14 December 1718 -
August 1919.
) | J
Free-frank,
censored view-card, sent to
Gainsborough, S England. : F be
Earliest known usage. Si ‘ af
|
Kifel. Montjoie. : Bl von der Bricke auf
re ee
= }
Ro um ac ny y 2 - 7 J
> a n e
ar ie ts
a n
:
e e
( r e
na na r e r e
a
25 DECEMBER 1918
On 15 December,
the 62"4 Division
had reached its
headquarters
location at Schleiden.
11 JUNE 1919
in February 1919, the 62" Division was renamed the
“Highland Division”
Ca r!
Fi
ge he
r,
El tv il le
a. Rh
Latest known
usage.
BRITISH FORCES Rhine Army Headquarters .. Cologne APO $.40
During the occupation of the Rhineland, THE “APO S.40” POST OFFICE HAD A NUMBER OF BRANCHES & LOCATIONS.
EARLY HEADQUARTERS LOCATION
20 JANUARY 1920 Five Pence Clip
10 JANUARY 1919
Censored Viewcard
8 FEBRUARY 1919
Censored Cover
“A.P.O. S40” (Cologne-Stolkgasse Barracks)
26 December 1918 -
January 1926
= ates ol i
*- |
=
27 JULY 1928 & 28 JANUARY 1926 22 JULY 1929
“A.P.O S.40 A” Ps = (Cologne-Riehl Barracks) Ri? nada
May 1922 - February 1927 - January 1926
September 1929
Late Usage Late Usage
E Y
IT Y r i c k
r e
a a
ne
a e a a
J
BRITISH FORCES Rhine Army Headquarters .. Cologne APO $.40
<a nee
ALMA MACHINE . ADR ape ge stabi
a ik
POSTMARK | OF
2 ARY 192 . a en 8 JANU 920 mo Hie oe ERS q c A . oe Si PR a ahi t [2
“A.P.O. 5.40 A” ME oe ig _DATES JAN DO 4 ws
(Cologne-Stolkgasse 4. 4 Barracks) Tf: ae Je. G ; BAM NE ARMY
May 1919 — March 1920 U's
Free-frank,
uncensored cover,
validation cachet
“N.A.C.B. Headquarters
Rhine Army”
sent to
London, England.
DOUBLE-CIRCLE HAND-STAMP DATER
(26/16mm)
12 JULY 1920
“A.P.O. S.40” (Cologne)
1920 -1922
Free-frank, view-card,
validation cachet
“G.S., V.A.D. Unit
British Rhine Forces”
sent to
Grantham, England
50 05 .
Em il N a u m a n n ,
Ku ns tv er la g, W i e s b a d e n
XW BS Arch 25 SEPTEMBER 1920 > . RaSh
Ke A hs . “A.P.O. $.40” % oe ALS (Cologne) ‘ a Q er 4 me
View-card with N\. X = : validation cachet > i ‘e N Een
“N.A.C.B. Rhine Army” er Rag ek sent to Birmingham, aN Ber Soares
England aN nS ¢ : : : * eee Bs
Free-franking privilege N A . c ‘ TG ‘
for British Military : = \ ~ $ Personnel ended on ; 9 (aes S
25 August 1920. : Aat »
Cast , BS One-Penny.. AN t\ . Si
Postcard Postage-Rate ak { ¢ :
to the UK. ‘ Ee.
a
BRITISH FORCES
Prior to
signing of the Treaty of
Versailles, —
the BRITISH- OCCUPIED RHINELAND WAS UNDER MARSHAL
LAW REQUIRING CIVILANS TO APPLY TO
THEIR LOCAL MAYORAL OFFICE
FOR IDENTITY CARDS &
PERMISSION TO TRAVEL to cities in
non- occupied Germany.
Civilian Identify Card & Permission to Travel
BRITISH FORCES “British Army of the Rhine’ Civilian Travel Authorization Pass
CIVILIAN TRAVEL OUTSIDE THE OCCUPATION ZONE & REENTRY WERE CONTROLLED AND REQUIRED ALLIED PERMISSION.
Gel elts ch Clr. N® 2276 ; 4 7 | | |-¥alid until cadeelled
Permission
Sauf-Conduit
Namen .......... Chris VI of EO ls had A 0”, So aetna {Vor- u. Zuname)
Name (in full) Nom et Prénoms
pO ie ee ee Date of birth
Né le
Wohnung .... Ke eS Address ae
Domicilié e
Beruf: 3. ho fi Profession
Staatsangehorigkeit .7// % 47 Nationality Nationalité
Erhalt die Erlaubnis zur Reise von, 9 |
May proceed from
Est autorisé A se rendre de
Por.
Einreiseort in die bé@setzten Gebiete......... Point of entrance in she@ oecupied territories ™ Point eenUeS en téfritoires .o€cupes os
W i n s
Ausreiseort aus den bésetzten Cunaee Rains
Point of leayimg the occupied ‘territories oe!
Point de sértie des territoires occupés lows q |
| | “O Lt. Col. Officer Controlling Passes
British Zone.
15 AUGUST 1923
Travel authorization & safe-conduct pass for a Cologne businessman fo travel to Berlin and reenter the Zone
at the City of Vohwinkel.
BRITISH FORCES Principal Railhead .. Cologne
FIVE BRITISH DIVISIONS OCCUPIED THE important Cologne RHINE RIVER BRIDGEHEAD along with its RAILHEAD.
19 May 1919
“Army Post Office
R.32" “Lancaster Division”
February-November 1919.
12 January 1919 [ogee | :
“Army Post Office Petatce tae ! R.9” Ba
“9th Division”
4 December 1918- February 1919. bog ey
ee vs a a G te
| - — ce |
CARTE 1 NS te SL eee
Ck ake
aot Pisa 2F-6g,
Doh. oe }
| ee a oe ae Oss are - 22 June 1919
SBS a4 Pc : ) i 3, Gor don ‘Terrace, s Se “Army Post Office R.29”
i ng. st re “ t, ee eas “Southern Division” February —- November
1919 “wile,
w 2) °
» M
& 1 s. q en t i! }
RK pul Mi gs Ee.
Bite etigicess 6 NK 9
%. a * i z ty Sa a & {
21 March 1919 Boe a sah ee OM i 2 N f ~| ™~\ }
(=) my i‘ o> i
“Army Post Office so f ’ \ BN R.32” es Ke RG toy Z Lf
+ Divisi = OS e eX). WA eed Xe - 4? “London Division” E 1 ee — Ct ty for
February-November Ps fe vee Ah 1919. RAN Pa j 3
k “i Sine 2
N ™ (? ae A
x et \ } PA S
BRITISH FORCES Principal Railhead ..
Cologne
19 MAY 1919
“Army Post Office R.34” |
“Eastern Division Headquarters”
February 1919 - February 1920
~ bs 8 es a | 21 MARCH 1919 Sol. * 84 ‘ AN
a 2 | ‘< ot a ¥ +
“Army Post Office SA Ls : > Si = & rid R.34” he < ‘\ RNs
“Eastern Division” be eee Pg oe ee al os ace Ses Be gow eR er : A
egiment” Ks a \ Ne:
a ~ ‘ 4 * =“ x 3
Free-frank 8 <3) SS ne ae > > a view-card, pede i er eo eee : eee. ; ; censored, S m8 3 as $ 2 AB a, 22 nalete,.. ee
with “O.A.S.” ee Noa ‘ nS |
("On Active Service") | vas 3 wR MY sg endorsement | ee %
sent to | ae eae R 5 Burton on Trent, | 2\ } TR < $ 3 1S i ff
England x By y * ~~ £2 2 he Fa Lagll No. 4420 Coblenz, *vom ittersturz geséhe' ie ae “i Le ae
=. LNG Peer
MA Sas as » ‘ : = | ate 4 MAY 1919
" 8 S ‘ Ce “Army Post Office Fy me, \ Ser R.34”
Ls N VE Free-frank ee toy ae view-card, censored,
Lo 2 with “O.A.S.” lw = (‘On Active Service")
i . ey: endorsement N N = sent fo Liverpool,
:} : i 2 England
PETE EH | 4 Ties a>
. Sy te | be Be “
BRITISH FORCES APO “G.R.” Cologne Main Train Station
“Army Post Office G.R.”
June 1919 —- May 1922
25 FEBRUARY 1920
“Army Post Office G.R.”
Registered postal stationery cover,
with unit validation cachet
“C.R.E. Rhine Garrison” Endorsement,
sent to Newbridge, Ireland
‘4 given]
and Resbierel tae is
"endl for the dos of Foreign and 4
Arrival Postmark: : “Newbridge, lreland 27 February 1920”
2 Pence.. a : Flat-rate domestic registered Reverse
postal stationery cover
BRITISH FORCES Principal Railhead .. Bonn
22 JANUARY 1919
“Army Post Office R.6”
(Bonn)
“6th Division” December 1918 - February 1919.
Free-frank, censored view-card,
endorsed “O.A.S.”
(On Active Service)
sent to
Bradford, England.
29 MAY 1919
_ “Army Post Office | R.6”
(Bonn)
“Midland Division” February - September
1919
Free-frank,
censored cover,
endorsed
“0.4.8.” (On Active Service)
sent to West Kirby, England.
BRITISH FORCES Principal Bases .. Bruhl & DUren
24 FEBRUARY 1919
“Army Post Office FPO 16”
(Brihl)
“Midland Division” January — April 1919.
Free-frank,
censored cover,
sent to Manchester,
England.
24 APRIL 1919
“Army Post Office R.2”
(Diren)
IV Corps Light Division
(5%, 6" & 99! Divisions)
February - November 1919
Free-frank,
censored view-card
endorsed
“Army of the Rhine” sent to
Northumberland, England
BRITISH FORCES Railway (Traveling) Post Offices .. ‘T.P.O.’
Heavy rains late . 1918/early 1919 i
caused poor road yi i) conditions along with slow at ie mail movement resulting in ie € as ee ON Lahn
introduction of tyne Sor a a
RAILWAY (nap MSI En SS ‘TRAVELING POST OFFICES’ . Ct
OPERATING BETWEEN i as 3 BOULOGNE, FRANCE, and \ x 4 COLOGNE, GERMANY “~ t i on ‘ ¢ between January- : é p December 1919.
SINGLE-CIRCLE (29mm)
DATER DIAL
29 MARCH 1919
“BEF MAIN LINE TPO DOWN’
9 January -
29 March 1919.
Free-frank, ae pes censored view-card, ee Lake. a ta tts
sentto “ghee aa Toronto, Canada. “ Sa
i IT, ee = Latest known usage. alee ed be Uh, suid ae Dp
~~ Miehtagne de Bueren. — Escalier AMG 22! Fmarcher reliant’ la A fn Vs
DOUBLE-CIRCLE (27mm)
DATER DIAL
4 June 1919
“B.EF. 1, Vee | MAIN LINE eT ee ree | T.P.O. DOWN”
Lag. Ah ALG UL 21 March -
Ss 13 September 1919
CHL ote a Free-frank,
= — censored
panty fe view-card, sent to ad ee ee Bealeyheath, ok fers | England
Vo rl
ag
La o
KO rt
en ,
Ka in
z,
BRITISH FORCES Railway (Traveling) Post Offices .. ‘T.P.O.’
AMERICAN Army-of-Occupation
LIAISON OFFICERS WERE ATTACHED to the
‘ROYAL TRANSPORTATION CORPS’
DOUBLE-CIRCLE (27mm)
DATER DIAL
12 JULY 1919
“B.E.F. MAIN LINE
T.P.O. DOWN”
21 March -
13 September 1919
Free-frank, British-Censored,
American- YMCA Cover, sent by an American Lieutenant
attached to the ‘Royal Transportation Corps’,
to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
BRITISH FORCES ‘A’ Airmail Services 1919
(Royal Air Force)
Raf rt.
} ‘ IN DECEMBER 1918, THE ROYAL 7 } Jd AIR FORCE COMMENCED AIR ator a F nanan
\ of 2 ‘ : > MOVEMENT OF MAIL NS a ee ee (“A” SERVICE) i ae ge * see in
between Marquise (France) & ee ee C saat ee | ,
Namur (Belgium), a «02 Po WITH EXTENSION TO COLOGNE — P ‘
COMMENCING ON a Pn P \ 5 JANUARY 1919. mt | aT } #
< .! 2 of
oe is t Al ed
" 8 a ) © ‘ ; 5. 3 2
aor Wen eee oe | 2
bie tue fF eg tf eee 5 t # ! ; 4 e<-) Ys =
| SF sea eae | : PAY Cie ole
; \ ESP Ray |
‘A’ AIR SERVICE FROM COLOGNE
5 JANUARY 1919
“ARMY POST OFFICE $.40” |
Free-frank, censored view-card,
having airmail endorsement ‘A’, sent to London, England
First day “A” Airmail Service from Cologne to Namur
and then by surface to England
Each flight carried 1100 Ibs. of mail, initially dropped by parachute, later not. Only 25% of flights could be flown because of weather conditions.
Using Handley-Page Planes, this service was discontinued on 5 May 1919.
BRITISH FORCES Airmail Services 1919
(Royal Air Force)
oa geen es aS eu Ry i, IN DECEMBER 1918, THE ROYAL f a," [2 AIR FORCE COMMENCED AIR aa } ‘mos
as Wie FE ot) ~r 2s ee fren Mss
MOVEMENT OF MAIL "a eer) tgador a a
between pan NOR 4 S poueu . ~ A-crone : = - ae Cees
England and Marquise F , wig ee Saal a i <4 fee Ne oe (France) & Namur (Belgium), | ced “eect a ~
WITH EXTENSION TO COLOGNE S eennti pee rh, ~ e Yuu
ON 5 JANUARY 1919. jf \ ° ¢ pptac® a «
Such service later night Le Fi \ flight service Mt 5 oe 3 e . “ere gs £ oF
AS + é f
1 MARCH 1919
Captain A.F. Hordern AFC,
leader of the first aerial
mail trip from Hawkinge to Cologne,
with illustrated bag label for the return trip dated
9 April 1919.
14 MAY 1919
DH-10 Type Aircraft
conveyed the first
night-dispatched
mail shipment.
BRITISH FORCES Airmail Services 1919 (Royal Air Force)
17 JULY 1919
Photo of aerial-mail plane flying from Hawkinge/Folkstone, England,
to the British Army of Occupation, Cologne,
being weight checked with location mail-drop label on mail sack.
Bag Label: To be Dropped at Cologne”
BRITISH FORCES Airmail Services 1920 (R.A.F. 12 Squadron = Cologne-Lympne)
Although the ‘British Army of
Occupation’
contracted ‘Air Travel
& Transport Co., Ltd’ of
Britain to move mail
between
Cologne-Folkstone-
‘Cologne (Formerly R.A.F. Service “C”)
between
26 February —
17 December 1920,
‘R.A.F. 12 SQUADRON’
ALSO TRIAL-MOVED
MAIL BETWEEN
COLOGNE-LYMPNE-
COLOGNE DURING THE
PERIOD, later
becoming the sole means of airmail
movement effective
13 April 1921.
OFFICIAL MILITARY REGISTERED AIRMAIL
18 May 1920
“ARMY POST OFFICE G.B.”
(British Railhead Post Office at Cologne Main Train
Station)
Free-frank, censored,
registered cover, sent by
“12 Squadron R.A.F.” to the “Base Pay
Office” at Woking, England.
Arrival Postmark: (Reverse)
“Registered,
London
19 May 1920”
BRITISH FORCES Airmail Service
(Daimler Airways)
Effective 10 April 1923, a ——_, [ot BRITISH OCCUPATION —_ a Low FORCES CONTRACTED \ Sf onl Pe _- \. ‘DAIMLER AIRWAYS’ ot a, oe ASS eat
of Germany 5 titinr™ ¥ =O ied wisn to transport British aw: ae wigtercic™
Occupation Forces’ Mail ¥ = “sande (routed through ‘APO S.40’) Liaw ef g
by air from Cologne _ ae 2 z to London. ge 5 A
Mr. D. LEVER, _ Fulwood House,
SE Er ITER EG BE SE aD a Re Re ed rat id es
Fulwood Place,
High Holborn, London, W.C.1.
| England.
REGISTERED ‘APO S.40’ AIRMAIL
25 MAY 1925
“ARMY POST OFFICE S.40”
Cover, uncensored registered airmail,
through British Forces Headquarters’ Post Office at Cologne, sent fo London, England
Arrival Postmark: (Reverse)
“Registered (red), London 50 25 May 1925”
6-1/2 Pence...
2 Pence: Single-weight letter-rate + 4-1/2 Pence: Airmail surcharge
BRITISH FORCES Army Courier Service Cologne Headquarters
IN EARLY 1920, A BRITISH COURIER SERVICE WAS ESTABLISHED WITH HEADQUARTERS AT COLOGNE
for a expedited documentation delivery service between
the Interallied Commission, Allied Forces, and with plebiscite areas.
British plebiscite mail moved by courier to Cologne and, as applicable,
continued by airmail to London,
6 APRIL 1920
“Army Courier Office (A or B) $.5 (Courier Office)
16 May 1920-9 May 1921
Upper-Silesia Plebiscite Commission Mail, cachet validated, by courier to Cologne and airmail beyond, sent to Cambridge, England.
2 Pence.. Army-Courier Universal-Rate
BRITISH FORCES Official British Plebiscite Mail Allenstein
Subsequent to the
signing of the ‘Peace
Treaty of Versailles’ in
1919, plebiscites took
place in various parts of
Germany with British
postal stations in those areas using the British
Army Courier Service for movement of mail to
Cologne (British Rhineland Occupation
Headquarters) for forwarding.
Local mail was handied
through the German Post Office.
26 APRIL 1920 “Allenstein “la”
Official mail cover,
sent by the “Administrative Commission for the Plebiscite in
Allenstein” (East Prussia), postmarked at Allenstein, sent
through the German Post Office to the finance section of the
Commission at Allenstein.
Cachet Validation Mark: “Communications ..
Administrative Commission for
the Plebiscite
in Allenstein” nN Anensrein
Period of British Plebiscite Activity:
January 1920-13 August 1920
BRITISH FORCES Official Mail
OFFICIAL MAIL WAS NOT CENSORED as long as it was sent in special
“On His Majesty's Service” Covers along with indication of the sender's unit.
23 MARCH 1919
“Field Post Office
H.6” (Headquarters VI Corps, Diren)
February 1919 -
March 1920
Free-frank official (military post office) imprinted cover
sent to London, England.
26 FEBRUARY 1919
“Field Post Office
Q.5”
(Headquarters 5 Tank Brigade, Monschau) ~
February -
23 September 1919
Free-frank official headquarters
imprinted cover, sent to
Bristol, England, most probably with
R.A.F. 120 Squadron.. Cologne-Folkstone
(formerly R.AF. Service ‘C’)
on first day of such service.
BRITISH FORCES Official Mail
OFFICIAL MAIL WAS NOT CENSORED as long as it was sent in special
“On His Majesty's Service” Covers along with indication of the sender's unit.
23 MARCH 1919
“Field Post Office
H.6” (Headquarters VI Corps, Diren)
February 1919 -
March 1920
Free-frank official (military post office) imprinted cover
sent to London, England.
26 FEBRUARY 1919
“Field Post Office
Q.5”
(Headquarters 5 Tank Brigade, Monschau) ~
February -
23 September 1919
Free-frank official headquarters
imprinted cover, sent to
Bristol, England, most probably with
R.A.F. 120 Squadron.. Cologne-Folkstone
(formerly R.AF. Service ‘C’)
on first day of such service.
BRITISH FORCES Postage Due Mail
SHORT-PAID IN-BOUND COVER FROM ENGLAND TO A SOLDIER STATIONED IN THE RHINELAND
16 JULY 1921 #
Believing mail to a soldier was free- a = frank, sender dropped cover in a ~. “RAMSGATE RAMSCAT?
‘Ramsgate City’ Drop-box. pormen, Se ws
ition 2. ES PM 70 PM Post Office determined domestic ag Oe 16 J * 2) ace :
rate was applicable, affixed 2x V2 Penny postage (reverse)
= One Penny with postage due of Two Pence
from the recipient. (1 Penny Postage + shee
1 Penny Penalty). ith
Upon arrival at British Army Post Office “G.R.” (Cologne Train Station),
address found to be insufficient for delivery, cover subsequently
endorsed “Return to Sender” (reverse) are :
and returned to Sey 3) h. Ramsgate Post Office. mane ety :
OUT-BOUND COVER TO ENGLAND INCORRECTLY DEPOSITED IN GERMAN
DROP BOX RESULTING IN PENALTY POSTAGE DUE FROM
RECIPIENT
7 AUGUST 1922
Sender properly affixed applicable postage of 1-1/2 Pence to England
but incorrectly deposited in German
Drop-Box.
German Post Office applied postmark at
“Cologne-Riehl” (British Barracks),
forwarded letter to England with 1-1/2
Pence ‘Penalty Due’.
BRITISH FORCES Soldiers’ & Official Mail Rate Change 1922
EFFECTIVE 29 MAY 1922, THE SINGLE-WEIGHT LETTER-RATE FOR OFFICIAL & SOLDIERS’
MAIL BECAME 1-1/2 PENCE.
SINGLE-CIRCLE DATER-DIAL (26mm)
5 AUGUST 1923
“Army Post Office $.40”
(Cologne-Marienburg Barracks)
January 1923 - October 1925
Single-weight cover sent to
London, England.
SINGLE-CIRCLE DATER DIAL (23mm)
22 NOVEMBER 1922
“Army Post Office $.40 A" (Cologne-Riehl Barracks)
May 1922 - January 1926
Official mail cover,
sent to
London, England
ON HIS MAPISEY'S SERVICE.
ak DRPEN ley canting Lwin ondead of heating Ravcdoion. SPN f _ Zis'c, \ %
Reverse
BRITISH FORCES Censorship Markings
PRIMARY CENSORSHIP MARKING
WAS A RUBBER HAND-STAMP 19 X 37 mm
applying black, red or purple ink markings numbered between 30 io 7398.
Censorship markings signed by an officer indicated officer ‘censored’ mail, while unsigned censor markings indicated ‘validated’ mail.
7 C.
F. Wi ed em an n,
Ho fi ,,
Ro da
S.
-A .
.
asian val
Y
e h e -
EG ro
)
e N
WIEDEMANN’S ee LER
Cid 7 aka] oe roe) |
a HOSPITAL PATIENT E (NO APO/FPO)
co
im a s a
, W I R O *
BO NN
No .
21 17 A
:
16 MARCH 1919
Free-frank, censored
view-card, sent to
Cary Station, Illinois.
she a
sDanisch e Kunst“.
vv wakes
28 JANUARY 1919
“Field Post Office Q.5”
(2"4/3'4 Tank Group) (Monschavu)
Free-frank, censored view-
card, sent to Birmingham.
No .
31 34 ,
co py ri gh t
Ar th
ur
Sc hi
ir er
&
Co .,
B . - S c h é n e b e r g
?
Paul Fischer pinx:; Jung
as A ee nee
16 JUNE 1919
“Army Post Office -
$.63”
(Guards Division
Headquarters) (Bonn)
Free-frank,
censored cover, |
sent to Brighton, © England. Y
BRITISH FORCES Censorship of Mail
Censorship of soldiers’ mail effectively ceased early in the occupation period, albeit
CENSORSHIP MARKINGS WERE STILL APPLIED TO MAILTO DESIGNATE ITS FREE-FRANK STATUS.
GREEN ‘HONOR’ ENVELOPE
30 DECEMBER 1918
“Field Post Office 5”
5 Brigade, 2"4 Division (near Cologne)
December 1918-
November 1919
Free-frank ‘Honor Envelope’
sent to Coventry, England.
REAR BASE MAIL INSPECTION & CENSORSHIP
29 MAY 1919
“Field Post Office 14” 14 Brigade,
32"4 Division, (near Cologne)
April -
November 1919
Free-frank cover,
rear-base
inspecied/censored (possibly because of illegible initial censor
mark) — & resealed,
sentto
Wolverhampton, England
CANADIAN FORCES Advance to Germany
CANADIAN FORCES ADVANCED TO GERMANY
INTEGRATED WITH BRITISH FORCES through Belgium,
reaching the Rhine River by 10 December 1918.
29 NOVEMBER 1918
“Field Post Office 147” (advance to Siegburg, location of Canadian
Supply Railhead)
* —
3 Canadian Brigade (Brig. Gen. Tuxford, C.B., C.M.G,
Commander)
29 November 1918 - ie 18 January 1919 ; ry e ez aa,
a ¥ #¥) hind ° =
Free-frank, . Pes pe censored view-card , tam NO Mae
sent to a Teal
Antigonish, Nova Scotia, 4 Canada
Earliest known usage.
* 4 Ml.
IES iy q ee
ho 6d = gt
- fapade.
18 DECEMBER 1918
“Field Post Office 3.N” (Brigade crossed the Rhine
River on 13 December 1918, as indicated in
card’s text)
Ist Canadian Brigade, 1* Division
(Brig. Gen. W.A. Griesbach,
C.M.G, D.S.O. Commander)
14 December 1918 - 18 January 1919
Free-frank,
censored view-card ,
sent to
London, Ontario, Canada
CANADIAN FORCES Principal Bases
21 FEBRUARY 1919
“Field Post Office
3.0” (Bonn)
Canadian Corps Headquarters
14 December 1918 - February 1919
Free-frank,
censored, “Canadian YMCA”
Cover, sent to
Hampstead, Long Island,
New York.
21 JANUARY 1919
“Army Post Office RF.”
(Canadian Supply Railhead,
Siegburg/Headquarters,
Cologne)
1st Canadian Division
14 December 1918 -
January 1919
Free-frank, censored view-card,
sent to Belleville, Ontario.
CANADIAN FORCES Official Mail
CANADIAN OCCUPATION FORCES IN THE RHINELAND
REMAINED LESS THAN THREE MONTHS, except for some headquarters & administrative personnel
attached to full British units.
The Canadian 1* & 2"4 Divisions were redeployed home by the end of February 1919.
22 MARCH 191?
“Field Post Office D.P. 2” (Seelscheid)
2nd Canadian Division Headquarters
18 January 1919 -
March 1919
Free-frank, censored cover,
“On His Majesty's Service”
imprinted official-mail,
sent to
Cambridge, England, via ‘Air Service C’ flown by R.A.F. 120 Squadron ..
Cologne-Maisoncelle-Hawkinge (Folkstone).
CANADIAN FORCES Use of British Army Post Offices
ALL CANADIAN & BRITISH SOLDIERS’ MAIL WAS ROUTED THROUGH
THE BRITISH MAIN MILITARY POSTAL FACILITY at the Cologne Main Train Station.
Canadian Forces, integrated with British Forces, were accordingly authorized to use British postal facilities.
23 FEBRUARY 1919
“Field Post Office G.R.”
(British Railhead Post Office,
Main Train Station, Cologne)
Free-frank,
censored,
“Canadian YMCA”
Cover,
sent to
Toronto, Ontario.
Q E
4 4 a
a ;
OFFICER’S MAIL
eteaet? 9 JANUARY ae 1919
PASSED |
BY
“Army Post Office $.40” (British Forces {OENSOR: Main Post Office,
No. i Stolkgasse, ; : 6766 : : ; = x : Cologne) ps te a la af aa ee | Le Free-frank,
. gi ii # . j officer li am aht, . __ self-censored
eae -——s cover, sent to Saddle Lake,
Alberta.
T E
F T T T
e e e I
m a e
i 2
A ey
X ah
.
NEW ZEALAND FORCES Advance to Germany
A NEW ZEALAND DIVISION, CONSISTING OF THREE BRIGADES, WAS INTEGRATED IN Il CORPS OF THE 2° BRITISH ARMY,
ARRIVING IN GERMANY ON 14 DECEMBER 1918.
Their occupation mission was short-lived with re-deployment home commencing in January 1919 with completion by 25 March 1919.
14 DECEMBER 1918
ostale “Field Post Office R.Z.” (New Zealand Forces’ CORREEPONPANE
Supply Railhead, PASSED y
Cologne) | , ff BY | fret
14 December 1918 - 4 PENSOE yy f 7 ‘i Fa, March 1919 ‘ ie Wy Ming. “"
2997 g' T/A fb
Free-frank, MMP fe censored viewcard, A | Me ie
sent to | Jy of “ Jedburgh, Scotland. P : CHAAON" J
Earliest Known Usage. id a Fi {Dp .
_* NEW ZEALAND o; @ Oh 2 JANUARY 1919
| je SERVICE “Field Post Office D.59” el bee (Headquarters
ap New Zealand Forces, Leverkusen)
December 1918 -
March 1919
Hoa | Free-frank, / AL censored,
y “New Zealand YMCA” tl (gee Cover, sent to
: ! Auckland. i LL 5G New Zealand.
NEW ZEALAND FORCES 187, 2ND & 3° Brigade Mail
FIRST BRIGADE
15 JANUARY 1919
“Field Post Office 96” (Leichlingen)
December 1918 - February 1919
Free-frank,
censored,
“New Zealand YMCA”
Cover, sent to Limaru,
New Zealand.
SECOND BRIGADE
16 FEBRUARY 1919
“Field Post Office
2.2” (Muihlheim)
February 1919 -
25 March 1919
Free-frank,
censored,
“New Zealand YMCA”
Cover, sent to
Grespmouth, New Zealand.
THIRD BRIGADE
5 FEBRUARY 1919
“Field Post Office 99” ' (Benzberg)
December 1918 - February 1919
Free-frank,
censored cover,
sent to
Auckland,
New Zealand.
BELGIAN FORCES Advance to Germany .. Eupen & Maimedy Regions
RHINE-BRIDGEHEAD AT THE CITY OF NEUSS IN GERMANY.
authority becoming Belgian on 15 January 1920.
League of Nations on 21 October 1920.
BELGIAN FORCES ADVANCED TO GERMANY THROUGH BELGIUM TO REACH THEIR
Between 1918-1919, occupation of the heretofore German border areas of Eupen 2
Malmedy shifted from French to British to Belgian occupation by 25 August 1919, with postal
The ‘Treaty of Versailles’ awarded the territories to Belgium and upheld by the
EUPEN
12 MAY 1920
City of Eupen official mail, postmarked “Eupen”,
sent to the Registry Office
i
Dresden (unoccupied).
‘ cA SEES NET EUS BTID = LEE SOF PIE EIT ALO ———— ET BETO BEETS MELEE OME MELE MELE MEMEO EMME MEM Mi LM Mlb
m PARA ‘ St
N a a m
en
¢ éd
it eu
r _
Ve xp :
(i nd
ic at
io n
fa cu lt at iv e)
|}
S|
No m
et ad re ss e
de
|]
MALMEDY
1 APRIL 1921
Up-rated postal
stationery card,
postmarked
“Malmedy”,
sent to
Dudweiler,
French-Occupied German-Saar
Province.
BELGIAN FORCES Advance to Germany .. FPO ‘1’ Postmark
ON 11 DECEMBER 1918, THE 15’ BELGIAN DIVISION REACHED THE CITY OF NEUSS, THEIR RHINE RIVER BRIDGEHEAD.
Neuss’ “Sister” City of Diisseldorf (east bank of the Rhine) was not fully occupied until 8 March 1921 during the European Allies’ attempt
to force German reparation payments.
15 DECEMBER 1920
Free-frank view-card,
sent to Berchem,
Belgium.
FPO ‘T’
December 1918 -
February 1920 (Various German locations)
} ee 4 ZA € * oO) fes. geschute™
ramens Key ra Caste Dess. we, 171716
A MARCH 1922
Free-frank view-card,
sent to Antwerp, Belgium.
FPO ‘T’ 5 February 1920 - 27 November 1929
(Aachen)
BELGIAN FORCES Early Occupation .. Military Postmarks Without Indicia
During the early advance & occupation,
MILITARY POSTMARKS HAD NO MILITARY POST OFFICE INDICIA
With such only determinable from the sender's name & unit identification from the
text or from the view-card illustrated location itself.
MAILTO BELGIUM ae 9
25 MAY 1919 a a 3% as “= Se ae
e aS ei i ci Free-frank view-card era ee aes ey “
having cachet marking *<, rae eet eS Oi
“Military Civil a oe ) ae} Administration Inspection” ae ZS oo ¥ yt ~a
sent to iC — me te 6 i.
Brussels, Belgium. ou oe Re nana aay a Sea ss [oe a red ‘ ; on 5 x -
“EPO '2"” | ee = a | ‘8 < 3 December 1918 - go, —- iG 15 February 1920 <> = < A =
(Aachen) ak ee . j y y i
MAILTO ENGLAND
4 APRIL 1919
Free-frank, view-card, sent to West Croydon,
Surrey, England.
“FPO ‘3 a“
December 19718 -
15 February 1920 [Conib am Rhain}
MAILTO FRANCE
15 MARCH 1919
Free-frank cover,
sent to
Paris, France.
“EPO ‘4’ ”
December 1918 -
15 February 1920 (Sender's Endorsement)
BELGIAN FORCES Early Occupation ..
Supplemental Unit Cachet Indicia
Early SOLDIERS’ MAIL REQUIRED the sender to have UNIT DESIGNATION on mail, albeit sometimes overlooked, yet not delaying mail.
6 JUNE 1919
Free-frank cover, having cachet
marking “56" Battery of the
5! Artillery Regiment”, along with
endorsement “A.B.O.” = Belgian
Occupation Army, sent to
Brussels, Belgium.
“EPO ‘4
December 1918 -
15 February 1920 (Aachen)
Re RTEED
|| Major Simons ne 1c-A.0 -8.M.4
cL reteerenride | 4 Bn
OFFICER’S MAIL > ALLEMAGNE
4 SEPTEMBER 1919
Free-frank view-card, with cachet marking
“Major Simons ...., Army of Occupation,
Germany” sent to Brussels,
Belgium. ©
“EPO dis
December 1918 -
15 February 1920 (Neuss)
BELGIAN FORCES FPO ‘4’ Postmarks
29 JANUARY 1920
Free-frank view-card, having cachet
marking
“8'h Battery, 16 Artillery Regiment, Il
Corps”, sent to Gecelles,
Belgium.
"Fro A"
December 1918 -
January 1920 (Aachen, Biderich, Straelen,
Kevelaer, Ménchen-
Gladbach)
f we U6 6 Ze ee
20 AUGUST 1924
Free-frank view-card,
> : : ah sent to Liege, Belgium.
“FPO ‘A 717
16 February 1920 -
30 January 1926 (Krefeld, Bochum, Goch,
Kaldenkirchen, Kempen,
Kevelaer, Uerdingen)
2
Note different form of
‘4” versus 1920 & 1924
usage postmarks. fa g
ie 24 AUGUST 1925 bye a a Pome
Free-frank | ae . : view-card, :
sent to <
St. Nikloras, Ny
Belgium
( ——fnu po t— lo a
a,
m
BELGIAN FORCES FPO ‘5’ Postmarks
MAILTO BELGIUM
17 JUNE 1919
Free-frank view-card,
sent to Brussels,
Belgium.
oB -t 7y id .
Me g
“EPO ‘5’
December 1918 -
15 February 1920 (Gelern, Issum, Xanten, Kevelaer, Krefeld, Kleve,
Homberg, Rheinberg)
ev e.
A n s i c h t s a r t e n h a
P o c o
Arrival Postmark: “Brussels Arrival,
18 June” (International-brand Postmarking Machine
Marking)
g Jo
s.
La bs
ju
n.
Cl
Go ld
. Me
da ii
le n
Ni ir n
be rg
19
07
u Ku ns tv er la
MAILTO ENGLAND
14 FEBRUARY 1919
Z Free-frank view-card, Ma eee we. MM sent — ns
Free-Franking Privilege covered mail to
Belgium, France, Great Britain & Italy as well as
their respective colonies until
31 October 1921.
"
é K
BELGIAN FORCES FPO ‘6’ Postmarks
23 SSPTEMBER 1921 (Neuss)
Free-frank view-card,
sent to
Bousson/Mons,
Belgium.
“EPO ‘6""
16 February 1920 - 30 January 1926 (Neuss, Formagen,
Dusseldorf, Disseldorf-Oberkassel,
Disseldorf-Heerdt, Grevenbroich, Oekoven,
Rommerskirchen)
Free-frank
view-card, sent to
Kain, Belgium.
Note:
Absence of month indication
in dater dial.
| P o s t k a r t e n - V e r i a g s a n s t a l t
K o s m o s ,
H a l b e r s t a d t .
Nr .
9 9 0 2
BELGIAN FORCES FPO ‘7’ Postmarks
Seen omnes
MAILTO BELGIUM
16 DECEMBER 1921 ee 2 chen & se
Free-frank view-card, J | . j sent to Fontaine : ; Pantie 8 L’Erique, Belgium. 3 Be, Vos earner :
“EPO ny ea
16 February 1920 -
30 January 1926 7 Bn
(Moers, Baerl, Essenberg, IAPR NRRRRY (soe ie ces ose nee :
Hochemmerich/Rheinhause : ; © eat es Ree
n, Hohenbudberg, Homberg, y ee Bi L ene Rheinkamp) ’ Ese ce See net
t &
st ve rl ag
We e!
INTER-UNIT MAIL
6 AUGUST 1922
Free-frank
view-card,
sent to a fellow soldier stationed at
Baerl, Germany.
MAILTO ENGLAND
24 DECEMBER 1923
Free-frank
view-card, sent to
London, Belgium
W a n d t , O b e r h a u s e n ,
Rh ld .,
N a c h d r u c k
v e r b o t e n
LO
Note different form
of ‘7” having serifs.
cxp han
d oe
'
> s o b s
1 O .
0.
Despite free-frank " ‘ privilege expiring = EN on 31 October WY 1921, this mail y went free.
BELGIAN FORCES 1923 Occupation of the Ruhr Industrial Zone
(Beyond the Rhineland)
“
Ruhr Valley Occupation
Territory
Germany
Relevant to the ‘Versailles Peace Treaty’, the WW | European Allies on
29 January 1921 determined Germany’s reparations to be 226 Billion Gold Marks.
d not promptly pay the initial installment, the Allies, exerting leverage, subsequently Since Germany di
he Rhine & Ruhr River Ports at Disseldorf, Duisburg & Ruhrort on 8 March 1921. occupied t
CONTINUED SLOW REPARATION PAYMENTS BY GERMANY RESULTED IN THE ALLIES OCCUPYING THE
ENTIRE RUHR-VALLEY INDUSTRIAL TERRITORY ON 11 JANUARY 1923
with establishment of a customs-border between it and the remainder of Germany,
levying 50% duties on all goods exchanged applying those to the reparations account.
FPO ‘10’
24 MARCH 1924
Free-frank view-card,
sent to Petit-Boechain,
Belgium.
“FPO ‘10’”
7 February 1923 -
24 July 1925 (Osterfeld, Bottrop,
Dinslaken, Friedrichsfeld, Kénigshardt, Spellen,
Sterkrade)
BELGIAN FORCES 1923 Occupation of the Ruhr Industrial Zone (FPO ‘9’ Postmarks)
With the occupation of the Ruhr Industrial Area, was TRANSFER OF BELGIAN ‘FPO 9 from the newly Belgian-annexed
Malmedy Province TO THE RUHR.
ag ober ern 4 thee, 24 JUNE 1923 fi Lo hes Por
Free-frank view-card, j= Ve PPS OO sent to i : g
Petet-Rechain, Ata. Casceaiahcotece ft $ Belgium jt x2 Sott Grin FHAQ"
is]
“FPO '9"”" Cenk we Gato, : 8 March 192] - DA b aft tide es 2 25 August 1925 WAV oer o
(Duisburg, -Hamborn,- ’ x - P Hochfeld, Kasslerteld, eee Mt, Gu thine, -Meidenrich, -Ruhrort, :
Walsum) Qa sid Se ' \-
pene i
) ; BN
1 SEPTEMBER 1924
Free-frank view-card,
sent to
St. Gilles, Belgium.
Note Alteration of
location of hour
elements
compared to other
FPO Postmarks.
BELGIAN FORCES 1926 Cessation of Free-Franking
Mail Privilege
FREE-FRANKING PRIVILEGE FOR BELGIAN ACTIVE-SERVICE PERSONNEL ENDED
ON 1 OCTOBER 1926, henceforth requiring Belgian domestic or UPU
International Rates to be observed.
17 JANUARY 1927
Cover, sent from
FPO ‘1’ Branch at Gelsenkirchen (Ruhn),
to Brussels, Belgium
“FPO be | 07
16 February 1920 - 27 November 1929
(Aachen, Aachen-Forst, Eschweiler, Jilich, Ronheide, Stolberg, Weiden)
50 Centimes..
Double-weight
Belgian-Domestic Letter-Rate.
i BELGIQUP SE
20 OCTOBER 1928
BELGIAN FORCES Belgian Rhineland Occupation .. Military Postage Stamps Usage
Effective 20 September 1919,
BELGIAN RHINELAND OCCUPATION FORCES & CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES WERE TO USE STAMPS OF THE BELGIAN REGULAR SERIES OF 1915 OVERPRINTED
“Allemagne Duitschland” for postcards and letters over 20 grams in weight sent through the Belgian military postal
system. Civilian us of these stamps was not permitted.
LOW VALUES
20 APRIL 1920
FPO *T" 16 February 1920 -
27 November 1929 (Aachen Main Post Office)
BELGIAN FORCES Belgian Rhineland Occupation .. Military Postage Stamps Usage
HIGH VALUES
20 APRIL 1920
FPO ‘]’ 16 February 1920 -
27 November 1929 (Aachen Main Post Office)
BELGIAN FORCES Belgian Rhineland Occupation .. Military Postage Stamps
Free-franking for active Belgian military personnel remained valid for postcards and
letters up to 20 grams sent to Belgium, France, Great Britain,
Italy and their respective colonies until 1 October 1926.
For other mail, on 20 September 1919, the BELGIAN POST OFFICE OVERPRINTED STAMPS OF THEIR 1915 DOMESTIC REGULAR SERIES
“Allemagne Duifschland”,
for use only by Rhineland Occupation Military Personnel & family
mail sent through the Belgian FPO Offices in the Rhineland
to those and other countries.
Faas am ee = pe rte mt ee 7 - >
MAILTO BELGIUM
16 OCTOBER 1920 ie ~ Cover, sent to ; sas?
Bruges, Belgium.
FPO‘7’ 16 February 1920 -
30 January 1926 (Moers, Baerl, Essenberg,
Hochemmerich
‘Rheinhausen’,
Hohenbudberg, Homberg, Monsieur Ad, Braté, Rheinkamp)
15 Centimes.. 42 Rus des Pie crrés,
Single-weight Belgian Domestic me
Letter-Rate BRUGES (Belgique)
OFFICER Pin MAILTO SWEDEN
ot ws Fei wisn 22 AUGUST 1923 Bi POSTE | tk Registered cover,
sent to
Solleftea, Sweden.
FPO ‘TT’
29 March 1923 - 4 April 1925
(Alpen, Gladbeck, Boy, Buer, Dorsten, Gahlen,
Horst, Hinxe, Karnap,
Monéteetre te Colore£ : FL 5 eckaes £ eA : Kirchhellen, Marl)
eres wala tC e We : = : 100 Centimes..
ef! tegiinent J trfarctercce Stcé7&| PU International , Single-Weight
I a (; 2 Registered 9 Lbbefpled ae 5 Only Known
Gee. Registered Cover a at ee Oe el
BELGIAN FORCES Belgian Rhineland Occupation Mail sent fo the Belgian Congo
FREE-FRANKING PRIVILEGE WAS APPLICABLE FOR MAIL SENT TO
BELGIUM & ITS COLONIES UNTIL 1 OCTOBER 1926
9 JUNE 1921
Free-frank view-card,
sentto
Stanleyville, Belgian Congo
FPO ‘1’ 16 February 1920 - 27 November 1929
(Aachen Main Post Office)
Arrival Postmark:
“Stanleyville, 1 August 1921”
Only Known Occupation Mail to the Belgian Congo
FRENCH FORCES Advance to Germany .. Saar Territory Occupation
BY 23 NOVEMBER 1918 FRENCH FORCES ALREADY OCCUPIED THE GERMAN SAAR TERRITORY & SOUTHWEST RHINE PALATINATE,
SUBSEQUENTLY HAVING TO RETURN TO FRANCE UNTIL 1 DECEMBER, THE AGREED DATE FOR CROSSING THE GERMAN BORDER AS
STATED IN THE ARMISTICE AGREEMENT.
The ‘Peace Treaty of Versailles’, Articles 45-50 “Saar Statutes”, determined foreign control of the southern portion of the Prussian Rhine Province
(1465 km?) & western portion of the Bavarian Rhine Palatinate (416 km?) for 15 years, guaranteed by the League of Nations, during which a determination
of “national association” was to be decided.
A plebiscite held on 1 March 1935 resulted in an overwhelming populous desire for association with Germany rather than France.
Cou ds Sea. Olfiio FD? Sigt. Oj
Zo 19 NOVEMBER 1923
Free-frank cover (front), sent fo France.
Tresor et Postes *4*
January 1919 - January 1930
(Zweibricken, Saar)
FRENCH FORCES Principal Base: Mainz (Mayence) Headquarters of French Occupation Army
Tresor et Postes *77*
THE CITY OF MAINZ WAS THE RHINE-BRIDGEHEAD FOR THE FRENCH OCCUPATION FORCES,
location of the French Army Headquarters & 4 Cavalry Division.
REGISTERED MAILTO FRANCE
11 MARCH 1924
Registered cover (front), sent from
T&P *77* at Mainz
to Paris, France.
Tresor et Postes *77* January 1919- June 1930
(Mainz)
75 Centimes...
25 Cent... Single-weight
letter-rate +
50 Cent... Registration fee
Registered mail was not free, but required the
French domestic postage ate.
25 JANUARY 1929 8 MARCH 1930
Free-frank cover, sent from
T&P *77* at Mainz FF 4.00 Late Usage..
to Luc sur Mer, France {Parcel Post)
FRENCH FORCES Principal Base: Coblenz (Coblence) Headquarters of the Interallied High Commission
& 38" French Infantry Division Tresor et Postes *131*
28 APRIL 1920
Free-frank view-card
sent to
Paris, France.
Tresor ef Postes *131*
January 1919- November 1929 (Coblenz & Bad Ems)
tg ‘i Ss |
j OH : ) A |
Ae A he g 24 JULY 1929 ; y y
9 ; = ; Free-frank : FT te se | j
= 2 Qe = ~boldAs HEA Teaca : view-card de Nis Ww Zee | sent to
“\) = ee . EJ re 2 Ferte sous Jouarie,
=\ : a FORE: 2 hg OlLceA 4 3 SS. 3 C4 Vou g.. telat ee z France
> #, p Sia Cy fF, : : | Sender:
a Se 5 wv teAMlas ae “151 Regiment, . oh 3 Ny p— oe 10! Company”
| - nn q) —F m
} : frees, ] ,AA LCL : : << Fo} panos 2 a Ad = ae
26 MAY 1919
Free-frank cover,
sent to
St. Saixerte, France
Cachet Mark: ¢ “French Mission to f oe a |
the American ee Army” RY N
NS Coblenz was the NS Headquarters ,
location of the | SAAN American Forces in : ‘ WN the Rhineland until nN
January 1923. \
a Aa uv
FRENCH FORCES
27 JULY 1921
View-card
sent to
Paris, France.
Tresor ef Postes *180*
January 1919- December 1929
(Wiesbaden)
20 Centimes..
15 Cent.. French
Domestic Postcard
‘Rate + 5 Cent.. Convenience
over-franking
Principal Base: Wiesbaden
Headquarters of 30 French Army Corps, 37" Infantry Division & French
Occupation Forces Supply Base Tresor ef Postes *180*
FREE-FRANKING PRIVILEGE DID NOT APPLY TO FRENCH MILITARY CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES
albeit they were permitted to use the Military Postal Service at French domestic postage rates.
“C o.
Ka in .
ne s
sf
Be
C 3
ok
;
Ovnrh bow ne Cetre cg Sor = We tn 0
Joos cette ithe et rou, mee Diss
Ku pf er ti ef dr
Nr, 34015 Wiesbaden: Nassauaches Landestheater. - Théatre national de Nassau Netional theatre of Nassau
Pee
} _ WIESBADEN
Kurhaus — Gartenansicht Cure-salle — vue de jardin Gure-house — garden-side
Tou Qu.0 Ure Oto (Sie Vaden oe
AL ALLA
Apt GAR IRL g OAK UM
Yowehon Yu lee
ti B
| = a
e m
AE AG)
: 8 JULY 1924
es i, S$ i 4 a | View-card ae arywl o A Mek. sent to
cs $ a ao Marseille, France.
ie oe 04 e¢ 0 Ado V fat 15 Centimes.. 5 | French Domestic : Af : ) ) Postcard Rate
pies g era ad QUAL : - o Sessesecses
2 a } i cy Jin is ( r, al in } A Sut.
ao Ba
FRENCH FORCES Civilian Identity Cards During Occupation (French Occupation Zone)
As pre-World War I, IDENTITY CARDS CONTINUED TO BE ISSUED BY THE
LOCAL POLICE CIVILIAN REGISTRY OFFICE, albeit now monitored by the zone occupation forces.
Reverse
CIVILIAN INDENTITY CARD ISSUED DURING FRENCH OCCUPATION AT THE CITY OF WIESBADEN
21 NOVEMBER 1923
“Civilian Identity Card” issued by the Police Authority & Registration Office at Wiesbaden indicating “Beselztes Gebiet” (“Occupied Territory”).
FRENCH FORCES Civilian Identity Cards During Occupation
(French Occupation Zone)
ALL RESIDENTS 14-YEARS OR OLDER WERE REQUIRED TO HAVE ON THEIR PERSON A VALID IDENTIFICATION CARD
issued by the local town/city mayor's & police headquarters.
Old replaced cards were sent to the ‘Rhineland Commission’ Located at the City of Mainz (Mayence).
= :
Personalausweis.
Alle Persona, ther 14 Jahre. miiseen den,
Personalausweis Bei “sieht ihren.
Bei dauerndem Verzuge VON —..----.-
Pr ist. dieser Ausweis an den
=
ge th SP y Nocuicomacmien, don Bet as - yoxS.
Stastsemygehimighet: £ Ph fA it, ; Hite iPietlinetvmrwedbhserey,
fiter Biiegemmensiier.. Wolo: centr tnelip. ery canes y Saanryac!l ae A ite & pth ish Stee Ni. ra Fw. oh ee) Was
Reverse
CIVILIAN INDENTITY CARD ISSUED AT THE SMALL TOWN OF NIEDERMENDIG
DURING FRENCH OCCUPATION
12 OCTOBER 1923
“Civilian Identity Card” issued by the Police Authority & sep ily On ice at Bada a ce indicating
” (“Occupied Territory”).
FRENCH FORCES Seizure of German Goods & Property
SEIZURE OF RAILWAY STOCK, VEHICLES AND OTHER GOODS BY THE FRENCH & BELGIANS AS “WAR PRIZES” AND PAYMENT OF
REPARATIONS WERE COMMON-PLACE DURING FRENCH OCCUPATION OF THE RHINELAND
RHEINARMER., Movie x° 3.
Die gewohnlich fahrenden Ministérielle Verordnung Fihrer der durch vorstehen-
yom 21. Marz h den Befehl bezeichneten Wagen a: re Artikel 15. haben unter allen Umstinden
an don anateceton On REQUISITION DER KRAFTWAGEN. SS
STELLUNGSBEFEHL FUR. DAS JAHR 1944 .
AUF. BEFEHL DES KOMMANDIERENDEN GENERALS DER FRANZOSISCHEN RHEINARMEE
Wird | a | do ange fe ~ wohnhaft zu NA She 3 | Fraulem
Inhaber ( in) oder Besitzer (an ) emgetragene Kraftwagen ,
BEZEICHNUNG TYPUS TRAGKRAFT ANZAHL
DER WAGEN OND SERIENNUMMER ODER ANZAHL DER ANHANGER KRAFT ART
(Fabrikmarke). des Gestells. der Sitzplatze. bei Lastzugen. ee | DER DERECRONe.
4H bo ay ; ee oo oy Yo
\ in : “i \ 1st wl SA ‘ ; wey
welche in roe hey TY? der Kraftw: ‘ Meas od eae ‘ untergebracht as Fy, ) der Kraftwagen Requisitionskommissten N° in fe W// abe 5
Paes: '
REPARATIONS CONFISCATION REQUISITION-DOCUMENT OF A “BENZ” TRUCK FROM A BUSINESS AT WIESBADEN
23 JUNE 1924
“Order of Requisition” Document signed by the Commandant of the 30 French Army Corps at Wiesbaden
ordering “Herz Company” to transfer their “Benz” Truck along with “40 Liters of Gasoline,
10 liters of oil, 2 kilos of grease and 2 kilos of rags” to the local city authorities.
FRENCH FORCES
FREE-FRANKING PRIVILEGE APPLIED TO BOTH OFFICERS & SOLDIERS OF THE FRENCH FORCES
albeit requiring them to indicate their unit identification on such mail.
22 MAY 1922
Free-frank view-card
sent to
Amiens, France.
Tresor et Postes *96* (Headquarters 33" Army
Corps) January 1919 - January 1926
(Bonn)
Free-Franking Privilege
To ‘ H H
= S e e
e e a o
30 AUGUST 1926
Free-frank view-card
sent to
Saintes, France.
Postal Armees *191*
(128" Infantry Division) January 1919-
November 1929 (Diren)
FRENCH FORCES Occupation of the Rhine & Ruhr River Ports
In conjunction with the Versailles Peace Treaty, the World War | European Allies on 29 January 1921 determined Germany's reparations to be 226 Billion Gold
Marks to be paid over a forty-two year period.
SINCE GERMANY DID NOT PROMPTLY MAKE PAYMENT OF THE FIRST REPARATIONS INSTALLMENT, FRENCH & BELGIAN TROOPS SUBSEQUENTLY OCCUPIED THE RHINE &
RUHR RIVER PORTS AT DUSSELDORF, DUISBURG & RUHRORT ON 8 MARCH 1921 ATTEMPTING TO FORCE PAYMENT.
FRENCH CIVILIAN OCCUPATION FORCE
EMPLOYEE MAIL
12 NOVEMBER 1923
Reply-mail cover (front) sent to
Paris, France.
Tresor et Postes *3*
(38* Division) May 1921 -
August 1925 (Dusseldorf)
POSTAGE DUE MAIL TO ENGLAND
9 FEBRUARY 1923
Soldiers’ mail to England sent by French
Occupation Forces at this time required franking.
View-card mail sent to London, England.
Tresor ef Postes *3*
(38 Division) May 1921-
August 1925 (Neuss & Dusseldorf}
Postage Due:
15 Centime = 1'4 Pence Required Franking +
1% Pence Penalty
FRENCH FORCES Occupation of the Ruhr Industrial Area
Occupation of the Rhine and Ruhr River Ports in March 1921 to force German reparations payments failed,
resulting in further leverage through FRENCH & BELGIAN OCCUPATION OF THE ENTIRE RUHR INDUSTRIAL AREA ON 11 JANUARY 1923 INCLUDING
ESTABLISHMENT OF A CUSTOMS-BORDER LEVYING DUTIES BETWEEN IT WITH THE REST OF GERMANY.
FRENCH OCCUPATION SUPPLY DEPOT ESTABLISHED AT COLOGNE
25 OCTOBER 1924
Ruhr Occupation printed-matter
cover, postmarked at Cologne, sent to
Dollar Bay, Michigan, USA.
“Postes Armees Entrepot Cologne”
(“Army Post Office Cologne Supply Depot”)
Cachet Mark: “U.S.A. Amerique”
15 Centimes..
UPU International Printed-Matter Rate for up to 50 grams.
INFANTRY BRIGADE STATIONED AT
DUISBURG (RUHR)
eg
25
Te le fo n
14 35
9 MARCH 1923
Free-frank view-card sent to
Vincennes, France.
i
Tresor ef Postes *207* (255" Infantry Brigade)
May 1921-
August 1925 (Duisburg)
Ve rl
ag
Vi ct
or ia
-D ro
ge ri
e A.
Ba ns e,
Ob
FRENCH FORCES Occupation of the Ruhr Industrial Area Bochum & Dortmund
r 23 JUNE 1924
Free-frank view-card
sent to
Pantere, France.
mu nd .
Nr .
44 50 8
X S
ee
“Postes aux Armees #9e”
(3'¢ Infantry Division) (27mm Dater Dial)
January 1923 - October 1924
(Dortmund)
18 JANUARY 1923
Free-frank
view-card
sent to
Les Mureaux, France.
“Tresor ef Posfes *23*” (40 Infantry Division) (23mm Dater Dial)
January 1 923 -
September 1924 (Bochum-Weilmar)
2 JUNE 1925
Free-frank cover, sent to
Schirmeck, France. a
“Postes aux
Armees *27*" (3'? Infantry Division) (27mm Dater Dial)
January 1923 - August 1925
(Bochum)
FRENCH FORCES Occupation of the Ruhr Industrial Area .. Dusseldorf Central Telegraph Office
In an additional act to extract more reparations from Germany,
FRENCH FORCES OCCUPIED THE DUSSELDORF CENTRAL TELEGRAPH OFFICE ON 21 FEBRUARY 1923,
remaining there until late in that year, retaining all payments for telegraph messages.
GERMAN TELEGRAPH MESSAGE
FORM-CLIP
4 MAY 1923
French-franked
message form-clip, postmarked
“Dusseldorf *T.A. b” (“Dusseldorf Telegraph
Department”)
195 Centime.. Telegraph fee
50 FRENCH TELEGRAPH UNIT DEPLOYMENT AT DUSSELDORF
12 DECEMBER 1923
Free-frank view-card
sentto |
Le Cateau, France.
Tresor et Postes *3*
Cachet Mark:
(50" Military
Telegraph Unit.. AS
Rhineland : aN 6 t 14052 Occupation)
: (Disseldorf)
FRENCH FORCES
MILITARY TRAIN SQUADRON MAIL
23 FEBRUARY 1923
Free-frank view-card sent to
Lebeilly par Corbie, France.
“Tresor et Postes *77*” January 1919 -
June 1930 (Mainz Headquarters of the
French Rhine Army)
Cachet Mark:
“30% Military Train Squadron”
Occupation of the Ruhr Indusirial Area ..
Seizure & Administration of the Railway System
FRENCH FORCES EXPROPRIATED RAILWAY STOCK AND
Along with occupation of the Ruhr & control of telegraph operations,
HENCEFORTH ADMINISTERED THE ENTIRE RAILWAY SYSTEM IN THE RUHR,
as part of their reparation collection efforts.
OY mel th a . z oS nent des Eléine
e p r o p s
ea r
mn nn nt te
Lna nba
ne oy
ame s
nana te
rs .
¢ ‘
or Se eine Saad Sian PERE rete nite ee ead
ei PY
. rime | Wry y rea a
Sf. ; j Blab
ORs ap er ek Roe SS SS
FRENCH RHINELAND ARMY — RAILWAY COMMISSION UNIT
23 AUGUST 1923
Free-frank view-card sent to
Guaure Railway
Station, France.
“Tresor ef Posfes *3]*"
January 1919-
June 1930 (3 & 4* French Cavairy Divisions & 34 Senegal
Brigade Worms}
Cachet Mark: “French Rhineland
Army - Railway Commission”
INTERALLIED RHINELAND COMMISSION Coblenz Headquarters
Along with signing of the ’Peace Treaty of Versailles’ on 28 June 1919, German authorities also agreed to a
“Rhineland Agreement”, granting Allied occupation of the
Rhineland for up to fifteen years.
TO ADMINISTER ALLIED OCCUPATION OF THE RHINELAND, AN “INTERALLIED RHINELAND COMMISSION OF CONTROL”
WAS ESTABLISHED AT COBLENZ.
HAUTE COMMISSION INTERALLIEE
DES TERRITOIRES RHENANS ~
3 JUNE 1920
Free-frank registered cover, postmarked at Coblenz, sent from the ‘Belgian Rhineland Commission’ to
a Belgian Military Office at Brussels.
Validity Cachet Mark: “Senior Interallied Rhineland Commission ..
Belgian Office” (authorization signature: “Waferblec”)
INTERALLIED RHINELAND COMMISSION Armaments Sub-Commission
OFFICIAL REGISTERED MAIL THROUGH BRITISH MILITARY
POST OFFICE
2 MAY 1921
Registered official-mail cover, postmarked at
British A.P.O. ‘GR’ at Cologne
(British Rhineland Bridgehead),
sent to the Royal Garrison at Dover, England, via ‘Air Service B’ flown by R.A.F. 12 Squadron ..
Cologne-Lympne.
Arrival Postmark: (Reverse)
“Dover, 4 May 1921”
Validity Cachet Mark: “Interallied Armaments
Sub-Commission of
Control!”
4 Pence.. Registration fee .. only applicable.
INTERALLIED RHINELAND COMMISSION Armaments
Ham. a. d. Sieg,.de en eee er | couse Da 4 aS:
S
Sub-Commission (Cologne District)
NON-OFFICIAL MAIL
E ARMAMENTS 8t8 Bale sh LIFE
ON OF a 9L.
4 FEBRUARY 1920
Free-frank non-official mail view-card,
postmarked at British A.P.O. ‘S.40’ at Cologne
(British Rhineland Bridgehead),
sent to Woodbridge, England.
Validity Cachet Mark:
“Cologne District Committee Armaments .. Interallied Sub-Commission of Control!”
INTERALLIED RHINELAND COMMISSION Belgian Reparations Commission
Under the Treaty of Versailles, THE EUROPEAN ALLIES WERE TO RECEIVE EXTENSIVE
REPARATIONS FROM GERMANY as compensation for war damage and losses incurred by them.
17 JULY 1920
Free-frank official-mail cover, postmarked at Crefeld, sent from the Belgian Reparations Commission to
a German Textile Plant at Rheydft.
Validity Cachet Mark:
“Belgian Army of Occupation.. Reparations Commission”
INTERALLIED RHINELAND COMMISSION Belgian Reparations Commission
OFFICIAL BELGIAN ARMY REPARATIONS OFFICE MAIL
THROUGH THE MILITARY POSTAL SYSTEM
12 JUNE (1920)
Free-frank official-mail cover, postmarked at Aachen, sent from the Belgian Army Reparations Commission to
Belgian Army Headquarters in Belgium.
Validity Cachet Mark:
“Belgian Army of Occupation... Reparations Office”
INTERALLIED RHINELAND COMMISSION Railway Control Commission
JOINT OFFICIAL GERMAN & INTERALLIED RAILWAY COMMISSION MAIL
1 JULY 1919
Free-frank official-mail cover, postmarked at Mainz (French Rhineland Bridgehead),
sent to a German railway branch office.
Validity Cachet Mark: (purple ink)
“Interallied Railway Commission of Control”
INTERALLIED RHINELAND COMMISSION High Commission Mail (British Department)
OFFICIAL MAIL
High Commission Mail sent to countries other than member countries including Germany required proper
UPU-Rate postage.
6 JULY 1921
Official-mail cover, sent through the German Post Office at Coblenz,
to Copenhagen, Denmark.
Validity Cachet Mark: “Interallied Rhineland High Commission - British Department”
120 Pfennig.. UPU International Letter-Rate for mail
up to 20 grams.
(1 April 1921 - 1 January 1922)
INTERALLIED RHINELAND COMMISSION High Commission Mail (British Department)
NON-OFFICIAL MAIL
Un-official High Commission Mail sent by staff members could be sent through one of the Allied military post offices
albeit properly rate-franked.
21 DECEMBER 1927
Un-official-mail cover,
sent through the British Military Post Office at Wiesbaden (Post Office moved from Cologne in 1926),
to Cheltenham, England.
Postmark: “Army Post Office $.40 .. 5 ..”
January 1926 - December 1929
Validity Cachet Mark: “Interallied Rhineland high Commission — British Department”
1% Pence.. Single-weighi mail to the United Kingdom.
INTERALLIED RHINELAND COMMISSION High Commission Mail (French Department)
OFFICIAL MAIL
The French High Commission, located in the City of Speyer, French-Occupied Bavarian Palatinate, sent its mail through the
French Military Post Office System.
13 DECEMBER 1922
Free-frank
official-mail cover,
sent from Speyer, postmarked at Neustadt/a.d. Hardt
(Bavarian Palatinate),
to Paris, France.
Postmark:
“Tresor et Postes *25*”
(Headquarters Post Office of the 32™ Army Corps & Aviation Center)
(Neustadt a.d. Hardt)
Validity Cachet Mark: “H.C.LT.R Province du Palatinat”
INTERALLIED RHINELAND COMMISSION Aeronautical Commission (British Department)
COURIER SERVICE COMMISSION MAIL TO ENGLAND
THE INTERALLIED AERONAUTICAL COMMISSION WAS LOCATED IN BERLIN
WITH MAIL MOVED BY BRITISH COURIER TO THE RHINELAND,
with forwarding through the British Military Post Office, if sent to the United Kingdom.
SOMIESSION OF COHTROL. acinhinepasammncanaco ion nateaenial
13 APRIL 1921
Berlin-origin cover,
sent by courier to the Rhineland, then through the British Military Post Office
to London, England.
Postmark:
“Army Courier Office B 55”
Validity Cachet Mark: “Interallied Aeronautical Commission of Control”
2 Pence..
Army Courier Universal-Rate
One of four cover examples known.
INTERALLIED RHINELAND COMMISSION In-Bound Commission-Related Mail
IN-BOUND MAIL FROM UN-OCCUPIED GERMANY OR ABROAD to the French Occupation areas of the Interallied Commission of Control WAS CENSORED BY THE FRENCH MILITARY OR THE COMMISSION ITSELF.
INBOUND CENSORED —————— H.C.1.T.R. MAIL Le
20 JANUARY 1921 he i 4 . eee: Seca
Inbound civilian = as cover, postmarked at ee
Berlin, mG
Se = 2 3 Professor Dr. Otto Wohr .
Interallied r: : Commission aa a .
ypon arrival at wee «yy : | Ludwigshafen, a e 2 7 | } )
French-Occupied — — /h “- Zone. 2 Wy '
40 Pfennig.. oe Ludwieaha.? ea aa. Domestic German RP ee ee ee ey ee
single-weight pee 3. fr AS Sa ne |g ene cee (20 grams) = 2 :
letter-rate. ‘e A Wohlerstr. 16 b
(6 May 1920 - eu 1 April 1921)
INBOUND USA-ORIGIN RE-DIRECTED H.C.LT.R.
MAIL j
25 FEBRUARY 1922
Free-frank USA-Origin
view-card sent from
Denver, Colorado, to a
eB member of the Commission at the City
of Worms, censored by | by AVE (fo Cit =e the French Military Post | | ein Ly aa | Office upon arrival, ff Zz Llawat, 5 ge #@. ae ae re-directed to Mainz.
bie. | 7 eayree - = Ow Cachet Mark:
é ete is | “Correspondence rat Se acheminee par la Poste
: A f. 7, | Sey | allemande -
X \ [
> > >
H H - H - T — C O
<<
aN
Adresse irreguliere” (“German Post Office
redirected mail having a revised address")
GERMAN MAIL Regulated & Restricted Mail (Belgian Zone)
In an apparent effort to intimidate the German public, BELGIAN AUTHORITIES
RESTRICTED INBOUND MAIL TO ONLY PROPERLY LABELED
“BUSINESS MAIL” FROM UNOCCUPIED GERMANY 17 MAY — 1 OCTOBER 1919.
RESTRICTED & RETURNED MAIL
13 JUNE 1919
Advertising cover, postmarked “Rudolfstadf" (unoccupied Germany).
sent to a private party at “Aachen-Burtscheid” (Belgian Occupied),
Interrupted at Disseldorf for return to sender.
Cachet Mark:
“Private Mail not Permitted...
Business Mail must be indicated as ‘Geschdaftsbrief’ (Business Letter)
15 Pfennig.. (10 Pig. Postage + 5 Pig War Tax)
Domestic single-weight (20 grams) letter-rate.
(1 August 1916 — 1 October 1919)
GERMAN MAIL Regulated & Restricted Mail (French Zone)
French Authorities had various mail restrictions,
one of which was
RESTRICTING NEWSPAPER MAIL
TO BE SENT TO NON-OCCUPIED GERMANY
BETWEEN JANUARY — 1 OCTOBER 1919.
” Pheu. ae
RESTRICTED & RETURNED NEWSPAPER MAIL
23 FEBRUARY 1919
Newspaper wrapper,
postmarked at Wiesbaden (French Occupied),
sent to Darmstadt (Unoccupied Germany),
return label applied at Wiesbaden ..
“Return to sender!
Forwarding not permitted..
Wiesbaden I (Post Office)”
rs a .
Domestic printed-matter rate for mail 50-100 grams. (1 18 — 1 October 1919 f kar 10 *]
crober i71S
GERMAN MAIL In-Bound Newspaper Mail (French & American Zones)
Despite restrictions on certain mail categories, IN-BOUND NEWSPAPER MAIL WAS INITIALLY PERMITTED IN THE
FRENCH & AMERICAN ZONES, albeit military censored.
FRENCH-ZONE IN-BOUND
NEWSPAPER MAIL
341 MARCH 1919
Newspaper (Zeifung”) wrapper, postmarked at Berlin (unoccupied),
sent to the
“Pfdizischer Bank”, censored at
Kaiserslautern (French occupied)
Censor Mark:
“Controlé” ; ib
AMERICAN-ZONE IN-BOUND NEWSPAPER MAIL
Censor Mark 25 JANUARY 1919 “U.S. No. 272”:
Newspaper (“Zeitung”) wrapper, postmarked at Ludwigslust (unoccupied Germany)
sent to & censored (re-purple ink) at Trier (American occupied).
3 Pfennig... Domestic printed-matter
rate up to 50 grams.
{1 January 1875 - 1 October 1919}
Parcel Post to
Unoccupied Germany GERMAN MAIL
THE ALLIES ESTABLISHED A CUSTOMS BORDER BETWEEN THE OCCUPIED ZONES AND THE BALANCE OF GERMANY
with commerce between the two areas subject to Customs documentation and duties, collected by the Allies for reparations.
4 fs a
ae von BE rg Disa via
Fu wie oe aE (dre Wart bat) Buch trader n}
ry Don
Dia | fap :
E xo pi 8 apt nh
(4. 18)
COD PARCEL-POST-EXPRESS CARD CUSTOMS DUTY APPLICABLE
24 JUNE 1920
10-kilo parcel card, postmarked at Mainz (French Occupied Zone)
sent by express to Chemnitz/Saxony (Unoccupied Germany)
with Customs mark on out-bound (front) and Customs mark
upon arrival (Reverse).
Arrival Postmark:
“Chemnitz, 29 June 1920”
800 Pfennig..
400 Pfg .. Parcel Rate for 10-Kilo Parcel + 300 Pfg .. Express Mail Surcharge +
100 Pig .. COD Collection Fee
(6 May 1920 -— 1 April 1921) Reverse
GERMAN MAIL 1918 Military Censorship (American Zone)
Prior to establishment of formal American censorship units having their own hand-stamps,
MILITARY CENSORS APPLIED THEIR HERETOFORE OFFICERS’ CENSORSHIP HAND-STAMP “A.E.F. Passed as Censored”
TO OUTGOING AMERICAN-ZONE ‘GERMAN MAIL’.
MAILTO NS BRITISH-OCCUPIED ‘ AY RHINELAND ZONE * \ a
24 DECEMBER 1918
Military-censored
postal stationery card,
postmarked at Trier,
sent to
Moénchen-Gladbach.
10 Pfg..
Domestic long-distance
postcard-rate.
MAILTO | FRENCH-OCCUPIED & | RE-ANNEXED ALSACE -
27 DECEMBER 1918
Military-censored
New Year's
Greeting Card,
postmarked at Trier,
pee sent to Strassburg in % . French re-annexed
Alsace Province.
Y ) Se Aez1e 4 | ; x : | 5 Pfennig... Sou sae Printed-matter : a abies 4 pe postcard-rate
{less than ten words of texf)
Lae Be Pages $2
_ p l i n g
Wf E e
ee
TA RY C
EN SO R
e B
GERMAN MAIL 1919 Military Censorship (American Zone)
Inbound closed letter mail from unoccupied Germany into the American Zone was permitted, albeit
MAIL WAS OPENED, CENSORED AND RESEALED BY THE AMERICAN MILITARY CENSOR
INBOUND BAVARIAN-ORIGIN MAIL TO THE AMERICAN ZONE
INBOUND OPENED, CENSORED & RESEALED MAIL FROM UNOCCUPIED GERMANY
6 MARCH 1919
Military-censored cover, postmarked at Nurnberg (unoccupied Bavaria)
sent to Coblenz (American occupied)
15 Pfennig..
Domestic single-weight (20 grams)
long-distance letter-rate. {1 August 17916 -— 1 October 1719)
GERMAN MAIL 1919 Military Censorship - Trier (American Zone)
EARLY AMERICAN CENSORSHIP OF GERMAN INBOUND MAIL TO ALL AMERICAN-ZONE DESTINATIONS TOOK PLACE AT TRIER
REGISTERED INBOUND MAIL
FROM BELGIAN- OCCUPIED
CITY OF NEUSS
6 MAY 1919
Inbound, registered, military-censored cover, postmarked at Neuss
(Belgian occupied)
sent to Trier (American occupied)
having the War Invalid Semi-Postal stamps as
franking (1 May .. First Day).
Arrival Postmark: (Reverse)
“Trier *le, 8 May 1919”
35 Pfennig.. 15 Pfg.. Domestic
single-weight (20 grams) long-distance letter-rate +
20 Pfg.. Registration fee. (1 August 1916 - 1 October 1919)
GERMAN MaAIL 1919 Military Censorship - Trier (American Zone)
ALL OUTBOUND LETTER-MAIL HAD TO BE SUBMITTED ‘UNSEALED’ FOR INSPECTION, CENSORSHIP &
SUBSEQUENT FORWARDING.
OUTBOUND REGISTERED MAIL TO UNOCCUPIED BAVARIA
OUTBOUND REGISTERED MAIL TO BAVARIA
6 MARCH 1919
Military-censored cover, postmarked at Trier, sent to Deisenhofen (unoccupied Bavaria)
35 Pfennig.. 15 Pfg.. Domestic single-weight
(20 grams)
long-distance letter-rate + 20 Pfg.. Registration fee.
(1 August 1916 -— 1 October 1919}
GERMAN MAIL American Censorship 1919 (‘U.S. 371’ Trier)
Early censorship, using military officers’ hand-stampers, took place
at the American Advance-Headquarters at Trier. UPON RECEIPT OF NEW FORMAL CENSOR MARKERS, THE FORMER
MILITARY HAND-STAMPS WERE NO LONGER USED.
VERTICAL ‘371’ CENSOR MARKING
(Red-Purple Ink)
27 JANUARY 1919
Censored commercial cover,
postmarked at Trier,
sent to
Saarbriicken.
Since this mail was not submitted
unsealed, it was censor-opened &
resealed.
15 Pfg..
Domestic long-
distance single-
weight (20 grams)
Letter-Rate. (1 August 19716 —
1 October 1919)
ida ase ite Bg SS bh AT se yi Bayt a “ t i oe fs ot }
r y
A N
=
ee
HORIZONTAL ‘371’ CENSOR MARKING
(Red-Purple Ink)
27 JANUARY 1919
es. : Censored . ee a viewcard,
§ postmarked at g Bitburg F
(American occupied),
2 sent to Berlin E (unoccupied).
Bes 10 Pfennig...
Domestic long-distance posicard-rate (1 October 1918 -
1 October 1719)
GERMAN MAIL American Censorship 1919 (U.S. 371’ Trier)
INBOUND REGISTERED GERMAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL MAIL
HORIZONTAL ‘371’ CENSOR MARKING
9 MAY 1919
Free-frank, inbound registered German Government Mail,
postmarked at Berlin, censored at Trier,
sent to the Mayor of Prim, Eifel Mountains, (American Zone).
Arrival Postmark: (Reverse)
“Prim,
15 May 1919”
GERMAN MAIL American Censorship 1919 (‘U.S. 371’ Trier)
COMMERCIAL PRINTED-MATIER EXPRESS MAIL TRANSITING THE AMERICAN ZONE TO UNOCCUPIED GERMANY
ca nn es
p
ei ng
ro Bh
an dl
un g
— We
in gu
ts be
si tz
er
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z iS]
: oe 240
Q.
a) ¢. :
ve
He i
VERTICAL ‘371’ CENSOR MARKING
4 APRIL 1919
Express commercial printed-maitier, sent to a Hamburg City address, found incorrect upon arrival,
and re-directed locally to an amended address.
Arrival Postmark: (Reverse)
“Hamburg, 15 April 1919”
30 Pfennig .. 5 Pfg.. Domestic Printed Matter to 50 grams
+ 25 Pfg.. Express Mail to City Locations (Validity Period: 1 Oct. 1918 — 1 Oct. 1919)
Only known commercial express printed-matter mail transiting American Zone to unoccupied Germany.
GERMAN MAIL American Censorship 1919 (‘U.S. 371’ Trier)
COMMERCIAL FOREIGN PARCEL POST TRANSITING THE AMERICAN ZONE FOR UNOCCUPIED GERMANY
OES. a eee ix frre ST : sail Ne .
Bl Ww UN 2 Bt ee oe Luxembourg-gare ne <6 ye Roads
Ci-join =: : ; Mirbet
. Valeur assurée | Wertangabe
Rembourserpeer : ee
Expéditeun MUbojender :
al
Liew de destination... Lf GAH : Beftimmungsort .
: Demeure (rue el unméro) > Wohning (Strafe u. Xr.
eae ae ; Gewirht
r. Acheminen gee fe te
¢ ay #
HORIZONTAL ‘371’ CENSOR MARKING
20 MAY 1919
Inbound insured foreign parcel post form-card, postmarked at Luxembourg Train Station,
American-censored with Customs duty assessed at Trier, ultimate destination Pforzheim (unoccupied Germany).
Arrival Postmark: (Reverse)
“Trier,
21 May 1919”
136 Centimes .. Parcel rate for a foreign-bound 2100 gram parcel,
insured for Marks 900.
GERMAN MAIL American Censorship 1919 (‘U.S. 372’ Coblenz)
CENSOR MARK ‘372’ WAS DEDICATED TO CENSORS LOCATED AT ‘COBLEN7’, HEADQUARTERS OF THE
AMERICAN OCCUPATION FORCES.
HORIZONTAL ‘372’ CENSOR MARKING
(Red Purple Ink)
28 MARCH 1919
Censored mourning cover, unsealed printed- matter, postmarked at
Coblenz, sent to Berlin (unoccupied).
5 Pfg.. ‘Domestic
printed-matter
rate for mail to 50 grams. {1 October 19718 ~
1 October 1919}
VERTICAL ‘372’
CENSOR MARKING (Red-Purple Ink) Rudolf Even
Daun (Eifel)
Fernsprecher Nr. 19 19 JANUARY 1919
Censored commercial postcard,
postmarked at Daun (Eifel)
(American occupied),
sent to Lahr/Baden (unoccupied).
10 Pfennig...
Domestic long-distance postcard-rate (1 October 19718 -
1 October 1919)
GERMAN MaAIL American Censorship 1919 (‘U.S. 372’ Coblenz)
HORIZONTAL ‘372’ CENSOR MARKING
(Black Ink)
14 MAY 1919
Censored cover,
postmarked at Buchholz
(unoccupied Westerwald),
sent to Coblenz.
15 Pfg..
Domestic long- distance letter-rate.
(1 August 1916 - 1 October 1919)
HORIZONTAL ‘372’ CENSOR MARKING
(Red-Purple Ink)
10 JUNE 1919
Censored commercial postcard,
postmarked at Kelberg (Eifel)
(American occupied), sent to Berlin (unoccupied).
10 Pfennig... Domestic
long-distance positcard-rate {1 October 1718 -
1 October 1919)
GERMAN MAIL American Censorship 1919 (‘U.S. 372’ Coblenz)
OUT-BOUND FOREIGN DESTINATION MAIL .. LATE AMERICAN MAIL CENSORSHIP
MISSIONARY MAIL TO CHINA
13 AUGUST 1919
Censored postal stationery card, postmarked at Coblenz, endorsed..
“Via America” (“Via Siberia” Route
blocked because of the Russian Revolution),
sent to a mission in
Shantung (Shandong)
Province,
near Tientsin City, China.
10 Pfg.. UPU International
Postcard-Rate. (1 July 1875 -
1 October 1919)
Only known occupation-mail example to China.
MAILTO AUSTRIA
13 AUGUST 1919
Censored view-card,
postmarked at Coblenz
(American occupied),
sent to Vienna, Austria.
10 Pfg..
UPU international
Postcard-Rate. (1 July 1875 -
1 October 1919)
GERMAN MAIL American Censorship 1919 (‘U.S. 373’ Trier)
DESPITE ‘U.S. 371’ (31 x 17mm) BEING THE MOST USED CENSOR MARK APPLIED AT TRIER,,
‘U.$.373’ (28 x 17mm)
HAS BEEN FOUND TO HAVE ALSO BEEN USED.
(10. 1¢)
HORIZONTAL ‘373’ CENSOR MARKING
(RED-PURPLE INK)
15 JANUARY 1919
Censored commercial postcard, postmarked at Quint (American occupied),
sent to Berlin (unoccupied).
10 Pfennig...
Domestic long-distance postcard-rate (i October 1718 -— 1 October 1919)
Only known example.
GERMAN MAIL American Censorship 1919 (‘U.S. 3 2’ Coblenz)
Although censorship of mail was to cease upon implementation of the terms of the Peace Treaty of Versailles (10 January 1920),
Allied censorship went beyond that date. Since the United States did not sign the “Versailles” Treaty,
LAST AMERICAN CENSORSHIP OF MAIL IN ITS ZONE TOOK PLACE BETWEEN JULY-AUGUST 1919.
HORIZONTAL ‘U.S. 3 2’ CENSOR MARKING
(Purple ink)
11 JULY 1919
American-censored (at Coblenz),
commercial printed-matter cover, postmarked at Niirnberg
(unoccupied Bavaria),
sent to Trier (American occupied)
5 Pfennig... Domestic printed-matter rate for mail weighing to 50 grams
(1 October 1918 - 1 October 1919)
GERMAN MAIL American Censorship 1919 (‘U.S.3 _ 2’ Coblenz)
Official ‘German Ministry of
Economics’ (Berlin)
Mail Into the American Zone of
Occupation
HORIZONTAL ‘U.S. 3 _ 2’
CENSOR MARKING (Purple Ink)
25 JUNE 1919
American-censored (at Coblenz),
official German
Government free-frank cover,
postmarked at
Berlin (unoccupied),
sent to Trier (American occupied).
GERMAN MAIL Belgian Censorship (Krefeld)
Occupation as well as food distribution costs were canied by the German Government.
Rationing was necessary since limited supplies were available because of Allied reparation demands.
WAIVED-CENSORSHIP OFFICIAL REGISTERED MAIL
MAYORAL OFFICIAL MAIL TO BAVARIA
22 AUGUST 1919
Belgian Military waived-censorship at Neuss, official registered cover, from the City Food Ration Card Office,
postmarked at
Krefeld (Belgian occupied), sent to Hofheim (Bavaria).
Cachet Mark: “Commission de Contrél postal Neuss ..
A transmetfre sans nouvel Examen (Correspondances administratives) L:O.C.A.. De Crefeid”
(“Censored without additional censorship by the Military Civilian Mail Censor Office at Crefeld”)
40 Pfennig... 25 Pfg.. Domestic double-weight (20-100 grams) letter-rate +
20 Pfg.. Registration fee
{1 October 1918 —1 October 1919)
GERMAN MAIL Belgian Censorship (Monchen-Gladbach)
WAIVED-CENSORSHIP GERMAN POST OFFICE OFFICIAL MAIL
27 JULY 1919
Free-frank
German Post Office Mail, postmarked at
Moénchen-Gladbach (Belgian occupied),
sent to Friedrichsort (Kiel).
Cachet Mark:
“Peut étre achemine
sans nouvel examen. Le controleur en chef de la
Regence de Dusseldorf”
(“May be expedited without new examination.
Chief Censor of the Region of Disseldorf”)
GERMAN MaAIL Belgian Censorship (Krefeld & Neuss)
GERMAN MILITARY-RELATED MAIL
PENSION NOTIFICATION MAIL
13 JUNE 1919
Free-frank
German Government
Mail,
postmarked at
Disseldorf (unoccupied. at the time),
sent to Krefeld (Belgian occupied),
Cachet Mark:
“Censure Belge
Contréle de
l'Administration
Civ. Crefeld”
(“Belgian Censor .. Civil Administration Censor
Office Krefeld”)
RE-DIRECTED MAIL TO A GERMAN
RESERVE MILITARY UNIT OFFICE
26 JUNE 1919
Free-frank German
Military Mail,
postmarked at Neuss
(Belgian occupied),
redirected
to Pforzheim (unoccupied).
Cachet Mark: “No. 9-
Censure militaire
Belge Neuss”
(No. ? Belgian Military Censor .. Neuss”)
GERMAN MAIL Belgian & German Censorship (Monchen-Gladbach & Emmerich)
FOREIGN-BOUND MAIL FROM THE BELGIAN OCCUPATION ZONE
12 JANUARY 1919
Civilian mail,
postmarked at Goch (Belgian occupied),
sent to Amsterdam, Holland (neutral country).
Arrival Postmark: (Reverse)
“Amsterdam,
17 January 1919”
Belgian Censor Mark: German Post Office Censor Mark:
| “Auslanderstelie Emmerich Censure sae vents
Bureau ce Gladbach. (Foreign Mail Office Emmerich ..
Released Iil 14”)
10 Pfennig...
UPU International Postcard-Rate
{1 August 1916 — 1 October 1919)
GERMAN MAIL Belgium Occupied Zone Origin-Mail Police Censorship
ORIGIN-POLICE-CENSORED IN-BOUND COMMERCIAL MAIL
WITH SENDER’S ‘CUSTOS’ POSTAGE SECURITY CONTROL
Effective 8 January 1919,
IN-BOUND COMMERCIAL MAIL FROM UNOCCUPIED GERMAN TERRITORY SENT TO AN OCCUPIED ZONE REQUIRED MAYORAL OFFICE OR
POLICE AUTHORITY INSPECTION/CENSORSHIP, whereupon the respective office would apply its validation mark on the
mail, albeit still subject to Allied Military Censorship upon arrival.
17 MARCH 1919
Commercial mail cover with sender’s ‘Custos’ Postage Security Control markings,
postmarked at Elberfeld (unoccupied),
local police inspected & validated,
sent to Belgian Military Headquarters at Aachen (Belgian Occupied Zone).
Validity Cachet Mark: “Police Commissioner
District IV Elberfeld”
—— 25 Pfennig...
Nas ee ee ro ae Ge wih Pome Domestic double-weight (20-100 grams) pe
feTrer-TerTe e\ G8NE t See
(1 August 1916 — 1 October 1919)
GERMAN MAIL British Censorship (Cologne)
British Military Regulations of 8 January 1919 required COMMERCIAL OR CIVILIAN MAIL TO BE SUBMITTED UNSEALED
to the post office for censorship;
otherwise such mail would be opened, censored and resealed.
OPENED, INSPECTED/CENSORED & RESEALED MAIL
ey:
Rosy : 2 re A: In Le /
/ f
mS S bunt ite Gl.
BRITISH ZONE CIVILIAN MAIL SENT TO UNOCCUPIED GERMANY
14 OCTOBER 1919
Cover, postmarked at Céln-Lindenthal (British Occupied),
opened/inspected/resealed by British Censors,
sent to Berlin (Unoccupied).
Re-Sealing Tape Text:
“Examined by British Military Censorship”
20 Pfennig... ;
Domestic single-weight (20 grams) long-distance letter-rate
(1 October 1919 — 6 May 1920)
GERMAN MAIL
‘DOUBLE’ CENSORED MAIL FROM BRITISH
ZONE TO AN UNOCCUPIED GERMAN CITY
--- 1919
Bank commercial
cover, postmarked &
mayoral censored (red ink) at Solingen (British Occupied)
with additional British Military censored
before being
forwarded to Remscheid
(Unoccupied).
15 Pfennig...
Domestic
single-weight
(20 grams) letter-rate
{1 August 1916 -
1 October 1919)
British & Mayoral Censorship
(Solingen & Bonn)
‘DOUBLE’ CENSORSHIP OF GERMAN MAIL OFTEN TOOK PLACE AT ORIGIN & DESTINATION CITIES RESPECTIVELY.
™ 3S : z
=? t
ih F
“ihe whe Se :
eae hed b wh .. owky
o e
BRITISH ZONE CIVILIAN MAIL SENT
TO HOLLAND
25 MAY 1919
Viewcard written by a Belgian Soldier,
postmarked &
British censored
at Bonn (British
Occupied), sent to
Antwerp, Belgium.
Arrival Postmark: (Universal Postmarking
Machine)
“Antwerpen, Anvers,
29 May 1919”
10 Pfennig... UPU International
Postcard-Rate
(1 August 1914 - 1 October 1919}
Exp Jaeschke BPP Ila
GERMAN MAIL British Censorship (Solingen)
COMMERCIAL CENSORED EXPRESS MAIL SENT TO UNOCCUPIED GERMANY
27 MARCH 1919
Commercial express-mail cover, British censored (red ink) at Solingen
(British Occupied),
sent to Nuremberg, Bavaria.
Arrival Postmark: (Reverse)
“NiUrmberg, 28 March 1919”
40 Pfennig... 15 Pfg.. Single-weight (20 grams) domestic letter-rate +
25 Pfg.. Express Mail surcharge
{1 August 1916 -— 1 October 1919)
GERMAN MAIL British Occupation Zone Mayoral Censorship
BRITISH ZONE-ORIGIN COMMERCIAL MAIL TO UNOCCUPIED GERMANY
‘COLOGNE’ CITY MAYORAL OFFICE
CENSOR (Mayor:
Konrad Adenauer)
19 JANUARY 1919
Commercial
cover,
postmarked & mayoral censored
(red ink) at Cologne
(British Occupied),
sent to
Heidelberg (Unoccupied).
‘BONN’ CITY MAYORAL OFFICE
CENSOR
27 JANUARY 1919
Commercial cover, postmarked & mayoral office
censored (purpie ink)
at Bonn (British Occupied),
sent to Tuttlingen,
Wiorttemberg State.
Exp Infla/Berlin
15 Pfennig... Domestic single-weight (20 grams) letter-rate
(1 August 1916 - 1 October 1919)
GERMAN MAIL German & French Censorship Out-Bound Mail
Upon the occupation of the Rhineland, French Forces brought along censor marks which were previously used in France for
censorship purposes, primarily a
enclosed in an 18-21mm diameter circle.
IN-BOUND AND OUT-BOUND GERMAN MAIL WAS SUBJECT TO MILITARY CENSORSHIP
ip
Nee x
t t e :
GERMAN MAIL TO NEWLY RE-ANNEXED ‘ALSACE’ PROVINCE OF FRANCE
21 MARCH 1919
Postal stationery card,
postmarked at Hanau (unoccupied),
German post office censored (purple ink) at Karlsruhe
(unoccupied/transit point for mail to France)
with French military censorship, sent to Strasbourg/Alsace,
now again a province of France.
10 Pfennig...
UPU International
Postcard-Rate.
4 we 4 1G 3 4 _— a | (1 August 1916 — 1 October 1915
GERMAN MaAIL German & French Censorship
In-Bound Mail
MAILTO GERMANY FROM RE-ANNEXED ALSACE PROVINCE IN FRANCE
COMMERCIAL MAIL WITH
TWO-COUNTRY CENSORSHIP
20 FEBRUARY 1919
Commercial cover,
postmarked at Strasbourg
(re-annexed Alsace Province, France),
German post office censored
(purple ink)
at Karlsruhe (unoccupied/transit point for mail from
France)
and by the French Military (Red Star), sent to
Baden-Baden (unoccupied).
15 Centimes...
Single-weight letter-rate to
Germany.
GOVERNMENT-RELATED MAIL
10 JUNE 1919
Postcard,
postmarked at Metz ( re-annexed Alsace Province, France),
and by the French Military (Red Star), sent to Mosbach
(unoccupied).
10 Centimes...
UPU International
Postcard-Rate.
GERMAN MAIL German & French Censorship
IN-BOUND MAIL FROM SWITZERLAND
FRENCH CENSORED
COMMERCIAL MAIL
19 NOVEMBER 1919
Commercial bank cover,
postmarked at Basel (Bale),
French Military censored (Red Star)
upon arrival at Wiesbaden.
25 Centimes... Single-weight
(20 grams) UPU international
Letter-Rate.
GERMAN CENSORED CIVILIAN MAIL
10 JUNE 1919
Uprated Swiss postal stationery card,
postmarked at Nidau, censored (purple ink) by the German Post Office at Freiburg
(unoccupied),
sent to Mannheim (unoccupied).
10 Centimes... UPU International Postcard-Rate.
GERMAN MAIL French Censorship
In-Bound Mail
A SECOND FRENCH MILITARY CENSOR MARK WAS
THE ‘DOUBLE OVAL’
with text “Contrélé Par I'Authorifé Militaire”
with censor location number.
COMMERCIAL MAIL
TO GERMANY
21 FEBRUARY 1919
Commercial
cover,
postmarked at
Savern (re-annexed Alsace Province, France),
French military censorship (124), sent to Heidenau
(unoccupied).
15 Centime...
Single-weight (20 Grams)
letter-rate to
Germany.
COMMERICAL MAIL TO RE- ANNEXED ALSACE PROVINCE IN FRANCE
23 JUNE 1919
Postal stationery card,
postmarked at
Edenhoben, Bavaria,
French military censorship at Landau
(158), | sent to Strasbourg, Alsace, France.
10 Pfennig... UPU International
Postcard-Rate.
GERMAN MAIL French Censorship
FRENCH INSPECTED & RESEALED CIVILIAN MAIL
EXCHANGE OF CIVILIAN MAIL
WAS PROHIBITED EARLY IN THE OCCUPATION PERIOD, first becoming officially permitted under limited conditions
(only postcards to unoccupied areas)
on 5 February 1919
CIVILIAN MAIL SENT PRIOR TO PERMITTED VALIDITY
9 JANUARY 1919
Civilian mail cover, Censor Sealing Tape: postmarked at Mainz, “Contrélé
French Military inspected & nirole .
resealed at ‘ioaianinn
Kaiserslautern (“38”), aT, sent to Cologne “eS a! (British occupied) Saige
CONTROLE POSTAL WILITt 15 Pfennig..
Single-weight (20 grams) domestic long-distance letter-rate.
(1 October 1918 - 1 October 1919)
GERMAN MAIL French Censorship
FREE-FRANK GERMAN POST OFFICE OFFICIAL MAIL TO UNOCCUPIED GERMANY
5 APRIL 1919
Free-frank official mail cover,
postmarked and censored at Wiesbaden (French Occupied),
sent-to Friedrichsort (Kiel) (unoccupied).
Arrival Postmark:
“Friedrichsort a
(Kieler Forde), 14 April 1919”
Censor Cachet Mark:
sa a my Ps rTOre
(“Postal censorship by the administrator for the district of Wiesbaden”)
GERMAN MAIL Multiple-Country Censorship American-French-Dutch
GERMAN COMMERCIAL MAIL SENT TO HOLLAND
3 JULY 1919
Commercial mail cover, postmarked at Coblenz, having American & French Military Censoring,
sent to Amsterdam, Holland, with Dutch ‘release-for-delivery’ mark.
20 Pfennig... Single-weight (20 grams)
UPU International Letter-Rate.
(1 August 1916 — 1 October 1919)
Only known three-country
censorship cover.
GERMAN MAIL French Censorship (Ruhr Occupation)
FRENCH INSPECTED & RESEALED CIVILIAN MAIL IN 1924
Although the Allies intended to cease censorship of out-bound & in-bound civilian mail upon German ratification of the
‘Versailles Peace Treaty’ on 10 January 1920,
ALLIED FORCES RESERVED THE RIGHT TO CENSOR, CONTINUING UNTIL 1925.
25 AUGUST 1924
Civilian mail cover, postmarked at Munich, Bavaria,
sent to Dusseldorf, with Censor Sealing Tape: French Military inspection & “Contrélé
resealing at Postal Militaire” Dusseldorf (“202”),
(“Inspected by the
10 Pfennig.. Military Post Office”
Single-weight (20 grams)
domestic long-distance letter-rate
{1 December 1923 — 1 October 1925)
GERMAN MAIL French Occupation Zone BAVARIAN PALATINATE Out-Bound Mail
COMMERCIAL BANK MAIL TO UNOCCUPIED GERMANY
Mail originating in the French Occupation Zone could have
a privately affixed label indicating that such mail was being sent to unoccupied Germany,
alerting French censors.
Kaiserslautern, den i eae: 191 g
Wir iiberwiesen [hnen heute durch
y v aie Pm ts
im Auftr :
\e & & t, fey | ees Aas
Vereinsbank Kaiserslautern ein G haft dor. Fait pel, soy. enossenschaft m. Geshe. phos
Lehrer neg, Oe
Form. 27. 1917 5000.
12 FEBRUARY 1919
Bank postcard mail, postmarked at Kaiserslautern (French Occupied),
sent to Rudesheim (unoccupied),
interrupted and censored at Ludwigshafen (French Censor Office).
Bank Arrival Registration Mark: “15 February 1919?
No. 17283”
Censor Cachet Label:
“Par l’intermédiaire du Service des Communications
d’Outre Rhin a Ludwigshafen”
(“By way of an intermediary communications service on the outer Rhine at Ludwigshafen”)
10 Pfennig.. Domestic long-distance postcard-rate.
(1 October 1918 -—1 October 1919)
GERMAN MaAIL French Censorship BAVARIAN PALATINATE
OUT-BOUND OFFICIAL CITY GOVERNMENT MAIL
fara nm
Vom Biirgermeisteramt Kaiserslautesz_. Par jintenmed:ciro du Service @B ee Bee iy
Communications d’outre Rhin
a-Ludwigshaten.
[Frei durch Abléstng. |
26 FEBRUARY 1919
‘Kaiserslautern City’ Mayoral Office Official Mail, postmarked at Kaiserslautern (French Occupied),
sent-to Frankfurt (unoccupied),
Interrupted and censored at Ludwigshafen (French Censor Office)
Censor Markings:
“Contrélé” (“Censored”)
“Par l'intermédiaire du Service des Communications
d’Outre Rhin a Ludwigshafen"
(“By way of an intermediary communications service on
the outer Rhine at Ludwigshafen”)
15 Pfennig..
Single-weight (20 grams) domestic long-distance letter-rate
f treltiad i rte tb 4010} {1 August 1916 — 1 October 1919 A b~]
GERMAN MAIL French Occupation Zone BAVARIAN PALATINATE Mayoral Office Censorship
OUT-BOUND OFFICIAL CITY GOVERNMENT MONEY-COLLECTION MAIL
27 DECEMBER 1919
‘Alsenborn City’ Mayoral Office Official Mail, Money Collection of RM 1.15, from “H & F Rothschild” (Bankers)
postmarked at Alsenborn (French Occupied),
sent-to Frankfurt (unoccupied),
Mayoral Censorship Mark.
Arrival Postmark:
“Frankfurt (Main),
30 December 1919”
45 Pfennig.. 20 Pfg.. Single-weight (20 grams)
domestic long-distance letter-rate +
25 Pfg.. Money collection fee
(1 October 1919 - 6 May 1920)
GERMAN MAIL French Occupation Zone BAVARIAN PALATINATE Court Office Censorship
REGISTERED BAVARIAN STATE OFFICIAL COURT MAIL
Former monarchy cachet markings continued to be used on official mail after the ‘Peace Treaty of Versailles’ took effect, albeit the
IMPERIAL CROWN AS WELL AS WORD “IMPERIAL” WERE EXCISED FROM ALL OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE & CACHET MARKS.
22 MAY 1921
Bavarian State Official Court Registered Mail, postmarked at Kaiserslautern (French Occupied),
sent-to Giessen (unoccupied),
with State Court Validity/Censor Mark (excised ‘Crown’ & “Kénigliche”).
Arrival Postmark: (Reverse)
“Giessen, 27 May 1921” |
160 Pfennig.. (Service stamp franking)
60 Pfg.. Single-weight (20 grams) domestic long-distance letter-rate +
100 Pfg.. Registration fee
(1 April 1921 - 1 January 1922}
ALLIED EVACUATION OF THE RHINELAND
‘RHINELAND EVACUATION’ COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE
30 June 1930
On 28 September 1928, BELGIUM, BRITAIN & FRANCE AGREED TO EVACUATE THE RHINELAND
FIVE YEARS EARLIER THAN STATED IN THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES,
with withdrawal commencing in
September 1929 and ending on 30 June 1930
AW =? OT TY) en ae iia TGS. UN / OE,
General Belgrano’ e “
ee
30 JUNE 1930
FIRST-DAY USE ‘Rhineland Evacuation’ Commemorative stamp issue
postmarked ‘Berlin Charlottenburg 10’, registered view-card mail sent locally.
Arrival Postmark:
“Berlin Charlottenburg 9,
1 July 1930”
38 Pfennig.. 8 Pfg.. Local city postcard-rate +
30 Pfg.. Registration fee
(1 August 1927 - 15 January 1932)
1 JULY 1930
Second-Day Usage
of the ‘Rhineland Evacuation’
Commemorative stamp issue,
postmarked at Mainz, onan
illustrated propaganda card.
15 Pfennig.. 8 Pfg.. Domestic posicard-rate +
7 Pfg.. Convenience
over-franking
(1 August 1927 -
1§ January 1932)
Text:
“To Commemorate
the Liberation of the
German Rhine ..
1930”
ALLIED EVACUATION OF THE RHINELAND
‘RHINELAND EVACUATION’ COMMEMORATIVE STAMP ISSUE USAGE
Ro
18 AUGUST 1930
Commercial cover,
postmarked at Wuppental-
Wichlinghausen,
sent to City Registration Office,
Osnabrick.
15 Pfennig.. Single-weight
{20 grams) domestic letter-rate.
(1 October 1927 -
15 January 1932)
ALLIED EVACUATION OF THE RHINELAND
‘GRAF ZEPPELIN’ AIRSHIP FLIGHT TO COMMEMORATE THE ALLIED EVACUATION OF THE RHINELAND
6 JULY 1930
TO COMMEMORATE THE ALLIED EVACUATION OF THE RHINELAND, THE AIRSHIP ‘GRAF ZEPPELIN’, flown by Captain Dr. Eckener,
FLEW OVER COBLENZ, location of the ‘Interallied Commission of Control’ Headquarters,
and dropped commemorative mail.
5 ms DR.DR.ING.E. a HUGO ECKE Soe Feei,,
PHOT. LUFTSCHIFFBAU ZEPPELIN + FRIEDRICHSHAFEN A. B.
cra f aa b, i 30. 9. 1g 7 \
ap perde
Srankfole fh. ae wa Vaan 2
ZEICHNUNG VON GUSTAY EYB + STUTTGART
COPYRIGHT 1930 BY GUSTAV EYB « STUTTGART
_ K U N S T V E R L A G
G U S T A V
E Y B S T U T T G A R T
: e a e
6 JULY 1930
Commemorative flown souvenir card, illustrating ‘Captain Dr. Eckener’, postmarked on-board the ‘Graf Zeppelin’ with his autograph,
and commemorative arrival postmark:
Ces rei — “} all
fick i ait ity
\ Robiens vei, ~*~
\y » feder Dentthe s. 4
Ledeastiyes ror
“Coblenz Free .. Every German fo (go fo) the German Corner”
100 Pfennig..
Flat airmail postcard-rate for mail sent
with the ‘Graf Zeppelin’ Airship.
ALLIED EVACUATION OF THE RHINELAND
‘GRAF ZEPPELIN’ AIRSHIP FLIGHT TO COMMEMORATE THE ALLIED EVACUATION OF THE RHINELAND ..
6 JULY 1930
Mit Laftsehiff Graf Zeppelin.!
Herrn Apotheker Feldhofen.II .
dork jm pe rtheim .REWIN§
oo
COLOGNE-TO-COBLENZ DROP-MAIL COVER 6 JULY 1930
Commemorative flown cover,
postmarked at Cologne Airport,
sent to Lampertheim
after being dropped at Coblenz.
Commemorative Arrival Postmark: Commemorative Cachet Mark: (Reverse) (Front) po
Mit Luftschiff Graf Zeppelin | auf seiner Fahrt in das be-
freite Rheinland beférdert. L i “hy , 3d. gl Lie}
\& pble ng ft ci! % t s, \Y lay Dent eee “Canied by the Airship ‘Graf leppelin’ Coon ifn to the Evacuated Rhineland” ear
“Coblenz Free .. Every German fo (go fo) the German Corner”
d
EPILOGUE Swede Engagement in the Saar Region 1934-1935
Military units of Britain, Italy, the Netherlands & Sweden temporarily occupied the Saar Region between
20 December 1934 -— 28 February 1935 TO SECURE THE PLEBISCITE VOTE SUBSEQUENT TO
ALLIED OCCUPATION OF THE RHINELAND.
ee = Ff
a eet.
° an
29 JANUARY 1935
Swede military or civilian service member cover, postmarked during Swede military engagement in the Saar, sent to Varberg, Sweden.
Franking:
25 Ore.. jble-weight letier-rate
15 Ore = first 20 grams +
D Ore = next 20 grams
t 0 ¢ &
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