Mi.700 (12.07.1939) Mi.700 (12.07.1939) Mi.700 Mi.700 Mi.700 (Ref: 16.07.1939) Imprint to the reverse of an envelope dated 31st July 1948 featuring Mi.700 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

27th December 1939 27th December 1939 Voraus gegen Engeland Propaganda postcard featuring an illustration by artist Harry Tress. The slogan translates to 'In 1940 full speed ahead against England', note that 'A.K.' is the abbreviation of 'äußerste Kraft', a naval term for full speed ahead. With feldpost cancel (Type 22) over a red feldpost number cachet (FPN 27928 - Minenschiff 'Kaiser'). Ref: 27.12.19 Story of the Kaiser Postcard depicting the turbinen-schnelldampfer 'Kaiser'. Launched 1905. Fate: scrapped 1954. During WWII converted to a minelayer for the Kriegsmarine. Armed with two 8.8cm guns and could lay up to 180 mines. In 1943 temporarily under the command of Carl Kircheiß. The ship ended her days in Poland as a stationary training and accommodation ship in Stettin. Ref: 07.06.1933 Reverse Extract fro m Wikipedia.de The Kaiser was commissioned by the Nordsee-Linie Dampfschiffs-GmbH from the Stettiner Maschinenbau AG Vulcan in 1904. When HAPAG took over the North Sea Line on 1st January, 1905, it also bought the Kaiser , which was still under construction on the slipway, along with its three other ships – Cobra , Prinzessin Heinrich and Silvana . The launch took place on 8th April, with commissioning on 10th September, 1905. The Kaiser was in service from Hamburg - Helgoland and from there deployed to Sylt or Norderney. The travel time from the St. Pauli Landungsbrücken to Helgoland was around four and a half hours, and from there to Norderney another three hours. Kaiser Wilhelm II used the ship for occasional trips on the North Sea . The Imperial Navy requisitioned the Kaiser on 4th August, 1914 and had her converted to an auxiliary mine ship (having the rear funnel removed). The ship could hold up to 200 mines. Under the command of Korvettenkapitän von Bülow, together with the mine cruisers SMS Albatross and SMS Nautilus , it laid a large mine barrier in the North Sea on September 9th September, 1914. However, the speed of the Kaiser proved to be too slow for a warship. At the end of the First World War she was the flagship for the flotilla 'Elbe' under commander Erich Graf von Zeppelin. In 1918 she was damaged by a mine and had to be made seaworthy again at a repair yard. Following the German surrender the Kaiser was requistioned by Great Britain. However, it was not put into service there and was bought back by HAPAG on 23rd September, 192. In 1922 there was a conversion at the Bremer Vulkan shipbuilding and machine works in Vegesack. On 17th June, 1923, the British steamer Bellbro and the Kaiser collided below the Stör. The starboard side of the Kaiser was damaged above the waterline. One of 1,887 passengers was killed and four were seriously injured. Initially back in service between Hamburg and Helgoland and to Amrum, Föhr and Sylt, the Kaiser sailed from 1st July, 1934, equipped with additional cabins, for the East Prussia sea service . During the Second World War, the Kaiser was converted into a mine ship by the Kriegsmarine. It was armed with two 8.8 cm guns and could carry up to 180 mines. She was temporarily under the command of Carl Kircheiß and was used as a test ship by the Navy from 1943. After the war, the Kaiser was once again given to Great Britain, from where she was handed over to the Soviet Union in 1946 and subsequently then to the People's Republic of Poland in April 1947. In 1949 (as the Beniowski ) she became a training ship of the Polish Navy. The Beniowski was laid up in Gdynia from 1950 and served as a stationary training and accommodation ship in Stettin until she was demolished in 1954. Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

11th April 1939 Philatelisten Cabinet 11th April 1939 Philatelisten Cabinet A5 size envelope sent from the 'Philatelisten Cabinet' in Berlin to an address also in Berlin. Featuring K34 from MHB 64. Ref: 11.04.1939 Philatelisten Cabinet Berlin-Wilmersdorf, Konstanzer Str.8 No imformation as at 12.2023 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

18th February 1939 18th February 1939 Villach Winterkampfspiele 18.02.1939 - Fleurs & Papillons Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

26th November 1939 MHB 66 26th November 1939 nachtraglich-s257-w140-w144 Cover sent from Wilhelmshaven to Plauen. Hand script 'Doppelbrief' indicating that the letter is heavier than normal for the normal postal rate. Incorrectly franked by Wilhelmshaven post office (across slogan and 12pf stamp only) and therefore 'Nachtraglich entwerten' (subsequently cancelled) by the post office at Plauen (to the lower 3pf and 12pf). Sent from correspondent who is 'Fr.' - Fuhrer/Chief - 'Monteur' - mechanic - 'Z. See' at/of the sea. Featuring stamps with configuration S257, W140 and W144. Ref: 26.11.1939 Stamps sequences from booklet sheet MHB 66 W141 (A11.4 + Mi.735 + A11.4). Ref: 20.01.1940 Block from MHB 66 that includes W144 (Mi.730+Mi.735), W145 (Mi.730+Mi.735+Mi.730), W146 (Mi.735+Mi.730) and W147 (Mi.735+Mi.730+Mi.735). Ref: 04.05.1940 Block from MHB 66 that includes SK36 (Mi.730 + Mi.735) and W146 (Mi.735 + Mi.730). Ref: 21.11.1939 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

19th July 1939 Karlsbad 19th July 1939 Karlsbad Postcard depicting a street view of Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary) and the Teplá river. Featuring cancel JB:Karlsbad3/406. Ref: 19.07.1939 Karlsbad Karlovy Vary (German: Karlsbad , formerly also spelled Carlsbad in English) is a spa city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 49,000 inhabitants. It is located at the confluence of the Ohře and Teplá rivers. According to the 1930 census, the city was home to 23,901 inhabitants – 20,856 were ethnic Germans, 1,446 were Czechoslovaks (Czechs or Slovaks), 243 were Jews, 19 were Hungarias and 12 were Poles. In 1938, the city was annexed by Nazi Germany according to the terms of the Munich Agreement and administered as part of the Reichsgau Sudetenland. Adolf Hitler addressing a large crowd gathered at the Theaterplatz in Karlsbad, 4th October 1938. The caption to the reverse of the postcard reads, 'Liberation of the Sudetenlands, October 1938'.Ref: 04.04.1939 Hitler's speech of the 4th October 1938 Germans! Volksgenossen! People of Karlsbad! Twenty years ago, you were so unfortunate as to set out on a path which led you on to what appeared to be a hopeless future. I set out on my path back then, too: I believed in the resurrection of Germany, in the restitution of my Volk and in the greatness of the coming German Reich. You remained faithful to your Deutschtum throughout the years as I remained faithful to my belief! And today we both find ourselves living in that German Reich I had envisioned then and in which I believed. This Reich has become reality, and it will remain so eternally. Just as you must take care of that Greater German Reich which we share, and the citizens of which you have now become, this Germany will take care of you! Seventy-five million other Germans reciprocate your feelings of love and dedication, of loyalty and willingness to sacrifice. It was a difficult decision that led me here. This decision was backed by the will to resort to force, if need be, in order to free you. We are all the more happy and grateful that this last and most difficult step needed not be taken in order for us to secure our rights. We are proud to take over this country with all its natural beauty. We are determined to immediately begin with improvements here as well, to improve what needs improvement, to build up what can be built up, and to let the wounds of the past heal. I did not know which paths would lead me here. But that I would stand here one day, that I knew! As I stand before you now, you will not only thank me but I wish to thank you as well for your loyalty, faithfulness, and your willingness to sacrifice. Just as you are proud of this Greater German Reich whose leader I am, so this Germany takes great pride in you Sudeten Germans. At this hour, we can but think of our eternal German Volk and our Greater German Reich! Deutschland-Sieg Heil! During World War II, the Germans established a Gestapo prison here. After the war, in accordance with the Potsdam Agreement and Beneš decrees, most German inhabitants were expelled. Source: Wikipedia Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

25th November 1939 'Der Reichsprotektor' 25th November 1939 der-reichsprotektor-bohemia-and-moravia Official cover of the Reichsprotektor in Böhmen und Mähren. Sent from Prague to an address in the city. Featuring 'mitläufer' stamps Mi.M278 and Mi.M355. Ref: 25.11.1939 - 1/86 'Der Reichsprotektor in Böhmen und Mähren' At the time of this cover being posted the Reichsprotektor was: Konstantin von Neurath (1873-1956) From Wikipedia: Konstantin Hermann Karl Freiherr von Neurath was a German diplomat and Nazi war criminal who served as Foreign Minister of Germany between 1932 and 1938. In the early years of the Nazi regime, Neurath was regarded as playing a key role in Hitler's foreign policy pursuits in undermining the Treaty of Versailles and in territorial expansion in the prelude to World War II . However, he was often averse to Hitler's aims for tactical, not necessarily ideological, reasons. That aversion eventually induced Hitler to replace Neurath in 1938 with the more compliant Joachim von Ribbentrop , a fervent Nazi. In March 1939, Neurath was appointed Reichsprotektor of occupied Bohemia and Moravia, serving as Hitler's personal representative in the protectorate. Hitler chose Neurath in part to pacify the international outrage over the German occupation of Czechoslovakia. Soon after his arrival at Prague Castle, Neurath instituted harsh press censorship and banned political parties and trade unions. He ordered a crackdown on protesting students in October and November 1939 (1,200 student protesters went to concentration camps and nine were executed). He also supervised the persecution of Czech Jews according to the Nuremberg Laws. Draconian as those measures were, Neurath's rule overall was fairly mild by Nazi standards. Notably, he tried to restrain the excesses of his police chief, Karl Hermann Frank. However, in September 1941, Hitler decided that Neurath's rule was too lenient and so stripped him of his day-to-day powers. Reinhard Heydrich was named as his deputy but in truth held the real power. Heydrich was assassinated in 1942 and succeeded by Kurt Daluege. Neurath officially remained as Reichsprotektor . He tried to resign in 1941, but his resignation was not accepted until August 1943, when he was succeeded by the former Interior Minister Wilhelm Frick. On 21st June 1943, Neurath had been raised to the honorary rank of an SS-Obergruppenführer , the equivalent to a three-star general. Late in the war, Neurath had contacts with the German resistance. The Allies prosecuted Neurath at the Nuremberg trials in 1946. The prosecution accused him of ' conspiracy to commit crimes against peace; planning, initiating and waging wars of aggression; war crimes and crimes against humanity '. Neurath's defence strategy was predicated on the fact that his successor and fellow defendant, Ribbentrop, was more culpable for the atrocities committed in the Nazi state than Neurath was. Neurath was held as a war criminal in Spandau Prison until November 1954, when he was released in the wake of the Paris Conference , officially because of his ill health, as he had suffered a heart attack . He retired to his family's estates in Enzweihingen , where he died two years later, aged 83. Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

26th January 1939 26th January 1939 Princess Letter 52 26th January 1939 Leutstetten to 27 Queen Square, Bath Dear Madeleine! Many thanks for your letter. I am feeling very lonely at present. Muck is gone for a week with Baby. Deidi is not here. I am so used to have all my sisters and brothers around here, that I feel quite queer at present. Rasso is taking lessons in his own room. And Ludwig – poor boy!- he is laying in the nursing home in Munich. He went skiing with Muck and me a week ago to Garmisch. He pushed a skiing stick right through his leg. At first we hoped that it would heal quietly, but it got inflamed and one had to cut through. Now his fever is going down and we are hoping to take him home in a fortnight or so. Today it is snowing hard. I am glad it does, as then I will be able to practice skiing again. We have had such warm weather lately, just as if it were April. I am still waiting for balls and parties, but until now, nothing seems to happen. I was at the opera and saw Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss. It is very beautiful once you get used to the music. One of the nicest operas is the “Barber of Sevilla” by Rossini. I saw it the third time the other day. Tomorrow I want to see “Salome” by Richard Strauss. I think it must be very well done here in Munich as we have got a famous singer Hildegard Ranczak to do the title role. She was a great success in London when she sang Salome there one or two years ago. I am very excited about the Spanish War. I do hope Franco is going to take Barcelona soon. Fondest love. Loll (also part of the letter and originally written in German) Dear Madeleine! You told me that you can already speak a lot of German. Therefore, please let me know if you can understand this letter - as it would be a lot more comfortable for myself if I could write in German only. Poetry is hard to understand in every language. I still understand all words from Shakespeare. I love Schiller's poetry more that the ones from Goethe. But I think Goethe is easier to understand for a non-native speaker as his wording is more natural. Schiller's in the opposite are rather classic and more than just an art. I admire your patience that you are translating all words with a dictionary. I never used to do it when I read something. Best regards, Loll Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

Mi.714-715 (18.09.1939) Reintegration of Danzig Mi.714-715 (18.09.1939) Reintegration of Danzig Mi.714-715 Postcard depicting Adolf Hitler at the podium addressing the Reichstag. The speech served as public declaration of war against Poland and thus of the commencement of World War II (Germany did not submit a formal declaration of war to Poland). To the reverse a violet cachet states, 'Der Weltgeschichtliche Tag/ 1. September 1939/ Danzig kehrt heim'. (World History day, 1st September 1939, Danzig returns home'). The 12 Pf postage stamp (Mi.715) was issued on 18th September 1939 to commemorate the reintegration of Danzig into the German Reich. Ref: 19.09.1939 Mi.714 - 715 Reintegration of Danzig into the German Reich Notes: Engraving: unknown. Photogravure printing. Sheets 10 x 5. Swastika watermark. Perf.14. Quantity issued: unknown. Valid until 31.12.1940 Mi.714 (6 Pf - St. Mary's Church). Ref: 16.10.1939 Mi.715 (12 Pf - Krantor - crane gate). Ref: 19.09.1939 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

3rd September 1939 3rd September 1939 British Mobilisation British Mobilisation Call Up document (Army Form D.463) informing Mr. Eastwood of the Army Reserve to join the Royal Artillery at the R.A. Reception Centre in Ascot on the 4th September 1939. Ref: 03.09.1939 - 29/78 It is to be remembered that Germany invaded Poland on the 1st September 1939, instigating the official mobilisation of the British Army, the evacuation of children from London, and Black Out measures to be taken. However, it wasn't until the 3rd September that Britain (and France) declared war on Germany. Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

Mi.A1 (13.04.1939) B&M Definitive Mi.A1 (13.04.1939) B&M Definitive Mi.A1 Bohemia and Moravia Masaryk Mi.A1 Cover sent from Prague to Aussig. Featuring postage stamp Mi.A1 first issued on 13th April 1939. Ref: 22.07.1939 Further research: 'D.K. Prague 25' and Hans Frank, born in Bohemia, expelled by order of the Czech government and buried abroad. Died 29.12.1982 in Düsseldorf aged 71. Mi.A1 (13th April 1939) Definitive stamp featuring image of President Masaryk Mi.A1 - 1K. Ref: 22.07.1939 Note: Bohemia and Moravia definitives (Mi.1-19 overprinted) stamps were supplied as from 15th July 1939 ( link here ) , therefore Mi.A1 is scarcer after this date. Mi.A1 became invalid after 15th December 1939. Mi.406 (not to be confused with Mi.A1). Note value '1Kč' v. '1K' . Mi.406 - 1Kč (Czechoslovakia). Ref: 17.11.1938-4/27 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

17th September 1939 Sign of the Times 17th September 1939 SOTT - Alfred Thoma See 33/59 - September - The grave of German soldier Alfred Thoma - photograph Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page