Liberation.cancels

Provisional cancels.

Liberation cancels

The first liberation cancels appeared on the first day of the revolt against the Czechs

(Sept. 21, 1938). Some of these had obviously been prepared in advance.

In the enthusiasm of being "liberated" many cities made their own cancels and there is a wide variation in inscriptions, however the German Regional Head Offices in the areas nearest to the zones of the occupied territory did supply some of the nearby Sudetenland cities with cancels.

The liberation cancels were soon replaced by ordinary cancels and on Nov. 1, 1938 the German Postal Authorities sent a directive (RPM 453/1938) to the Post Offices where they were ordered to remove all non postal inscription from the cancels.

Cover from Asch sent to Alexandria, Egypt with a bilingual cancel, the Czech text removed and a liberation cancel with fixed date.

The text reads: " The yoke has been removed and we are free and will stay free!

Post Office Asch on the 21 of September 1938".

This cancel is the first liberation cancel made in Sudetenland.

Cover sent from Böhmisch-Kamnitz to Dresden

cancelled with a liberation cancel with fixed date.

The Czech stamps were locally overprinted in Böhmisch-Kamnitz.

The addressee is a member of the Sudeten German Freecorps.

The text reads: "We thank our Leader *

Bohmish Kamnitz * We are free! * 3. Okt 1938"

Cover sent from Tetschen an der Elbe to Prague, Czechoslovakia cancelled with a liberation cancel with fixed date.

As the cover had to be delivered personally " by hand " a special stamp was added for this at the Post Office in Prague.

The text reads: "Tetschen a. d. Elbe * Liberation day * 5.10.1938".

Censored commercial card sent from Prague, Czechoslovakia to Gmund but as the receiver had left the card was cancelled with a liberation cancel and returned

(Abgereist - Zuruck = Left -return).

The text reads: "Liberated at last * Gmund 3 * 8.10.1938".

(Back of card)

This is the only recorded use of this liberation cancel!

Cover sent from Barn to Reichenberg cancelled

with a liberation cancel with fixed date.

The text reads: "The town of Barn *

Liberation day * Post Office Barn * 9.10.1938".

The addressee was the main office of the

Sudeten German Party in Reichenberg.

Cover sent from Schonbrunn to Troppau

cancelled with two different liberation

cancels, one with fixed date

and another undated.

The text reads: "Schonbrun (Oder) * Sudetengau

* We thank our Leader * 9.10.1938".

Commercial card sent from Saaz to Berlin

cancelled with a liberation cancel.

The text reads: "Saaz * Liberation day * 9.10.1938".

Liberation card sent from Ullitz to Copenhagen, Denmark cancelled with liberation cancel.

This type of cancel was supplied by the German Regional Head Post Office

in Regensburg to at least 79 different cities in Western Bohemia.

The text reads: "Ullitz * We are free! * 9.10.1938".

Back of card)

Cover sent from Gastorf to Pinna in Rottweindorf cancelled with a provisional one line cancel and a primitive liberation cancel.

Due to lack of stamps this cover were sent as a "postage paid by the receiver" cover and was correctly charged only the postage.

The text reads: "We are Free!".

This type of cover is very rare!

Cover sent from Kalsching to Frankfurt an der Main cancelled with a liberation cancel.

This "postage paid by the receiver" cover was incorrectly charged at 1½ time the postage.

The sender was a soldier from the German Occupying forces and in the enclosed letter he writes about his experience during the occupation of Sudetenland.

The text reads: "Post Office Kalsching f. Bohmw. * The liberated Kalsching thanks the Leader".

Cover from Troppau sent to Berlin, redirected to Reichenberg, cancelled with a bilingual cancel,

with the Czech text removed and a liberation cancel with fixed date.

The text reads: "We thank our Leader * Troppau 8.10. 1938 * Sudeten Germany".

Postal card sent from Konigsberg to Prostejov, Czechoslovakia cancelled with a liberation cancel with no date.

As the card was sent Poste Restante the receiver had to pay a fee of 50h.

The text reads: "The liberated Konigsberg '* Eastern Sudetenland".

Cover from Grosshammer sent to Prague, Czechoslovakia cancelled with a two line provisional cancel and a liberation cancel.

The text reads: "Day of the takeover * Grosshammer * to Great Germany * Heil Hitler * 25.11.1938".

Special Delivery cover sent from Bohmerwald to Landshut cancelled with a German type cancel

and a liberation cancel with fixed date.

The stamps were issued to commemorate the election which was held in Sudetenland December 4, 1938.

The text reads: "Wallern Bohmerwald * thanks the Leader * at the 4.12.38 with a YES".

Cover sent local in Steinschonau cancelled with an unaltered liberation cancel.

The text reads: "We thank our Leader * Glasstadt (Glass town) * Steinschonau".

Commercial cover sent from Steinschonau to Johannesburg, South Africa cancelled with an altered liberation cancel.

After a directive of the German Postal Authorities all non postal inscriptions had to be

removed but in the beginning the Swastika remained in many cancels but these had to be removed also.

The text reads: "Glastadt) Glass town * Steinschonau".

(Back of cover)

Cover from Konigswald to Marienbad cancelled with a liberation cancel.

The text reads: "Post Office Konigswald".

Official cover from Konigswald to Teplitz-Schonau cancelled with an altered liberation cancel.

The text reads: "Post Office Konigswald".

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Cover from Asch sent to Alexandria, Egypt with a bilingual cancel, the Czech text removed and a liberation cancel with fixed date. The text reads: " The yoke has been removed and we are free and will stay free! Post Office Asch on the 21 of September 1938". This cancel is the first liberation cancel made in Sudetenland.	Cover sent from Böhmisch-Kamnitz to Dresden cancelled with a liberation cancel with fixed date. The Czech stamps were locally overprinted in Böhmisch-Kamnitz. The addressee is a member of the Sudeten German Freecorps. The text reads: "We thank our Leader * *Bohmish Kamnitz We are free! * 3. Okt 1938"**	Cover sent from Tetschen an der Elbe to Prague, Czechoslovakia cancelled with a liberation cancel with fixed date. As the cover had to be delivered personally " by hand " a special stamp was added for this at the Post Office in Prague. *The text reads: "Tetschen a. d. Elbe Liberation day * 5.10.1938".**

Censored commercial card sent from Prague, Czechoslovakia to Gmund but as the receiver had left the card was cancelled with a liberation cancel and returned (Abgereist - Zuruck = Left -return). *The text reads: "Liberated at last Gmund 3 * 8.10.1938". (Back of card) This is the only recorded use of this liberation cancel!**	Cover sent from Barn to Reichenberg cancelled with a liberation cancel with fixed date. The text reads: "The town of Barn * *Liberation day Post Office Barn * 9.10.1938". The addressee was the main office of the Sudeten German Party in Reichenberg.**	Cover sent from Schonbrunn to Troppau cancelled with two different liberation cancels, one with fixed date and another undated. *The text reads: "Schonbrun (Oder) Sudetengau** * We thank our Leader * 9.10.1938".

Commercial card sent from Saaz to Berlin cancelled with a liberation cancel. *The text reads: "Saaz Liberation day * 9.10.1938".**	Liberation card sent from Ullitz to Copenhagen, Denmark cancelled with liberation cancel. This type of cancel was supplied by the German Regional Head Post Office in Regensburg to at least 79 different cities in Western Bohemia. *The text reads: "Ullitz We are free! * 9.10.1938". Back of card)**	Cover sent from Gastorf to Pinna in Rottweindorf cancelled with a provisional one line cancel and a primitive liberation cancel. Due to lack of stamps this cover were sent as a "postage paid by the receiver" cover and was correctly charged only the postage. The text reads: "We are Free!". This type of cover is very rare!

Cover sent from Kalsching to Frankfurt an der Main cancelled with a liberation cancel. This "postage paid by the receiver" cover was incorrectly charged at 1½ time the postage. The sender was a soldier from the German Occupying forces and in the enclosed letter he writes about his experience during the occupation of Sudetenland. *The text reads: "Post Office Kalsching f. Bohmw. The liberated Kalsching thanks the Leader".**	Cover from Troppau sent to Berlin, redirected to Reichenberg, cancelled with a bilingual cancel, with the Czech text removed and a liberation cancel with fixed date. *The text reads: "We thank our Leader Troppau 8.10. 1938 * Sudeten Germany".**	Postal card sent from Konigsberg to Prostejov, Czechoslovakia cancelled with a liberation cancel with no date. As the card was sent Poste Restante the receiver had to pay a fee of 50h. *The text reads: "The liberated Konigsberg ' Eastern Sudetenland".**

Cover from Grosshammer sent to Prague, Czechoslovakia cancelled with a two line provisional cancel and a liberation cancel. *The text reads: "Day of the takeover Grosshammer * to Great Germany * Heil Hitler * 25.11.1938".**	Special Delivery cover sent from Bohmerwald to Landshut cancelled with a German type cancel and a liberation cancel with fixed date. The stamps were issued to commemorate the election which was held in Sudetenland December 4, 1938. *The text reads: "Wallern Bohmerwald thanks the Leader * at the 4.12.38 with a YES".**	Cover sent local in Steinschonau cancelled with an unaltered liberation cancel. *The text reads: "We thank our Leader Glasstadt (Glass town) * Steinschonau".**

Commercial cover sent from Steinschonau to Johannesburg, South Africa cancelled with an altered liberation cancel. After a directive of the German Postal Authorities all non postal inscriptions had to be removed but in the beginning the Swastika remained in many cancels but these had to be removed also. *The text reads: "Glastadt) Glass town Steinschonau". (Back of cover)**	Cover from Konigswald to Marienbad cancelled with a liberation cancel. The text reads: "Post Office Konigswald".	Official cover from Konigswald to Teplitz-Schonau cancelled with an altered liberation cancel. The text reads: "Post Office Konigswald".