German WWII post

[Peter High]

I have just purchased a cover sent from a German hospital ship during WWII.  It is addressed to the German Red Cross in Berlin. The adhesive (1 Mark?) has been cancelled by a Kriegsmarine Feldpost circular name handstamp but with no date (would have been 1939-40). The envelope has a printed blue line across from top L to bottom R.
I know I have seen a similar diagonal line on cover before but cannot recall what it indicates. Express? (Can't be Registration as there is no corresponding label/number). I should know but can anyone enlighten me please?
Another question from the same cover: The addressee's name / address is typed on the reverse flap as 'Lazarettschiff "W. Gustloff", Danzig, Unteroffizier Ladislow Bratzlawski, (pol. gef.)'  This was the Wilhelm Gustloff, the huge former 'Strength Through Joy' Nazi cruise liner, which was torpedoed by a Soviet submarine whilst evacuating fleeing refugees from Gydnia, 30 January 1945 - the worst maritime disaster of all time with most probably over 9,000 souls lost. My second query is does anyone know what 'pol. gef.' stands for?  'Political'? Polish?
Your help will be appreciated.

Regards,

Peter

[akennedy]

pol gef would be Polish Prisoner.
polnisch (?) gefangener.

Alistair

[Peter High]

Thanks Alistair. Makes the cover even more interesting. If the sender was an injured POW I wonder why an adhesive stamp was affixed, when he would surely have been entitled to free postage?

Regards,

Peter

[Alan Baker]

Interesting question - all nouns in German start with a capital letter. If this is "Gefangener" (prisoner) why the lower case?

[akennedy]

[quote author=Peter High link=topic=654.msg3043#msg3043 date=1410194120]
Thanks Alistair. Makes the cover even more interesting. If the sender was an injured POW I wonder why an adhesive stamp was affixed, when he would surely have been entitled to free postage?

Regards,

Peter
[/quote]

[akennedy]

postage paid was only one pfennig.

[Peter High]

I have now received the cover from Germany. Having examined it closely and corresponded with a German collector friend, I am convinced that the cover is forged.
The one pfennig adhesive has the following typed on it (looks the same type as the address) "22.II.39 / Danzig" (this was not seen in the scan as typed on a black adhesive and obliterated by the purple ship's handstamp).
I have seen German adhesives of the same era overprinted (printed, not typed) with town names on occupation but the typed stamp is unusual. The date is quite soon after the ship's commissioning as a hospital ship.
I have seen daters of the named hospital ship - Wilhelm Gustloff - for sale, so I guess someone decided to 'make' one or two covers.
I have one more on its way to me. This one has two Hitler adhesives, both with similar typing: "II.I.45 / Windau". The addressee is different from the first cover but the same type / size of envelope etc. The two adhesives are cancelled by the ship's named handstamp.  As the two adhesives are still joined together by their perfs, they must have been inserted in the typewriter as a whole sheet (?) as it would be difficult if not impossible to type on just one (or two) stamps and get the type straight. [Could this indicate that there are more 'overtyped' stamps out there?] Nice if they were genuine. The Wilhelm Gustloff cease to be a commissioned hospital ship in 1940 when she reached Gydnia, where she became an accommodation vessel for a submarine squadron. Her HS colours were painted out and she was repainted grey. It was in the latter paint colour that she sailed to her doom in January 1945. The second cover is a forgery too of course, but interesting nevertheless (and cheap too!).
Regards,

Peter

[Alan Baker]

Have you tried the forum of the Germany & Colonies PS? If not, I could endeavour to post a query, although there is a section for non-members

[Peter High]

Thank you Alan. I will have a look at it.

Regards,

Peter