24th September 1944 Oflag 65 24th September 1944 Oflag 65 Serbian POW Kriegsgefangenenpost from Oflag 65 to an address in Serbia. Ref: 24.09.1944 Message details Dearest Branlika and children, its is my day to write to you, did you receive the Christams card I sent, if you can let me know, I also sent a message for the children. I am missing you all very much, even unfortunately God has forgotten us. I understand you will wonder to what I am referring when you read this letter, you must understand this is how I feel, this is that tradegy which we cannot escape. We can only pray for sunshine whilst these are my darkest days, not being with you and the children. Now we are locked up all day and have little chance of exercise. We have things to read in French and English, you should read Tess of the d'Uurbervilles by Thams Hardy, if out neighbourhood library has it. It is a fine and nice book I am sure you also will ahve nice memories. My heartfelt wish is that this war would end and that I may at long last return to you. It keeps my hope alive in the dark hours. To you and all ours I send my dearest love and warmest regards. Hug the children. Contact Brief History to inform us of additonal information regarding this page

Mi.888 - 893 (May 1944) German Reich Post (III) Mi.888 - 893 (May 1944) German Reich Post (III) Mi.888-893 Registered cover sent from Hildesheim to an address in Prague. Featuring various stamps issued for the Comradeship of the German Reich (its 3rd incarnation). Note that the correspondents address in Prague is 'General Roettigstraße'. Ref: 28.06.1944 Wilhelm Fritz von Roettig (25 July 1888 – 10 September 1939) was a German general in the Waffen-SS who participated in the invasion of Poland. He was the first general to be killed in World War II. Roettig held the ranks of Generalmajor der Ordnungspolizei and SS-Brigadeführer. Roettig was killed at about 14:15 on 10th September 1939 aged 51, near Opoczno, Poland, when his staff car was ambushed by Polish troops armed with heavy machine guns (elements of the 19th Infantry Division under Colonel Jan Kruk-Śmigla. Roettig was badly wounded and subsequently shot in the head. Two days after his death, German troops killed twenty Jews in a nearby town of Końskie (in what is known as the Końskie massacre, with some sources calling that massacre a retaliation for the death of Roettig and his entourage, also related to the rumours that the German dead have been mutilated by the 'Polish partisans'. (Source: Wikipedia) Link to further information regarding Końskie Mi.888-893 Comradeship of the German Reich (III) Mi.888 (6+9 Pf - post woman). Ref: 28.06.1944 Mi.889 (8+12 Pf - old post coach). Ref: 28.07.1944 Mi.890 (12+18 Pf - field post worker). Ref: 28.07.1944 Mi.891 (16+24 Pf - off-road driving). Ref: 28.07.1944 Mi.892 (20+30 Pf - post protection detachment). Ref: 28.07.1944 Mi.893 (24+36 Pf - glider shop). Ref: 28.07.1944 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

13th November 1944 Lottery - Prague 13th November 1944 Lottery Prague Cover sent from Prague to Mělník, a short distance north. The contents of the envelope being two small pieces of advertising for the lottery. Cover features B&M definitive Mi.96 (1.2 K). ref: 13.01.1944 Contents of envelope MORE RESEARCH REQUIRED Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

29th November 1944 Stalag Luft 1 29th November 1944 Stalag Luft 1 Stalag Luft 1 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

28th July 1944 Graf von der Schulenburg 28th July 1944 Graf von der Schulenburg Cover sent to the German Consulate in Lisbon (Consul Hollberg) from a person named 'Huth' (?) at the office of Ambassador Graf v. d. Schulenburg. Featuring various stamps from the German Reich Post (III) issue (Mi.888-893). Ref: 28.07.1944 Notes Schulenburg arrested on 21st July This correspondence posted 28th July from Schulenburg's office (?) in Falkenberg seven days after his arrest. How much did the public know. How much did official know? More research required. Graf von der Schulenburg Friedrich-Werner Erdmann Matthias Johann Bernhard Erich Graf von der Schulenburg (1875-1944) was a German diplomat who served as the last German ambassador to the Soviet Union before Operation Barbarossa, the German attack on the Soviet Union in 1941, during World War II. He began his diplomatic career before World War I, serving as consul and ambassador in several countries. After a prolonged conflict with the Nazi regime, he turned against the main Nazi Party and joined the conspiracy against Adolf Hitler. After the failed 20th July plot in 1944 to assassinate Hitler, Schulenburg was accused of being a co-conspirator and five months later executed. He was a Knight of Justice of the Order of St John, which was regarded with disfavour by the Nazis. In the 1930s, Schulenburg acquired the Burg Falkenberg , a castle in the Upper Palatinate. He had it converted and renovated to serve as a home for his retirement. This monumental work was undertaken between 1936 and 1939. After the First World War, Schulenburg got his diplomatic career going again, becoming, among other things, an envoy to Tehran and Bucharest. In 1934, he was appointed German ambassador to the Soviet Union. Schulenburg favoured an agreement between Germany and the Soviet Union, and was instrumental in bringing about the German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact of August 1939. After the Soviet invasion of Poland, despite the state of war between Germany and Poland, he used his position as the most senior ambassador in Moscow to allow Polish diplomats (including ambassador Wacław Grzybowski) to leave the Soviet Union, when the Soviets tried to arrest them. Schulenburg was kept in the dark about Germany's planned invasion of the Soviet Union. He knew for certain that the invasion would take place only a few hours before it was launched, when Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop cabled him a message to read to Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov justifying the invasion. He, however, got suspicions of what his government was planning to do in the spring of 1941. To the last, he tried to thwart any talk of invasion by such means as hinting at the Soviet Union's military strength and the unassailability of its industrial reserves. He is quoted as having said to Molotov on the morning of the attack: 'For the last six years I've personally tried to do everything I could to encourage friendship between the Soviet Union and Germany. But you can't stand in the way of destiny.' A few weeks before the invasion, Schulenburg tried to warn the Soviet Ambassador to Germany Vladimir Dekanozov of his suspicions, but Dekanozov dismissed the evidence of military preparations as false British propaganda. After the German invasion began on 22nd June 1941, Schulenburg was interned by the Soviets for a few weeks and was transferred to the Soviet-Turkish border for repatriation. Thereafter, Schulenburg was assigned as leader of the Russia Committee, a Foreign Office post with no political influence, to neutralise him. He later joined the conspiracy to overthrow Hitler in the hope of reaching a quick peace agreement in the east. He was ready and willing to negotiate even with Joseph Stalin on behalf of the plotters. Had they been successful in overthrowing Hitler, Schulenburg would have been a high-ranking official in the Foreign Office; some sources had him listed as foreign minister. After the failure of the attempt on Hitler's life on 20th July 1944, Schulenburg was arrested and charged with high treason. On 23rd October 1944, the Volksgerichtshof ('People's Court') sentenced him to death, and he was hanged on 10th November 1944 at Plötzensee Prison in Berlin. Source: Wikipedia Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

21st July 1944 Franz Wedral 21st July 1944 Franz Wedral Commercial postcard sent from philatelic wholesaler 'Franz Wedral Briefmarkengroßhandlung' in Vienna to a correspondent in Berlin. The message states, ' I am looking for bulk goods of all countries, also kiloware etc., as well as everything from Austria, Bosnia, and former Czechoslovakia. I also have a large stock of bulk goods, sets etc., and could also offer goods in exchange if desired.' Ref: 21.07.1944 Franz Wedral Further research required Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

3rd January 1944 3rd January 1944

17th June 1944 17th June 1944 Hotel Astoria Karlsbad Commercial postcard from the Hotel 'Astoria' in Karlsbad to a client in Bremen. With printed information regarding the hotel to the reverse. Ref: 17.06.1944

POW Camps in India POW Camps in India POW Camps in India Letter-sheet sent from Italy to Camp 26, Yol, India. Ref: 07.10.1944 POW Camps in India Camps 1 to 8 Group I – Bangalore: Italian prisoners Camp 3 - See 02.05.1942 - 32/45 Camps 9 to 16 Group II – Bhopal: Italian prisoners. Camp 16 was a hospital Camps 17 to 20 Group III – Ramgarh: German Civil Internees and later Italian prisoners. Had a punishment camp for difficult Italian pows Camps 21 to 24 Group IV - Clement Town (Dehradun): Separated in Wings 1: pro-Nazi, 2: anti-Nazi, 3: Italians. One of the camps was a Central Internment Camp Camps 25 to 28 Group V – Yol: Italian prisoners Camp 26 , Camp 27 , Camp 28 Camp 29 Group VI – Bikaner: Japanese prisoners. It was also a punishment camp for difficult Italian pows Central Internment Camp (Dehradun/ Premnagar) Mixed civilian internment and prisoner-of-war camp. Italian prisoners of war and German civilian internees housed in separate camps. Wing 1 and Wong 6 held German internees Delhi Japanese Camp: Delhi housed the Japanese prisoners captured in Burma Deoli DCivil Internment Camp: Deoli housed German civilian internees and Japanese civilian internees. It was also a punishment colony for Germans. Link to an excellent website detailing the currency coupons issued by each cam p Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

4th February 1944 4th February 1944

15th May 1944 15th May 1944 Mi.890 Cover sent from Müllheim to ? Featuring stamp Mi.890. Ref: 15.05.1944

1st August 1944 1st August 1944 Telegram icon/ 10.43/ X C 187c Din C6 (KL VII)