12th January 1942 Pleskau (Pskov) Arbeitsamt Official postcard (Armee Druckerei 48. 1941) from the Labour Office at Pleskau. Featuring postage stamp (Pleskau) Mi.10 y. Ref: 12.01.1941 - 21/35 Present postcard: Arbeitsamt - Pleskau The card translates as follows: Labour office ....., the ..... You will be asked to register at the .... at .... o'clock at the labour office ..... Room no. ..... to appear there. Please bring .... By order .... Army Printing Office 48. 1941 Stamps of Pleskau (Pskov - city in northwestern Russia, close to the Estonia border) City post of the Field Command 7th August to 30th April 1942 Mi.I-V 7th August 1941 (Soviet Union definitives with angeled 'Pleskau' hand-stamped overprint) 5 Kop, 10 Kop, 15 Kop, 20 Kop, 30 Kop Mi.1 9th August 1941 (Soviet Union definitive stamps with vertical 'Pleskau' + new value hand-stamped overprint) 20 Kop on 1 Pf (Mi.512) Mi.2-9 1941 (Soviet Union definitives with angled 'Pleskau' hand-stamped overprint) 20 Kop on 1Kop , 20 Kop on 3 Kop , 20 Kop on 5 Kop , 20 Kop on 10 Kop , 20 Kop on 15 Kop , 60 Kop on 20 Kop , 60 Kop on 30 Kop , 60 Kop on 50 Kop Mi.10-11 18th October 1941 & 5th January 1942 Definitive stamps 20 Kop (Pleskau coat of arms - brown-red), 60 Kop (Pleskau cathedral - green-olive) Mi.12 1941 & 5th January 1942 Aid for city kindergartens 60+40 Kop (Mary & Jesus) - Perforated Mi.13X Miniature sheet (with imperf. stamps used on cover) 1st December 1941 Aid for city kindergartens 60+40 Kop , Miniature sheet (block of four Mi.12) Mi.14-15 2nd & 16th March1942 Definitive stamps as Mi.10-11 but in differing colours 20 Kop (Pleskau coat of arms - green-olive), 60 Kop (Pleskau cathedral - brick red) Mi.16 (with imperf. stamps used on cover) 7th February & 16th March 1942 Aid for city kindergartens as Mi.12 but with paper variation 60+40 Kop , Miniature sheet (block of four) Mi.17 (imperf.) 28th February 1942 German Red Cross 60+40 Kop , Miniature sheet (block of four with and without watermark) Mi.18 (perf.) 1942 German Red Cross 60+40 Kop , Miniature sheet variations Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

17th November 1942 Ballon Batterie 100 Feldpost cover sent to Oberwachtmeister W. Recker at Ballon Batterie 100 stationed at this time at Jüterbog camp. the contents of the envelope include a hand written letter and a typescript personnel sheet (copy using Roto-Werke?/Mimeograph?) with hand written additions. These list people to their jobs within Ballonzugs B 7. Note regarding 'Oberwachtmeister' - Oberfeldwebel was taken on as second-highest Protégée-NCO rank by the German Wehrmacht in 1935. In the military branch cavalry, artillery and anti-aircraft artillery it was called Oberwachtmeister. Ballon Batterie 100 The balloon battery (mot) 100 was created in the winter of 1939/40 in the village of Zinna on the Jüterbog military training area. Its commander was Captain Luyken. From January 1940, the battery stood on the West Wall, then took part in the French campaign and then came to the Channel coast to be prepared for Operation Sea Lion. On the 22nd June 1941, the battery fought on the Eastern Front until October 1942. It was commanded back to Jüterbog to serve in the home garrison as a basis for four new balloon trains, which were supplied to individual observation departments, such as the Observation Detachments 27 and 44. Document with current envelope details the personnel and their duties Notes from contributors at Forum der Wermacht : The designation Bb. 7 should actually mean Beobachtungs-Abteilung 7 : https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/B.../BeobAbt7-R.htm According to the description in the book by Froben, Aufklärende Artillerie, p. 690, the Balloon Battery 100 was transferred to Jüterbog in October 1942, where it was reorganised into a total of four balloon platoons. It was possibly intended to assign one of these to the B 7. However, this certainly did not take place, as the division was surrounded at Stalingrad was encircled. The balloon platoon of Bb. 7 was formed by splitting the balloon battery (mot.) 101 in July 1942. Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

Mi.826 - 827 (Dec 1942) Hitler head definitives Mi.826-827 Registered mail cover sent from Hildesheim to an address in Pobershau. Featuring a strip of two Mi.827 (complete with sheet number 03464 to the margin). Ref: 07.11.1944 Mi.826 -827 Hitler head definitives by letterpress (also see Mi.787-788) Mi.827 (with sheet number at the margin). Ref: 07.11.1944 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

23rd August 1942 Lindau Postcard depicting an aerial view of Lindau (im Bodensee - Lake Constance), sent from Lindau to Vienna. Ref: 23.08.1942 Lindau Lindau is a major town and island on the eastern side of Lake Constance ( Bodensee in German) in Bavaria, Germany. It is the capital of the county of Lindau, Bavaria and is near the borders of the Austrian state of Vorarlberg, and the Swiss cantons of St. Gallen and Thurgau. Postcard sent in 1946 from Lindau to Donaueschingen. It depicts the harbour entrance and a pleasure cruiser departing into the open water of the Bodensee. (Note that two of the flags have been partially obliterated due to them displaying the swastika). The building on the right is the lighthouse, built between 1853 and 1856 at the end of the west pier and put into operation on 4th October 1856. This made it the successor to the Mangturm, which had been built in 1230; therefore it is sometimes referred to as the new lighthouse. To the left sits the Bavarian Lion (placed in 1856), symbolic in the Wittelsbach royal heraldry since 1214 and the Free State of Bavaria. Ref: 03.06.1946 - 16/15 After World War II, Lindau fell under French military administration and went first to Württemberg-Hohenzollern and then to the State of Baden-Württemberg. On 1st September 1955, Lindau again returned to Bavaria. Source: Wikipedia Postcard issued to commemorate the stamp exhibition during 'Lindau Autumn Week'. Featuring postage stamp Mi.4 (Württemberg) tied with commemorative cancel JB:Lindau4/501. Ref: 18.09.1947 - 16/73 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

26th May 1942 Eastern Front Medal Ribbon and Wound Badge Wedding photograph taken of a bride with her soldier husband who appears to hold the ranks of Stabsgefreiter. This rank was first established in 1942 and is equivalent to a Lance corporal. This date ties in with the medal ribbon (black-white-red) above the left breast pocket. It denotes a recipient of the Winter Battle in the East 1941-1942 medal (aka the Eastern Medal), established on 26th May 1942. Also upon the left breast pocket is the Wound Badge (black, 3rd Class). This being awarded to soldiers wounded once or twice during hostile action. Ref: 26.05.1945 Eastern Medal Wound Badge Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

15th June 1942 Vierhof mi.57aLW Parcel card for a package sent from Vierhöf Kaserne to Regensburg. Featuring Bohemia and Moravia postage stamps 2.50k (Mi.71) and 5k (+ blank field) Mi.57 (a or b?) LW. Ref: 15.06.1942 - 10/57 Vierhöf kaserne Čtyři Dvory (German: Vierhöf) is a part of České Budějovice (German: Budweis) The four courts (Čtyry Dvory) were originally created as a group of farm courts of the townspeople of České Budějovice (the first of the four large courts that gave the settlement its name was first mentioned in 1369). In 1850, a self-governing village named Čtyry Dvory (less than 200 inhabitants) was established here, in 1900 there were already 1,945 inhabitants. In 1952, the village became a settlement of České Budějovice and in 1970 it was administratively abolished and incorporated into the České Budějovice 2 district. Source: Wikipedia A number of barracks were built in České Budějovice in the 19th and 20th centuries, but only one was private. In the village of Čtyři Dvory, the landowner Karel Ploner built large barracks on his land in 1915-1916 and rented them to the military administration for the location of artillery regiment No.105. The area is located between Husová and Rošického (Haklodvorská) streets. Apparently Ploner was counting on renting them out. He built them for 3.5 million crowns. There was a courtyard next to it across the street, and to the left of Haklodvorská lay the older Execier Platz (literally, military training ground). Karel Ploner was a member of the board of directors of Měšťanské pivovar, owner of houses and real estate. He pushed to build an aircraft factory in the city, but there was not enough interest. In 1924, he sold "his" barracks to the state for 7 million CZK. Artillery Regiment No.105 was still based in the area, and the headquarters of the motorized artillery division was added. The staff building with a tower in the late Art Nouveau style was built by the České Budějovice company Procházka and Bazanella, the buildings for the team, warehouses and stables were also built by a local company – Bratří Petrášové. It was the last built barracks in the city (in other words, the youngest, if we do not count the unit of the Border Guard at the military cemetery). At that time, these were modern barracks. It's a shame that the tower of the staff building was later needlessly demolished and the park in front of it was cancelled. The UNION hotel was built on the opposite side of Husova. Source: ceskobudejovicky-denik-cz Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

31st October 1942 NSKK Motorsturm 1 M71 Koln Official envelope sent from the offices of the NSKK 1/ M71 in Köln to a member also in Köln. Featuring the organisations hand-stamp, official postage stamp (Mi.156) and cancellation (JB:199/822 - Köln). Contained within the envelope is a (spirit duplicate?) letter regarding Christmas feldpost packages. Ref: 31.10.1942 The correspondence within the envelope reads, 'Concerning Christmas field post parcels. In response to our letter dated 15 ds. Mts. regarding Christmas field post, we have not yet received a reply from you. So that there is no delay in processing the dispatch, we request an immediate reply to our letter of 15 October.' Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

Stalags I-V Stalag I-V POW letter-sheet from Stalag IIA at Neubrandenburg to an address in Italy. Ref: 09.12.1943 List of camps, numbers I - V with links (in bold) Camp location, nationalities and population taken from 'Prisoners of War in Germany 1939-1945 by Gianfranco Mattiello (2003) I - A Stablack (1939-1945) I - B Hohenstein (1939-1945) I - C Heydekrug (1941-1943) I - D Ebenrode (1942) I - D Heydekrug (1942-1943) I - E Prostken (1942) I - E Sudauen )1942-????) I - F Sudauen ((1942-1944) II - A Neubrandenburg II - B Hammerstein II - B Neubrandenburg II - C Woldenberg II - C Greifswald II - D Stargrad II - E GroßBorn-Rederitz II - E Schwerin see 25/70 (no date) II - F (315) Hammerstein/ Schlochau II - G (323) Groß Born/Westfalenhof II - H (302) Barkenbrügge II - H (302) GroßBorn-Rederitz III - A Luckenwalde III - B Fürstenberg III - B Luckenwalde III - B Stettin III - C Alt-Drewitz III - D Berlin III - E Kirchhain IV - A Elsterhorst IV - A Hohenstein IV - B Mühlberg IV - C Wistritz IV - D Neuburxdorf IV - D Torgau IV - D Heilag IV - E (384) Altenburg IV - F Hartsmannsdorf IV - G Oschatz IV - H (304) Wistritz V - A Ludwigsburg V - A (Schattenlager) Biberach V - A/Z Münsingen V - B Villingen V - C Wildberg (up to 10th September 1940) V - C Malschbach (from 10th September 1940) V - C Offenberg (April 1942 - January 1945) V - D Stransbourg V - E Mülhausen Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

Front Stalags 100-368 Front Stalag 100-368 Cover sent to a captured French officer being held at Frontstalag 183-A in Chateaubriant. Ref: 03.07.1940 Frontstalag, Auflag & Armee-Gefangenensammelstelle During the Second World War, both the High Command of the Wehrmacht and the High Command of the Army were responsible for prisoner of war issues. All POW camps in the Reich territory were under the control of the OKW, while the camps in the operational area were under the control of the Quartermaster General of the Army General Staff. The Luftwaffe prisoner of war camps were under the command of the Luftwaffe High Command, while those of the Navy were under the command of the Navy High Command. There were different types of camps for different tasks: Captured soldiers were disarmed and separated into soldiers and NCOs/crew. They were then taken by the fighting troops to prisoner-of-war reception camps ( Auflag ) or army prisoner-of-war collection centres ( AGSST ) set up just behind the front line. The POW collection centres were under the command of the commander of the rear army area (Korück) and were guarded by the army's field gendarmerie and guards. From the assembly centres, the prisoners of war were then sent to transit camps ( Dulag ) in the rear army area, which were the responsibility of the respective security division. There were also front camps ( Frontstalag ), where captured soldiers of all ranks were registered and sent to their destination after a short time. In the transit camps and front stalags, responsibility for the prisoners of war was then transferred to the OKH, which organised the onward transport to the officers' and enlisted men's camps in the Reich territory. This system had proved its worth in the first months of the war in Poland, France, Norway and the Balkans. With the start of the Russian campaign, with its huge space gains in the first few months, this system reached its limits and beyond. Moreover, the war against Russia was planned from the outset as a war of extermination in which the rights of prisoners of war were massively curtailed. On the way to the transit camps and then to the main camps or officers' camps, thousands of Red Army soldiers were shot by the escorts. In many camps, the new arrivals were left to fend for themselves, forced to live in the open air or in burrows they had dug themselves, receiving too little food and little or no medical care. The daily rations were still relatively sufficient until September 1941, after which the military leaders cut the rations considerably. The reasons for this were the unexpected lack of a lightning victory, the lack of supplies for their own army, which found too little food in the conquered territories, a lack of transport capacity and a general supply crisis, especially at the end of 1941, the impending winter and Hitler's initial ban on transporting Soviet prisoners into the Reich. Hermann Göring did not want to jeopardise the mood of the German population by failing to deliver grain and falsely claimed on 16th September 1941 that, in contrast to the rations for other prisoners, the Bolshevik prisoners were ‘not bound by any international obligations’: ‘Their rations can therefore only be based on the work they do for us.’ In fact, Article 82 of the Geneva Convention of 1929, which Germany had signed in 1934, also applied to enemy states that had not acceded to the treaty. However, at the beginning of October 1941, Quartermaster General Eduard Wagner decreed: 'Non-labouring prisoners of war in the prison camps must starve to death. Working prisoners of war can also be fed from army stocks in individual cases.' This meant that the already weakened Red Army soldiers who were unable to work, whose numbers increased dramatically in the following months, no longer received enough daily food. The consequences were particularly evident in the main camps: from October 1941 to May 1942, up to two out of 3.7 million Soviet prisoners of war probably died, at least 850,000 of them in the care of the army before being transferred to the hinterland. The individual prisoner of war camps were distributed among the military districts and were under the command of the respective commander or general of the prisoner of war system in the military district command. The latter was subordinate to the military district commander, who in turn was responsible to the commander of the Home and Reserve Army. The prisoners of war remained in the officers' camps ( Oflag ) and the prisoners of war camps ( Stalag ) until their final release. There were two types of camp designation in the military districts: Normally, the camps were labelled with the Roman numeral for the military district and a consecutive letter. Stalag I-A, for example, was the first regular camp for men set up in military district I, while Oflag II C was the third regular camp for officers set up in military district II. There were also camps with Arabic numbers (e.g. Stalag 56), which could not be assigned to a fixed geographical location and which were often operated outside the military districts. The Luftwaffe operated its own Stammlager-Luft ( Stalag Luft ), while the Kriegsmarine ran naval prisoner of war and naval internment camps ( Marlag / Milag ). A total of 107 prisoner-of-war construction and labour battalions (Kgf. Bau u. Arb. Btl) were set up to exploit the labour of the prisoners of war. These units were divided into companies, but mostly into prisoner-of-war labour detachments, and deployed in essential war industries, mining and agriculture. There were also 24 prisoner-of-war labour battalions, 31 prisoner-of-war construction battalions, 13 construction pioneer battalions, five dock worker detachments, six glazier battalions, eight roofing battalions, 34 air force construction battalions and 72 prisoner-of-war supply battalions. The last facility through which the prisoner of war passed, if it came to that, was the repatriation camp ( Heilag ). However, transfer to a Heilag was not obligatory; many POWs were also released directly from the Stalag and sent home. Prisoner-of-war staff camps (Stalag for short) were larger prisoner-of-war camps in which enlisted men and non-commissioned officers were housed and divided into labour detachments. Officers were housed in separate officers' camps (Oflag). The main camps served as transit stations for prisoners of war to work in the war economy, in external detachments, mines and industrial operations of all kinds. Once these prisoners of war had become unfit for work in the factories as a result of poor treatment, overwork and hunger, they were sent back to the main camp, usually to the sanitary area there. Many of them, especially the Soviet prisoners of war, died as a result. Those who returned to work were often very weak. As there was a considerable labour shortage, some companies began to feed the prisoners of war sufficiently and treat them in such a way that their labour could be preserved and exploited further, while others did the same from the outset. The main camps were numbered according to the military district using Roman numerals. The letter after the number designated the camp in ascending order. For example, Stammlager III-B in Fürstenberg (Oder) was the second Stammlager in the third defence district (WK III). Main camps outside the Reich territory had Arabic numerals. When these camps were relocated to the Reich territory, they were given the standard military district designation, but continued to have the Arabic numbers in brackets. Arabic numbers were also assigned to some Stalags within the Reich territory for reasons that are no longer comprehensible today. A total of 222 Stalags were set up in the German Reich and in the territories occupied by Germany. The occupancy rate of the individual main camps could vary between 7,000 and over 70,000 prisoners of war. On 1st January 1944, over 2,200,000 prisoners of war were held in the main camps. Source: lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de (2025) Frontstalag camps, numbers 100 - 368 162 Toul, France 183-A Châteaubriant, France 190 Charleville, France. With additional documentation from a former POW dated 07.05.1946. Ref: 6/27 - no date. Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

12th June 1942 POW Camps in East Africa POW Mail sent from an Italian prisoner detained at British camp 366 at Longido (?), Tanzania (possibly written to reverse 'Sez.' - 'Section' D). There were five camps to 366, these were Jinga, Kampala, Soroti, Longido, and Tabora. If Jinga = 'A', then the assumption is made that 'D' = Longido. All this could be totally incorrect! Ref: 12.06.1942 POW Mail - Camps administered by the British in East Africa Camp 352 see 06.05.1943 Camp 354 see 05.10.1943 - 19/63 Camp 356 see 16.07.1944 Camp 365 see 14.04.1943 - 19/56 Camp 366 (main image) No.1-B, Nyeri, Kenya (Italian evacuees) - see 33/61 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

13th March 1942 Oflag VIII-C Oflag VIII-C Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

Mi.111-112 (01.09.1942) B&M Red Cross Mi.111-112 B&M Red Cross See 33/3 (on cover - last day of validity, 31.12.1942) Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page