PROPAGANDA POSTCARDS
(1940)

This page was last updated
20-Feb-2025 07:36

NOT WORTH A PFENNIG - WINSTON CHURCHILL

In the interest of propaganda, the feldpost was used to create mocking caricatures of Germany's enemies. Postcards and fieldpost folded letters were issued by private companies and sold in in the Wehrmacht canteens and in stationary stores at a price of 5 Rpf each. Initially, from 1st May 1940 only the Winston Churchill and Neville Chamberlain versions were available, and it wasn't until Germany invaded Russia that the Joseph Stalin mocking cards were published.

The mockery cards could only be sent postage free through the field post. Mockery cards or mockery letters with additional 6 Rpf or 12 Rpf franking from private senders were also requested, but more research is needed on these.

There were a number of different designs as follows:

DESIGNER HEINZ FEHLING

This first set of postcards was published in 1940 by Ferdinand Ashelm of Berlin-Lichterfelde, from a design by Heinz Fehling and features a stamp image of either Winston Churchill, Neville Chamberlain or Joseph Stalin. There were several print runs and the differences between them can be seen in the format of the word "feldpost" which has six variations as can be seen below.



ABOVE LEFT: Type I
ABOVE CENTRE: Type II
ABOVE RIGHT: Type III



ABOVE LEFT: Type IV
ABOVE CENTRE: Type V
ABOVE RIGHT: Type VI

Various colour differences in the paper and print, as well as different cardboard thicknesses should be ignored, since these differences are due to war-time shortages in materials (paper, card and ink).

The stamp on the churchill postcard features an image of Winston Churchill looking some what distraught with a British battle ship broken over his head. On Churchill's epaulettes are the letters 'WC' short for either Winston Churchill or 'Water closet'. There are three versions of the Winston Churchill postcard and the card also exists without the ASHELM logo at the base of the vertical divider.

ASHELM 3503-25

BILD 2 TYPE I

This Winston Churchill Ashelm 3503-25, Bild 2, Feldpost Type I card.




ABOVE: (1) WINSTON CHURCHILL (ASHELM 3503 25) - BILD 2, TYPE I

BILD 2 TYPE II

This following Winston Churchill Ashelm 3503-25 is a Bild 2, Feldpost Type II card.




ABOVE: (1) WINSTON CHURCHILL (ASHELM 3503 25) - BILD 2, TYPE II

BILD 2 TYPE III

Here is another Winston Churchill Ashelm 3503 25 card from my collection, this time it has been postally used and is a Bild 2, Feldpost Type III version.

This particular card has a Jüterbog cancel dated 9th Jul 1940. Jüterbog became the home of a major troop camp on the edge of the Jüterbog military training area from 1934. Soon after its creation it was renamed Adolf Hitler Camp. It is believed that the 'SS' were the first to occupy this camp but after late 1935 it became the home of the Artillery School. The camp was an important location for artillery troops.




ABOVE: (2) WINSTON CHURCHILL (ASHELM 3503 25) - BILD 2, TYPE III




ABOVE: (2) WINSTON CHURCHILL (ASHELM 3503 25) - BILD 2, TYPE III




ABOVE: (2) WINSTON CHURCHILL (ASHELM 3503 25) - BILD 2, TYPE III

ASHELM 5503 25

BILD 2 TYPE II

ABOVE: WINSTON CHURCHILL (ASHELM 5503 25) Bild 2, Type II

WITHOUT 'ASHELM' AT BASE OF CARD

The example below was cancelled in WESERMUNDE on 8th Aug 1942 and was sent to FELDPOST Station 01577U.




ABOVE: Without the word ASHELM at the base of the card

GERST 4503

ABOVE: (3) - WINSTON CHURCHILL (GERST 4503)

There are a further two versions of the Winston Churchill card. The first has Churchill's head repositioned so that it is now straight instead of leaning to the side as in the cards above. The WC has also now been moved from Churchill's epaulette's to the bow of the ship broken on his head. The text "WERT Keinen PFENNIG" has been moved to the bottom left of the stamp and has been replaced by a row of medals.



A final, much rarer version, sees Churchill's military uniform replaced by city clothes, complete with a bowler hat, instead of the ship, and the text changed to red instead of white.

FELDPOST FOLDED LETTERS

There are two feldpost folded letters (Feldpost-Faltbriefen), one of Winston Churchill and the other of Neville Chamberlain, there is no feldpost letter depicting Stalin.



ABOVE: WINSTON CHURCHILL FOLDED LETTER

MATTHES POSTCARDS

In addition to the Fehling mockery cards above, there were also cards produced by Verlag Paul R. Matthes. They are very similar to the Fehling cards, however they do not appear in the "Michel Feldpost Catalogue" and more research is required in order to determine their validity.

KNOWN FORGERIES

Due to the interest these items generate among philatelists, the Heinz Fehling cards have been the subject of forgeries and unoffical reprints. The most common forgery has the word "Feldpostkarte", instead of "Feldpost".

These printings are considered forgeries but can often be found on eBay, and other such sites, being sold as the genuine atricle complete with stamps and cancellations. CAVEAT EMPTOR.



ABOVE: Feldpostkarte - Winston Churchill

KNOWN RE-PRINTS

There was also an unofficial printing in the 1960's that has the inscription "Nachdruck. Walter Dungs" on the vertical dividing line. Chamberlain, Churchill and Stalin postcards were all re-printed. These aren't considered forgeries as they clearly have the word "NACHDRUCK" or re-print on the reverse of each card. However there are many examples in existance with fake/forged cancellations that are intended to convince buyers that these are genuine 1940 issued cards, they are NOT, they were printed in the 1960's.