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I am a collector of prisoner of war mail relating to camps in Canada during WWII. I have been trying to find out some information about the markings on the cover below, as well as the route it seems to have taken from Germany.
The return address (written on the back, not shown) is Rheinbollen Hunsruck in western Germany. It was cancelled in Munich, over 200 miles away. I suppose it's possible that the sender was away from home when he posted it, but I'm not sure how many people would have been travelling around Germany in January 1945.
Inscribed on the Munich postmark are the words "Hauptstadt der Bewegung" which means "Capital of the Movement". These words have been obliterated, along with a swastika above the words. A handstamp has been applied which reads "Deutsche Kreiegsgefangenenpost" or "German Prisoner of War Mail". The ink from the handstamp and the ink used to obliterate the slogan appear to be the same in colour and consistency. Clearly, the slogan was obliterated because of its Nazi association, with the reference to the Hitler Youth Movement. But who did it? I don't think it was done in Canada, because the purple handstamp is not of Canadian origin. Does anybody recognize it?
Normally, POW mail to Canada would have gone through the Berlin censor office. This one did not. Although there was an active censor office in Munich at the time, this letter went to Vienna as the red "g" censor markings show. Why Vienna?
There are two numbers handstamped on the cover. "541" on the front and "1342" on the back. (The one on the back is not shown, but it is the same size, font and colour as the one on the front.) These look like Swiss censor marks, but if someone could confirm or correct me on that, I would be appreciative.
I would welcome any and all comments and information.
Thank-you.
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