GPS May 2020

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Image 2: Kurzbefund, backErrata:In the May Specialist in Ken Gilbert’s “AnIntroduction to German Rural Mail Markingsand Cancels, Part 2,” there are two errorson p. 106. In the paragraph beginning in themiddle of the page, Image 6 should read Image5, and Image 11 should read Image 6.Editor160German Postal Specialist
Germans in theFrench Foreign LegionJerry H. MillerThe ‘French Foreign Legion’ is a voluntary military group composedprimarily of non-French volunteers. As an arm of the French military,Legion members are not so-called mercenaries but serve minimumfive-year-duty contracts. Serving twenty years entitles participants to aFrench-paid pension as well as lifetime health care at military hospitals.The Legion was organized in 1831 for missions in Algeria, whichmostly consisted ofsuppression of local uprisings. Between 1831-1999, itwas actively involved in twenty-four wars or campaigns worldwide. TheForeign Legion as well as the Paratrooper Unit Command are consideredthe elite of French fighting forces.German-speakers were volunteers in the Legion from its origin,becoming 35% of its total force post World War II.Before German prisoners of war were released from French camps atthe end of the war, the Legion is known to have recruited inmates.Upon release from Allied camps in Europe & abroad, many formermembers of the German Wehrmacht returned home to civilian life oftenfinding towns and cities in ruins with few employment opportunities.Some of those young men, had volunteered or were drafted into Germanservice between 1939-1945 prior to completion of apprenticeship oroccupation training. Many of those returnees therefore returned to civilianlife with only qualifications relating to military service motivatingthem to join the Legion.In post-war French-Occupation-Zone Germany, an estimated thirdof men between 18-20 years of age were enrolled in the Legion, not allof whom were volunteers, since the French were known to have pressedsome of them knowingly or unknowingly into service. After signingvolunteer contracts, they were smuggled into France wearing uniformsand brought to Legion bases.The numbers of German speakers in the Legion were highest duringthe French Indo-China and Algerian conflicts of the 1950s, decreasingby 1962. A large number of casualties occurred with the French defeatMay 2020 161
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Page 3 and 4: German Postal SpecialistVolume LXXI
Page 5 and 6: President’s MessageRudi AndersAnn
Page 7 and 8: The Feldeisenbahn EvidenceStampsW.
Page 9 and 10: Image 1: 2 Full Sets of Feldeisenba
Page 11 and 12: Image 3: The Inside of an ID CardSu
Page 13 and 14: REMAINING QUESTIONSThe use of the s
Page 15: An Interesting Post World War IIFre
Page 19 and 20: Deutscher Reichspost-Kalender(18-19
Page 21 and 22: Someone recently sent me a question
Page 23 and 24: Occupations and PlebiscitesPart 4 (
Page 25 and 26: and the word “centu” at the bot
Page 27 and 28: many more numeral variations giving
Page 29 and 30: The official Lithuanian position wa
Page 31 and 32: known of each of the denominations.
Page 33 and 34: couldn’t refuse: return Memelland
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Page 37 and 38: NewsThird Reich Study GroupAnnounce
Page 39 and 40: of the CDU since 1954 and was invol
Page 41 and 42: Design: Stefan Klein und Olaf Neuma
Page 43 and 44: illusions depicted on the two new s
Page 45 and 46: GPS CHAPTERSBaltimore (#16): Third
Page 47 and 48: Guidelines for ArticlesTextText sho

GPS May 2020

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