Gallery

 

II. Danzig—Langfuhr
Double—circle stamp with distinguishing letter a, slogan to the left, datestamp to the right. Recorded use 3.6.1940 to 28.2.1944.

The text of the slogan is in all cases the same:‘Benutzt die Luftpost” [“Use the airmail”) with an aeroplane.

Special handling of airmail arrivals in Danzig
The aim of airmail forwarding is that a sending should not only reach the place of destination but also separately the addressee as quickly as possible. For some long time the Danzig Postal Authorities wanted to make provision for this, and to this end such sendings were forwarded to the addressee by special delivery even when express delivery had not been specified or paid for.

Naturally the Postal Administration wished to combine this with the levy of a fee. To clarify this measure to the surprised addressee, the Postal Authorities produced a small, white, printed label, designed to explain their good intentions. The text of this label read

“Gebührenpflichtige. Eilab-                 [Express delivery at the appropriate
tragung geschieht im Inter-                  fee seems to be in the
esse des Empfängers. Bei                     interests of the addressee.
Nichtzahlung der Gebühren              Non- payment of the fee
erfolgt Abtragung auf dem                 results in distribution at the
nächsten Besteilgang.”                         next general delivery]

There are two sorts of these labels according to the designation of the printed inscription below the text. For sendings into the main township this read “Postamt 1” and for sendings for Langfuhr, Olive and Zoppot only “Postamt”.

Sendings with this label bore the indication of the fee either by the blue crayoned endorsement “40P” or by application of postage due stamps to this value. In this way these sendings already gain in interest.

The addressee was not always inclined to pay this fee. In such cases the special delivery fee had to be cancelled. This was effected sometimes by manuscript endorsement, but sometimes on other sendings by the application of one of the “Entlastet” handstainpg of the various offices.

This system was in operation from 1932 to 1934, but it seems from the scarcity of sendings so handled it was only used in a relatively few cases. From these procedures three groups of different use are of particular interest for the purpose of collection

a) according to the inscription of the gummed label,
b) when the fee is indicated by blue crayon or postage-due stamp,
c) when refused and “cancelled”.

I have in my collection, amongst others, a card with the red “Entlastet”handstamp of the Telegram Office, a boxed stamp, and it is very rare for a sending to have this.

 

Danzig Report Vol. 1 - Nr. 63 - April - May - June - 1989, Page 17.