Background

In Reference [4] I presented an overview of mail from U.S. combat forces in Germany during W.W.II and the early postwar occupation period. I also promised to visit the early occupation period in another follow on piece. This article basically starts with the closing days of hostilities in 1945 and ends in 1950.

The Allies were faced with a multifaceted problem when the war in Europe was over. First there was an overwhelming commitment to find and punish those key people responsible for crimes. Two, Germany was overflowing with Displaced Persons (DPs) from all over Europe. These were the former Forced laborers, Concentration Camp inmates, released prisoners of War and those that fled from Russian Forces in the East. They all needed shelter, food, and medical help. Finally there was the need to try to help the German people to establish a democratic government and reestablish their strong Industrial capabilities without reinvigorating their military capability. In this and follow on articles we will address these issues from a postal history viewpoint in the context of the U.S. Military. Also with few exceptions we are talking about mail that has gone through the U.S. Military mail system i.e. APOs.

This article is not intended to be a scholarly treatise. The author does not pretend to be the last word on all these issues. It is rather my intent to expose to you what I know through covers collected by me over some 30 years and point you at some good references for your further study. I could wait another 30 years to be more complete, but that is never possible. I welcome your inputs for possible further discussions in this journal.

The Mission

Reference [5] states the plan of the censorship organization for the Occupation of Germany. However one can just as easily consider that the actions required to be in fact a good summary of the total mission of the U.S. Occupation Forces in the Intelligence Arena. Quoting here:

"The ... task ... is to prevent dissemination of information that would be detrimental to the interests of the occupying authorities and to obtain information of any kind which would be of use or interest to the United Nations. In particular information relating to the following subjects will be obtained:
a. The disarmament of Germany;
b. Activities of underground military, para-military and political organizations;
c. Activities of former Nazi leaders, personalities and organizations;
d. Activities counter to the military, political and economic terms of Surrender;
e. Activities counter to currency control regulations;
f Location of property stolen from other countries by Germany;
g. Location of assets held in other countries by German nationals or their
nominees,
h. Black Market and hoarding activities ;
i. Evidence leading to the identification, apprehension and conviction of war
criminals;
j. Information as to the war plans of Japan ...
k. Activities of German organizations among Germans abroad and German
propaganda activities abroad;
1. Espionage and, counter-espionage"

Figure 1

After the war was over in Europe there was a strong push from Washington to reduce the Occupation Forces and get them going west to help in the War against Japan. Figure I is a Pacific War patriotic cover from a member of the 13th Airborne Division, APO 333, in France to a member of the First Armored Division AP0 251. The letter has a machine backstamp of APO 251 in JuIy 20 when it was in Halle which soon after became part of the Soviet Zone. However as the handstamp shows the addressee was already on his way home for possible reassignment. (All identifications of APO numbers are from Reference 3. Reference 4 presents a general background on APO mail

Figure 2

Intelligence Forces

The military intelligence organizations were turned on to implement this mission. Figure 2 is one of my favorites. The 322 HQ. Intelligence Detachment established an Interrogation Center in Bremen using APO 751. They evidently found some GESTAPO Bremen envelopes and decided to use them. It would be interesting to know whether they used the same facility? Interesting enough German organizations or private persons using stationery with Nazi implications were required to obliterate them.

Figure 3

Figure 3 shows a cover from APO 758 just after the surrender that was still censored by the unit. The sender is with the 6870 District Information Service Central Command Psychological Warfare Division. Its main post-war mission was to control the newspapers and what we today would call media and to report on the mood of the German people. It was part of Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force APO 757 then in France. However the cover was actually mailed at APO 758 in Augsburg.

Figure 4

In the various intelligence operations it was felt that the OSS (Office of Strategic Services), the predecessor of the CIA, might be able to provide some insight. Figure 4 is from the OSS Detachment with the Ninth Army at Münster. It may have also been involved with recruitment of agents.

Figure 5 is from a member of Air Prisoner of War Interrogation Detachment using APO 696 of the 9th Air Force at Bad Kissingen. I also have in my collection a cover from the same man in November 1944 when he was in Luxembourg as a member of the MIS (Military Intelligence Service).

Figure 5, 6 and 7

Figure 6 is a cover from the closing days of the war canceled APO 696 of the IXth Air Force then in Wiesbaden from an Air Disarmament Wing. While the function of the unit seems self-explanatory I have never seen any description
of this function.

Besides the need to "find the guilty" there was also the need to obtain as much commercial and military knowledge from the Germans as possible. Figure 7 is from a civilian member of FIAT. FIAT stands for Field Information Agency Technical which had this charter. It was located in USFET (United States Forces European Theater) HQ in Frankfurt.

Figure 8

In the early postwar days the Counter Intelligence Corps (C.I.C.) was heavily involved with the "clenazification" process to clear people for possible employment as well as identify and apprehend war criminals. As the cold war heated up they became more involved with their classical function of identifying and apprehending spies. Figure 8 to the stamp dealer Harmer Rooke is from our own former GPS President and long time leader the late Herman (Harry), Halle a member of the 7707 E. C.I.C. working out of USFET HQ in Frankfurt. As I recall Harry eventually retired as a Lieutenant Colonel.

Censorship

There was the need to control and censor all mail.

Figure 9

Figure 10, 11 and 12

Figure 9 shows a cover that was probably passed without censoring i.e. "Released" CCD stands for Civil Censorship Detachment. Group A was at Munich. Figure 10 is from a member of the staff at Group B in Frankfurt/ Offenbach. Here mail is addressed from Offenbach and canceled at APO 757 and 24 BPO which were both in Frankfurt. Figure 11 is from Group C Berlin. Figure 12 from Group D Nuremberg. Riemer [ 10] is unclear on the transition from Nuremberg to Kulmbach. I have another cover, not shown, that has a sender at CCC "D" with a sender's address of APO 179 of Bayreuth with several of the numeral issues tied by a Kulmbach 30.11.46 cancel from a civilian
at CCD that identifies his location at Nbg or Nuremberg . The Group E (Esslingen) item, Figure 13, with a special printed envelope including the insignia CCD in the lower left hand corner is the only one I have seen. [10]

Figure 13

War Crimes

The International military Tribunal for the 22 major defendants started on 20 November 1945. In February of 1945 a War Crimes Group had been established to deal with those charged with lesser crimes. It reported to the Theater Judge Advocate 12 which was the chief legal function. The trials lasted 4 years. The War Crime Group moved from Paris to Wiesbaden in July 1945. The U.S. Forces rapidly "downsized" with only the U.S. Third and Seventh armies remaining. Their War Crime Detachments had accumulated 15,000 suspects and hostile witnesses. The Third Army lodged their share at Dachau and the Seventh Army used Civilian Internment Enclosure No. 78 near Ludwigsburg. Prison # I was an annex to CIE 78 which included 1000 SS men including 400 from Combat Group Peiper. In March 1946 HQ Seventh Army left the theater and its suspects were transferred to Dachau.

Figure 14

Figure 14 is from HQ 7708 War Crimes Group APO 178. Though there is no year in the postmark from the next cover I would say the year is probably 1946 or 1947 and was located in Augsburg. (in the literature in this area Branch and Group seem to be interchanged and it is confusing at times).

Figure 15

The next card, Figure 15, is from the wife of a JAGD (Judge Advocate Group Detachment) Colonel who is in the War Crimes Branch. Interesting enough we now have dependents in the Theater. The printed card was probably originally for APO 696 when the Headquarters had been in Paris before moving to Germany. Another interesting part of this card is that Mrs. Straight apparently had a heavy smoking habit or? (Though dated 1946 it is clear from the text that this was an end of year problem and should read 1947.)

Figure 16

Figure 16 is from a US civilian at the Dachau Detachment of the Group. This is postmarked from APO 407 in Pasing.

Figure 17

Figure 17 is an interesting letter on the status of a prisoner in War Criminal Prison No. I APO 6 1. This prison was located at Lanclsberg as was the APO. This certificate was part of a correspondence that I own. The covers are all in envelopes with civilian postmarks and a clear address of the prison with no indication of an APO. This paper was apparently hand delivered by a relatives as there was no markings on the envelope.

Figure 18, 19 and 20

Major defendants were tried in Nuremberg. Figure 18 is from a civilian member of the War Crime office mailed from APO 696 in Fürth. The sending address of APO 696-A is not identified [3]. Figure 19 is from a civilian at OPO OMGUS APO 757 of Frankfurt. OMGUS stands for Office of the Military Government US. (We will have more on OMGUS in a follow on article.) OPO is not known. This is to the commanding Officer Grand Hotel Nuremberg APO 696 A. The A has been crossed out but I suspect that A is for Nuremberg. This cover and reference [7] have partially unlocked the mystery of a cover I have had for some time. Figure 20 is to Mr. Keyserlingh at this address without an APO in a letter mailed from Weimar from a relative a Grafin K. Apparently there was a Hotel in Nuremberg that was used for witnesses for the prosecution [7]. Figure 21 is from the International Military Tribunal press camp Nuremberg. The year is hard to read but it appears to be 1946 during the main trial. Figure 22 is another staff function of the trials. Finally we have a cover , Figure 23, from a civilian at something called the "Lichfield Trials" APO 807. This APO was assigned to Bad Nauheim. I have been unable to find any reference to these trials?

Figure 21, 22 and 23

Constabulary Forces

Figure 24 and 25

Soon after the occupation began it was decided after several incidents that combat forces did not make for a good occupation force. A new organization called the US Constabulary was established. It had a new flashy uniform and a high esprit de corps. It was headquartered in Bamberg (Figure 24). Eventually a school was established at Sonthofen. Figure 25 is from the school and postmarked APO 407 in Munich. Figure 26 shows the picture side of this card which shows students walking in the school.

Figure 26

Future articles will deal with the Civil Affairs Units and the Offices of Military Government, and various DP organizations.

Background Material References

1. Anonymous, Special Text 4l-10-60 Handbook for Military Government in Germany (Fort Gordon, Georgia: US Army Civil Affairs School, 1944)

2. Gen. Lucius D. Clay, Decision in Germany (Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Company Inc., 1950)

3. George Consentini and Norman Gruenzer, United States Numbered Military Post Offices Assignments and locations 1941-1994 : (San Diego, CA: Military Postal History Society, 1994

4. Myron Fox, "World War I I Era Army Post Office (APO) Covers from Germany", German Postal Specialist, November 1996, 477-498

5. HQ., US Group CC, Intelligence Section, Censorship Subsection April 1945 Annex III Civil Censorship (Excluding Press Censorship) Basic Preliminary Plan Allied Occupation and Control of Germany National Archives Record group 33 1, Box 131

6. Maj. Gen. John J. Maginnis, Military Government journal: Normandy to Berlin (Amherst, Mass. : The University of Massachusetts Press, 197 1 )

7. Werner Maser, Nuremberg A Nation on Trial: (New York, Charles Schribner & Sons, 1979)

8. Robert Murphy, Diplomat Arnong Warriors (Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Company Inc., 1964)

9. Alfred Meschenmoser, Die Amerikaner in Deutschland: (Essen: Reimmer Hobbing GmbH Verlag, 1985.)

10. Karl-Heinz Riemer, Die Postzensur der Allierten im besetzten Deutschland nach dem 11. Weltkrieg: (Düsseldorf: Neue Schriftenreihe Poststempelgilde "Rhein-Donau" Heft 33. 1977

11. Dr. H.F. Stich and W. Stich, Postwar Years of Germany 1945-48. Postal History (Vancouver, B.C.: Self published, 1994)

12. Earl Ziemke, The U.S. Army in the Occupation of Germany (Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History United States Army, 1975)

13. Harold Zink, American Military Government in Germany (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1947)