GPS May 2020
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at Dien Bien Phu in Indo-China with over 11,000 Legion losses with an
estimated 80% of those German-speakers.
German-Soldier Legion Mail was free-frank through the French
Military Post Office for mail from Indo-China to France. If such mail
was destined for Germany, it went free-frank to France with postage
affixed & postmarked by the French Military Post Office in France,
transferred to the French Civilian Post Office and forwarded to its
destination.
Image 1: Free-frank cover, military-unit validated & military post office postmarked
in French Indo-China on 21 March 1950, sent by Private “Jürgen Pattinger” to his girlfriend
located in Chemnitz (later renamed “Karl Marx Stadt”), Russian-Occupation
Zone of Germany, with additional 25 Francs postage added (UPU Single-Weight
Foreign-Bound Letter-Rate) and military-postmarked on 26 May 1950.
Even though today only 2-3% of Legion members are Germanspeakers,
Legion Member associations exist in the German Cities of
Mannheim, Dresden, Hanover, Dortmund, Frankfurt and Kassel. Only
members of the legion, not deserters or dishonorably discharged individuals,
are accepted into those associations, as supported by the French
Military which monitors membership.
Bibliography:
Wikipedia.de
Scholl-Latour, Peter, Der Tod im Reisfeld – 30 Jahre Krieg in Indochina
(Death in the Rice Field – 30 Years War in Indochina), Penguin Books, 1986.
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German Postal Specialist