20th December 1945 20th December 1945 Ohringen Censored cover sent from Öhringen to Berlin with hand stamp cancellation. Featuring a barely legible attestation stamp (?) to the reverse. Ref: 20.12.1945 Possible attestation hand stamp to the upper left edge of the reverse side.

Mi.92-99 (01.10.1945/01.01.1946) Thuringia Mi.92-99 (01.10.1945/01.01.1946) Thuringia Mi.92-99 Thuringia Thuringen Mi.92 - Mi.99 Soviet Zone - Thuringia (Thuringen) 5pf - Mi.94A x or y? (Ref: 26.10.1945) 6pf - Mi.95A x or y? (Ref: 26.10.1945) 12pf - Mi.97A x or y? (Ref: 26.10.1945) Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

1936 Summer Olympics Cancellations & R-Labels 1936 Summer Olympics Cancellations & R-Labels Olympic cancellations and R Labels Registered cover sent from 'Berlin Olympisches Dorf' featuring two stamp sequences; W106 (6+4+6, from MHB 58) and W110 (12+3+12, from MHB 57). With special commemorative cancellation. Ref: 15.08.1936 - 16/17 Summer Olympic Games, Berlin, 1936 Commemorative cancellations, R-Labels and cachets (Numbers in brackets = reference on p.28 of Trory,1970) JB:207/822 - See 12.05.1936 - 24/83 CANCELLATIONS & R-LABELS Cancel and R-Label ref: 15.08.1936 - 16/17 'BERLIN OLYMPISCHES DORF' (54) Cancellation sent from the Olympic village. Known to have been used from the 27th May to the 22nd August 1936 with the letters a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,j,k,l,m,n,o,p,q,r,s & u. 'BERLIN AUSSTELLUNG DEUTSCHLAND' (55) See 22.07.1938 - 24/98, 01/08.1936 - 25/1 'BERLIN-GRÜNAU REGATTABAHN' (56) See 18/45 (both cancel & R-label) Cancel and R-Label ref: 16.08.1936 - 18/18 'BERLIN INT. SPORTSTUDENTEN-LAGER' (57) Cancellation sent from the international sports camp. Known to have been used from the 23rd July to the 17th August 1936 with the letters a,b,c,d & e. 'BERLIN OLYMPIA-REITERPLATZ' (58) 'BERLIN OLYMPIA - SCHWIMMSTADION' (59) 'BERLIN OLYMPIALAGER HEERSTRASSE' (60) Cancel (without letter) ref: 12.08.1936 'BERLIN OLYMPIA-STADION' (61) Cancellation sent from the Olympic Stadium. Known to have been used from 27th July to the 17th August 1936 with no letter and with letters a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,k,l,k,n,o,p,q,r,s,t,u,v,w (known in two different positions), x,ab,ac,ad,ae, af ,ag,ai,al,am,an,ao and ap; sometimes with Reichsportfeld cachet. There was a pneumatic post in use at the Stadium Post Office which is distinguishable by the use of a time code giving the hour and minutes sent instead of just the hour. BERLIN OLYMPIA - STADION (PRESSE)' (62) Cancel and R-Label ref: 16.08.1936 - 16/60 'BERLIN OLYMPIA - PRESSEHAUPTQUARTIER' (63) Cancellation sent from the press centre. Known to have been used from the 27th July to the 18th August 1936 with the designation letters a,c,d,e,f,g,h,i & k. On the 27th July, the hand-stamp with the letter 'k' was in use for some hours with the incorrect spelling 'qartier' instead of 'quartier'. 'BERLIN DEUTSCHLANDHALLE' (64) 'BERLIN K.d.F. - STADT' (65) Ref: 11.08.1936 - 26/74 'BERLIN FAHRBARES POSTAMT' (66) BERLIN INT. KANULAGER MÜGGELSEE' (67) CACHETS See 12.05.1936 - 24/83 ('Olympisches Dorf/ Döberitz') 'Reichssportfeld/ Berlin'. ø31mm Ref: 11.08.1936 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

24th October 1945 24th October 1945 Mi.119 West Saxony Cover sent from Leipzig to Löbau (Saxony), featuring stamp Mi.119 X or Y? (Russian Zone - West Saxony). Ref: 24.10.1945

31st October 1945 Pages from 'PUNCH' 31st October 1945 Pages from PUNCH Post War America Cartoon from PUNCH magazine 31st October 1945. Britain and the USA contemplate the burdens and responsibilities of the post-war world. The caption reads STRIKING CAMP "Now then, how do we split these?" Post-war America From Wikipedia: For the United States, 1945–1964 was a time of high economic growth and general prosperity. It was also a time of confrontation as the capitalist United States and its allies politically opposed the Soviet Union and other communist states; the Cold War had begun. African Americans united and organized, and a triumph of the civil rights movement ended Jim Crow segregation in the Southern United States. Further laws were passed that made discrimination illegal and provided federal oversight to guarantee voting rights. In the period, an active foreign policy was pursued to help Western Europe and Asia recover from the devastation of World War II. The Marshall Plan helped Western Europe rebuild from wartime devastation. The main American goal was the Containment of communism. An arms race escalated through increasingly powerful nuclear weapons. The Soviets formed the Warsaw Pact of European satellites to oppose the American-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance. The U.S. fought a bloody, inconclusive war in Korea and was escalating the war in Vietnam as the period ended. Fidel Castro took power in Cuba, and when the USSR sent in nuclear missiles to defend it, the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 was triggered with the U.S., the most dangerous point of the era. On the domestic front, after a short transition, the economy grew rapidly, with widespread prosperity, rising wages, and the movement of most of the remaining farmers to the towns and cities. Politically, the era was dominated by liberal Democrats who held together with the New Deal Coalition: Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945), Harry S. Truman (1945–1953), John F. Kennedy (1961–1963) and Lyndon Johnson (1963–1969). Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961) was a moderate who did not attempt to reverse New Deal programs such as regulation of business and support for labor unions; he expanded Social Security and built the interstate highway system. For most of the period, the Democrats controlled Congress; however, they were usually unable to pass as much liberal legislation as they had hoped because of the power of the Conservative Coalition. The Liberal coalition took control of Congress after Kennedy's assassination in 1963, and launched the Great Society. This period of Post–World War II economic expansion witnessed the rapid growth of suburbs and a growing middle class. Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

31st January 1945 Pages from 'PUNCH' 31st January 1945 Pages from PUNCH Hindenburg Cartoon from PUNCH magazine 31st January 1945. Soldiers with the coffin of Hindenburg enquire with Hitler as to its resting place. The caption reads THE REMOVAL "Where do you want this put?" Contrary to Hindenburg's will, he was interred with his wife in a magnificent ceremony at the Tannenberg Memorial. In 1944, as the Soviets approached, Generalleutnant Oskar von Hindenburg moved his parents' remains to western Germany. In January 1945, German troops blew up the memorial. (Source: Wikipedia) Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

18th February 1945 18th February 1945 GPM2.21 Nyergesujfalu Hungarian postcard featuring scarce use of German 'Zensurstelle' (and other hand stamps), Ref: HL: GPM2.21. Written a few days after the fall of Budapest... and later mass deportations. The card has been sent from the border town of Nyergesújfalu in Komárom-Esztergom County, northern Hungary. Ref: 18.02.1945

13th June 1945 Pages from 'PUNCH' 13th June 1945 Pages from PUNCH Holland Flooded Cartoon from PUNCH magazine 13th June 1945. Most likely drawn in relation to the aftermath of the inundation of the Wieringermeer. The caption reads A LAND DESPOILED [A National Appeal for the Help Holland Fund is being launched at the Mansion House on June 14. Contributions should be sent to the Help Holland Fund, The Royal Exchange, London, E.C.3.] Inundation of the Wieringermeer From Wkipedia: On 17th April 1945, the retreating German occupying forces inundated the polder of Wieringermeer, the Netherlands. In 1945 German forces occupying the Netherlands planned to destroy the Zuiderzee Works to cover their retreat. Military reasons for this are still unclear, but it may have been done to deny the Allies a landing area for airborne troops or gliders. In preparation for this flooding, the water level of the IJsselmeer was deliberately raised. The level in the IJsselmeer was 3.62 m (12 ft) above the ground level of Wieringerpolder at the site of the breach, and varied between 3.12–5.12 metres (10–17 ft) above, across the polder. Inundation had already been used on some Dutch polders but this strategic inundation was shallow and was done by stopping the drainage pumping or allowing water to flow backwards through the pumping stations to give a shallow flooding. The rapid and deep tactical inundation planned for the Wieringerpolder, done by the destruction of a dyke, was new. It was known that even an explosive breach would not be enough, and it would be the enlargement of the breach by the water itself which would cause the most damage. In late February or early March 1945 Dutch workers started to undermine the dike around the polder under German command. The location is near the farm of Beetstra, in the dike with the IJsselmeer. Deep holes were dug in the dike both at the bottom and at the top of the dike. In these holes explosives would be put. The work was progressing slowly since none of the workers were motivated. In April, the work came to a complete stop. On 10th April, German officers came and inspected the work. New workers were sought and 25 to 50 people were taken from Schagen during a razzia to work on the digging. After a week, the holes were deep enough and explosives were installed. Each hole was loaded with 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) of explosives; unexploded bombs from British and American aircraft were used. On 17th April at 12.15 am, the explosives were detonated. The 7,000 people in the Wieringermeer and an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 refugees had to leave the polder. Within 48 hours, the entire polder was full with water, with an average depth of 3.75 m (12 ft). The initial breaches were small, about 20 m (66 ft) wide and only 1 m (3 ft 3 in) below water level. These increased over the following hours until two huge pits were scoured out, the northern one 160 m (525 ft) wide and 23.5 m (77 ft) deep and the southern hole 200 m (656 ft) wide and 30 m (98 ft) deep. No one was killed as the polder slowly submerged again (the inhabitants had been warned), but the high water and a subsequent storm destroyed most of the infrastructure built in the previous decade. Buildings were not generally badly damaged by the flooding, but by the storms later. Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

War Directives 1939-1945 War Directives 1939-1945 War Directives Adolf Hitler: War Directives 1939-1945 (Source: H.R. Trevor-Roper, 1966) Transmission details, addresses and signatories have been omitted 1939 No.1 - 31st August Plan of Attack on Poland No.2 - 3rd September Hostilities in the West No.3 - 9th September Transfer of Forces from Poland to the West No.4 - 25th September Finishing the War in Poland No.5 - 30th September Partition of Poland No.6 - 9th October Plans for the Offensive in the West No.7 - 18th October Preparations for Attack in the West No.8 20th November Further Preparations for Attack in the West No.9 - 29th November 'Instructions for the Warfare against the Economy of the Enemy' 1940 No.10 - 19th January/ 18th February Concentration of Forces for 'Undertaking Yellow' No.10a - 1st March 'Case Weser-Exercise' against Denmark and Norway No.11 - 14th May The Offensive in the West No.12 - 18th May Prosecution of the Attack in the West No.13 - 24th May Next Object in the West No.14 - 8th June Continuation of the Offensive in France No.15 - 14th June Advance on the Loire No.16 - 16th July 'Preparations for a Landing Operation against England' No.17 - 1st August 'For the Conduct of Air and Sea Warfare against England' No.18 - 12th November plans to enter Spain and capture Gibraltar No.19 - 10th December 'Undertaking Attila' No.20 - 13th December 'Undertaking Marita' No.21 - 18th December 'Case Barbarossa' 1941 No.22 - 11th January 'German Support for Battles in Mediterranean Area' No.23 - 6th February 'Directions for Operations against the English War Economy' No.24 - 5th March 'Cooperation with Japan' No.25 - 27th March Plan of Attack on Yugoslavia No.26 - 3rd April 'Cooperation with our Allies in the Balkans' No.27 - 4th April Plan of Attack on Greece No.28 - 25th April 'Undertaking Mercury' No.29 - 17th May Proposed Military Government of Greece No.30 - 23rd May German Intervention in Iraq No.31 - 9th June German Military Organisation in the Balkans No.32 - 11th June 'Preparations for the Period after Barbarossa' No.32a - 14th July Supplement to 32: Reduction of the Army after Victory over Russia No.33 - 19th July Continuation of the War in the East No.33a - 23rd July Supplement to 33 No.34 - 30th July Change to Strategy in Russia No.34a - 12th August Supplement to 34 No.35 - 6th September Decision on Employment of Army Group Centre No.36 - 22nd September Objectives in Artic Theatre No.37 - 10th October Reorganisation of Forces in the Artic Theatre No.38 - 2nd December The Air War in the Mediterranean No.39 - 8th December Defence on the Eastern Front 1942 No.40 - 23rd March 'Competence of Commanders in Costal Areas' No.41 - 5th April Spring Campaign in the East No.42 - 29th May 'Instructions for Operations against Unoccupied France and the Iberian Peninsula' No.43 - 11 July 'Continuation of Operations from the Crimea No.44 - 21st July 'Operations in Northern Finland' No.45 - 23rd July 'Continuation of Operation Brunswick' No.46 - 18th August 'Instructions for Intensified Activity against Banditry in the East No.47 - 28th December 'Command and Defence Measures in the South-East' 1943 No.48 - 26th July 'Command and Defence Measures in the South-East' No.49 - 31st July Operation Alaric (later Axis) No.50 - 28th September 'Concerning the Preparations for the Withdrawal of 20th Mountain Army to North Finland and North Norway' No.51 - 3rd November The Danger of a Second Front in the West 1944 No.52 - 28th January The Battle for Rome No.53 - 8th March 'Commandants for Fortified Areas and Battle Commandants' No.54 - 2nd April Defensive Line in the East No.55 - 16th May 'Employment of Long-range Weapons against England' No.56 - 12th July Coordination of Shipping No.57 - 13th July Two Decrees of the Führer concerning Authority in the Event of Invasion of the Reich No.58 - 19th July Order concerning Preparations for the Defence of the Reich No.59 - 23rd July 'Reorganisation of Command Authority in the Area of Army Group North' No.60 - 26th July 'Alpine Approaches Position' (three orders) No.61 - 24th August 'Order for the Construction of German Defensive Positions in the West' No.62 - 29th August 'Order for the Completion of Defences in the German Bight' No.63 - 1st September 'Order placing the West Wall in a State of Defence' No.64 - 3rd September 'Direction for Further Operations by Commander-in-Chief West' No.64a - 7th September 'Military Powers of Commander-in-Chief West' No.64b - 9th September Further to 64a No.65 - 12th September 'Order for Defences in the South-east' No.66 19th - 22nd September Second Decree fo the Führer on Powers of Command in an Area of Operations within the Reich' (three documents) No.67 - 25th November 'Exercise of Command in Units which have been Isolated' 1945 No.68 - 21st January The Führer alone will determine Strategy No.69 - 28th January 'Employment of the Volkssturm' No.70 - 5th February 'Transport of Refugees from the East to Denmark' No.71 - 20th March 'Demolitions on Reich Territory' No.72 - 7th April Reorganisation of Command in the West No.73 - 15th April ' Führer's Order on the Organisation of Command in the Separated Areas fo Northern and Southern Germany' No.74 - 15th April Order of the Day to Soldiers of the Eastern Front Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

Mi.1-6 (03.12.1945) Mi.1-6 (03.12.1945) Spremberg Mi.1-6 Cover from Spremberg to Zittau featuring full set of Spremberg local issue stamps (Mi.1-6) together with a 'Stadt Berlin' Mi.1A stamp. Ref: 22.12.1945 - 9/37 Spremberg (Niederlausitz) local issues (3rd December 1945) Spremberg definitive 3 Pf - Mi.1 (Ref: 22.12.1945) Spremberg definitive 4 Pf - Mi.2 - a or b? Plate flaw II- 6 II 'G' in 'Gebühr' (Ref: 22.12.1945) Spremberg definitive 5 Pf - Mi.3 (Ref: 22.12.1945) Spremberg definitive 6 Pf - Mi.4 - a or b? Plate flaw III- 6 III 'g' in 'Pfg' (Ref: 22.12.1945) Spremberg definitive 8 Pf - Mi.5 Plate flaw III- 6 III 'g' in 'Pfg' (Ref: 22.12.1945) Spremberg definitive 12 Pf - Mi.6 (Ref: 22.12.1945)

23rd June 1947 Theo Meding 23rd June 1947 Theo Meding Commercial postcard sent from 'Theo Meding Briefmarken' in Cologne to a correspondent in Falkensee . The message to the reverse reads, in part, 'Rheinland-Pfalz. Complete 13 values available shortly at double the nominal value = approx. 9 RM. Offer free prepayment or cash on delivery, postage extra..' This may refer to the Rhine Palatine definitive issue (Mi.1-150. However, these were issued at various times in 1947 and do not correspond to the date of the cancellation (23.06.1947). The last of the 13 stamps would be issued in October of 1947 (with two further designs being produced in February 1948). Ref: 23.06.1947 - 16/93 Theo Meding Further research required Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

21st November 1947 21st November 1947 Die Polnische Arbeit im Ausland Cover sent from the Association of the Polish Centers in South Bavaria and Swabia to Eduard Krasauskas (1911-1979), Graphic Designer, in Munich. The hand stamp refers to the 'Exhibition of Polish Work 'At Home' Munich'. Ref: 21.11.1947 Contained within the envelope... Front and reverse of the Einlieferungsschein (proof of posting) sent to Eduard Krasauskas. Reasearch indicates that Krasauskas designed 'lagerpostmarken' for DP-Lager Meerbeck (1945-1948), a camp for displaced persons. Further information on the camp can be found here. Further information on the stamps designed by Krasauskas can be found here