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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.

162

German Postal Specialist

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