Jay Smith & Associates: Norway: Covers: WWII German Stamp Usages in Norway

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Norway: Covers: WWII German Stamp Usages in Norway

During WWII, in Norway, there were two typical (though still scarce) ways that German stamps could be used on covers. (A third way could be on ship / paquebot mail posted upon arrival in a Norwegian port, but ship covers are usually normal civilian ship mail that is listed in a different section with other ship mail covers.)

During WWII, the occupying Germans operated two postal systems in Norway:

1) The "Feldpost" [military mail] system. Most Feldpost mail was either letters from soldiers or official military unit mail. In either case, postage stamps were NOT required for such mail -- by QUALIFIED SENDERS -- for ordinary letters up to 100 grams and packages up to 200 grams. However, covers bearing stamps do exist sent through the Feldpost system because either the covers were not ordinary low-weight items that were free or they were items sent by NON-QUALIFIED SENDERS (such as civilian support personnel or contractors, etc.). German mail from Norway, sent by NON-QUALIFIED SENDERS, sent through the Feldpost system, is "scarce". In the few cases that I have seen, the sender may have used (paying the postage with a stamp) the Feldpost system because the sender was located far from offices that had access to the Dienstpost system. One example is visiting performers (the equivalent of the American USO) who were performing for troops in the field.

2) The "Dienstpost" [official mail] system. With extremely few exceptions, all the administrative / official government-functions mail, that was sent through this system, required the use of German postage stamps, just as would have been true within the German borders. Dienstpost use without stamps (or without some indication-of or imprint-for budgeted postage payment) is "rare" because it was only allowed for very high-ranking individuals.

Much Dienstpost mail was typically endorsed "Durch Deutches Dienstpostamt / Oslo" [By German Official Post Office / Oslo]. Furthermore, most Dienstpost mail bears either a large (corner to corner) "X" or a large (edge to edge) "+" pair of lines, either printed or drawn. The purpose of these lines was to alert down-line censorship authorities that the item is from a trusted sender and may be passed free of censorship. This served two purposes: a) To conserve censorship labor resources on mundane items and/or b) To protect sensitive government information from being read by censors who may not have had the necessary security clearances. The vast majority of Dienstpost mail thus does not show any signs of censorship. (However, the lack of such lines combined with the lack of censorship may indicate that the item was a "hand back" item (canceled for a collector) that was never actually mailed. Please note that even philatelic hand-back items are still "scarce" and still have significant value.

Dienstpost mail usually has one of two types of cancellations on the stamps. Both are dated bridge-style postmarks with "OSLO" at the bottom, a code letter (i.e. a, b, c, etc.) below the bridge, and with the text of either: "DEUTSCHES DIENSTPOSTAMT" or "DEUTSCHES POSTAMT".

In my experience, all covers and cards associated with the German occupation of Norway are scarce. Items mailed WITHIN Norway are particularly scarce because many covers (along with other reminders of the occupation) were intentionally destroyed after the war. As noted, even philatelic covers are sought after and have value even as source of stamps, with the German occupation of Norway cancellations, that could theoretically be cut from such covers. Obvious examples of administrative, commercial, and private non-philatelic covers are especially desirable.

WWII German Stamp Usages in Norway

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US$

401721

Germany Scott #511B [1942 12 pf Hitler] (VF) on clearly dated 23 August 1943 (light cancel, but the date can be read without doubt) FELDPOST cover to "Direktor Artur Riedel" in Wiesbaden-Biebrich, Germany. The Feldpost cancellation has "---" where the kenn number would normally be (probably removed for security reasons). The cover is endorsed "Durch Deutsch Feldpost" [By German Military Post]. This very unusual cover -- franked with postage, thus sent by a NON-QUALIFIED SENDER -- deserved further research. The "cleaned up" return address is "Kammersänger Bötel / Spielgruppe 563 / "Kleines Lexikon" / Oslo P15 / K.d.F. / über Berlin N.4.". The analysis of the return address is: 1) "Kammersänger" [chamber singer] is a prestigious official German title for an eminent opera or concert singer. This individual may have been a relative of Heinrich Bötel (deceased 1938) or Bernhard Bötel (retired, died in 1953), well-known singers of a somewhat earlier era. This person was likely a director or lead performer of this troupe. 2) Spielgruppe 563 / "Kleines Lexikon": A Spielgruppe was a mobile theater group or entertainment troupe sent to occupied territories or frontline sectors to perform for soldiers and administrative staff. "Kleines Lexikon" ("Little Lexicon") was the title of the specific theatrical comedy, revue, or program they were touring with. 3) "Oslo P15": The troupe was stationed in or operating out of Oslo during the occupation. "P15" refers to a localized sector or administrative sorting code used within the occupation hub. 4) "K.d.F.": Kraft durch Freude ["Strength Through Joy"]. The troupe was officially employed and managed by this civilian organization, rather than being active military personnel. "über Berlin N.4": The official routing instruction. Mail to and from these civilian KdF units in occupied Norway bypassed the local Norwegian post and was funneled through a central Berlin distribution node (Berlin N.4). In 53 years, this is the first example of Norwegian K.d.F. FELDPOST mail that I have encountered. (One other K.d.F. cover came to me from the same collection, but it was sent by somebody else, and through the Dienstpost official mail system rather than the Feldpost military mail system.) Though this cover may initially appear as "just another Feldpost cover", it is a remarkable -- and "quite scarce" coming from Norway -- example of Norwegian Occupation postal history. If anybody can identify with certainty the sender or recipient, I would like to add the information to the description (which I will leave available for reference purposes).

ACTUAL item.

Reference
For reference only. NOT for sale.

401722

Germany Scott #511B [1942 12 pf Hitler] (VF) on a clearly dated 25 March 1945 (partially light cancel, but the date can be read without doubt) DIENSTPOST cover. The cover is a pre-printed "formular" envelope "Durch Deutsches Dienstpost / Oslo" ["By German Official Mail / Oslo"] and is postmarked "DEUTSCHES DIENSTPOSTAMT / OSLO / c" (code letter "c" below the date). The envelope has a very remarkable LIGHT BLUE printed large "X" (corner to corner) which indicated that the cover was from a trusted sender and could be passed without censorship (this the only example I can recall seeing, from Norway, of the "X" in light blue). Please refer to the website page header for more information about such covers. The postage stamp was required because the sender was a NON-QUALIFIED SENDER who, as a civilian, did not have the free-franking privilege. This cover is especially unusual in that it was sent by "Kraftfahrer W. Lindeman" of the "K.D.F." The envelope return address also contains "Oslo P.16 / über Berlin N 4.". The analysis of the return address is: 1) "Kraftfahrer" is a driver or chauffeur. 2) "Oslo -- P.16": The envelope was printed for non-military personnel stationed in or operating out of Oslo during the occupation. "P.16" refers to a localized sector or administrative sorting code used within the occupation hub. 4) "K.D.F.", which is usually written "K.d.F.", refers to the organization Kraft durch Freude ["Strength Through Joy"]. The driver was officially employed and managed by this civilian organization, rather than being active military personnel. "über Berlin N.4": The official routing instruction. Mail to and from these civilian K.d.F. units in occupied Norway bypassed the local Norwegian post and was funneled through a central Berlin distribution node (Berlin N.4). The sender was not a soldier, but was a civilian (probably German) employee or contractor working for the K.d.F. as a driver, thus not qualified for free postage. The K.d.F. ran a massive logistics operation in Norway to support their large morale-boosting activities for the German soldiers. In 53 years, this is the first example of Norwegian K.d.F. DIENSTPOST mail that I have had. (One other K.d.F. cover came to me from the same collection, but it was sent by somebody else, and through the Feldpost military mail system rather than the Dienstpost official mail system.) Though this cover may initially appear as "just another Dienstpost cover", it is a remarkable -- and "quite scarce" coming from Norway -- example of Norwegian Occupation K.d.F. postal history. Furthermore, this cover was mailed at a time (late March 1945) that the German forces in Northern Norway were in full tactical retreat, heading south ahead of advancing Russian forces. Additionally, German forces were being recalled from Norway to protect the German homeland as the Allied forces approached Berlin from both the east and the west. Lastly, the K.d.F. was desperately trying to improve troop morale in Norway because it was very clear by then that the German troops in Norway were trapped. Just 6 weeks after this cover was mailed, on May 8, 1945, 350,000-380,000 German troops surrendered. If anybody can identify with certainty the sender or recipient, I would like to add the information to the description (which I will leave available for reference purposes).

ACTUAL item.

Reference
For reference only. NOT for sale.

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