OSLO / STAVANGER

Letter from Stavanger 12 June 1940 to Denmark via Oslo & Hamburg.

First censored in Stavanger with the red boxed "Weitergabe / genemigt" marking that was only in use in May-June 1940, forwarded to Oslo and censored with the German censor marking (in Norwegian) "VIDEREBEFORFRING / TILLATT / TYSK CENSUR". Then it was forwarded via Sweden to Germany and censored in Hamburg with a "Geprüft" censor tape and red cancel on reverse before it finally arrived in Denmark.

OSLO OFFICE (O)

This postcard was intended for Denmark mailed from Vinstra 28 November 1940, it was stopped in the censor.

With the red boxed Return to Sender censor marking:

"RETUR AVSENDER
ikke tillatt etter
de nye bestemmelser.
TYSK CENSUR"
(Return to sender / not allowed after / the new regulations. / German censorship).

It was not permitted to send picture postcards. This cancel was applied in Oslo and is not recorded in Riemer.

Additional OKW red circle censor mark of Oslo is recognised by the 'tilde' on the right of the German 'Eagle'.

OSLO OFFICE (O)

From Bygdoy on 1 February 1945 to Sweden.

Censored by the normal German censorship in Oslo with a cancel and Oslo (code 'o') tape. Additionally a red boxed "Retur" (Return) instructional mark was applied. A red long boxed censor instruction marking with the text "Tilbake til avsenderen / Ikke tillatt etter forordning av 30.7.42 / angaende postforbindelse med utlandet. / Kryssordgater/sjakkoppgaver." (Return to sender / not allowed after regulations from 30th of July 42 / regarding mail to the foreign country. / Crossword riddels/chess problems.) was also applied in Oslo.

Neither the censor mark, 'Retur' instruction, nor the enclosure memoranda (shown below) are recorded in Reimer.

OSLO OFFICE (O)

This RETUR AVSENDER memoranda from the censor office was enclosed. The translation is:

RETURN TO SENDER

not allowed

postal cards
glued photos

chess problems
crosswords and riddles

esperanto
hebrew

stenography
insulated envelopes, the insulation must be removed by the sender
nonreadable writing

the letter is toO long (only 4 pages allowed)
missing senders full address on the envelope
mail to the enemy contries

TRONDHEIM OFFICE (T)

This red censor marking 'At' in circle is the second of three general type of handstamp known from this station.

Found on mail to Sweden.

14 May 1944 from TROMSO to Stockholm, Sweden by surface.

TRONDHEIM OFFICE (T)

This is one of the scarcest German censor offices. Its existence was not even known for many years after the war and was not even mentioned in 'REIMER'S' 1966 first edition.

Interestingly enough the existence of this office was known to Allied Intelligence during the war and is listed in a historical write up of German censorship by the United States San Juan, Puerto Rico, censor office in 1945.

Censor label and red handstamp with 't' on reverse of cover from Norway to Sweden in January 1943.