Description
WWII/Holocaust-era Jewish-Palestinian POW mail: 9-5-1942 stampless prisoner of war postcard on German POW postal stationary, with message in English dated 24 April & addressed to the Workers' Council of HAIFA (here 'disguised' as "Mr. Moazat Hapoalim"), from prisoner Israel Baum at STALAG VIIIB (at LAMSDORF - aka Stalag 344) - oddly his sender's name on the return address is "Ben Chaim" (both names used are Jewish, so it's not an attempt to hide his religion); tied by camp's boxed censor cachet & mute double-ringed datestamp + 2x British-Egyptian censor marks on front & numbered circular censor on back + the workers' council Hebrew-language boxed docketing cachet confirming the card's arrival on 21 June 1942 - this rare proving date on POW mail. Oddly the card was not checked by the Palestine postal censor. The POW asked the council to inform a Hanoch Verdiger, resident of Haifa, that the sender is "helthy"(sic) and to write him back at the sender's address on the card. Stalag 344 is confirmed as having housed Palestinian POWs among the 100,000+ prisoners that were held there. Vertical fold but very fine. Interesting postal history.