Coded telegrams of U.S. Army located in the Czechoslovakia in 1945

 

The US Army established for US soldiers in Europe special delivery service EXPEDITIONARY FORCE MESSAGE to enable them to remain in contact with their relatives and friends in the United States. The HQ of the service was situated in Paris. The soldiers had to fill out a coded telegram blank and to pay 25 Fr. postage. The blanks were delivered to Paris and from Paris transmited to USA. This service was closed on August 15, 1945.

The French Postal Administration issued two stamps for the service :

·        in October 1944 a stamp showing Castle "Chenonceaux" (Yvert no. 611 ; Michel no. 667; Scott no. 496)

·        in May 1945 a Marianna stamp (Yvert no. 731 ; Michel no. 704 ; Scott no. 554).

 

Both stamps bears face value of 25 Fr. .

 

Mr. Delosta, a French officer, stated in his book "Histoire postale et militare de la deuxiéme guerre mondiale" that this service was used by U.S. military units in France, Belgium, Luxemburg, Netherland, Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia .

I try to find stamp used by a military unit located in Western Bohemia for many years. I contacted various people and organizations (museums, stamp collector´s societies) in France, USA, Germany, New Zealand and Czech Republic to find a single stamp or whole telegram blank comming from Czechoslovak territory. Unfortunately, nobody owns such stamp or entire.

Here is a list of known Army Post Offices (APOs) of U.S. Army in Czechoslovakia  with periods, in which the coded telegrams could be sent from the APOs.  Its Authors are Messrs. George Kobylka and Pavel Hauzner .

 APO´s No.

Period

2

12.5.1945 - 10.6. 1945

5

11.05. 1945 - 20.05. 1945

26

29.05. 1945 - 14.08. 1945

79

04.06. 1945 - 09.08. 1945

80

set in service after closing of EFM Service

94

11.06. 1945 - 20.07. 1945

137

11.05. 1945 - 14.08. 1945

205

29.05. 1945 - 14.08. 1945

230

??.??. 194? - ??.??. 194?

250

??.??. 194? - ??.??. 194?

254

11.05. 1945 - 13.06. 1945

258

11.06. 1945 - 14.08. 1945

305

11.05. 1945 - ??.??. 1945

412

16.05. 1945 - 14.08. 1945

445

11.05. 1945 - 15.05. 1945

655

??.??. 194? - ??.??. 194?

 

Please check your collections, if you don´t have such rare item ! When yes, you will be the first man having it ! In such please be so kind to let me know by e-mail .