FOCUS ON PHILATELY

by Ingert Kuzych

Philatelic vestiges of the Galicia Division

Although almost all Ukrainian philatelists collect some postage stamps, many also specialize in what are called cinderella stamps or labels. These are emissions that resemble regular stamps but are privately, not governmentally, produced. Like typical stamps, they commemorate some event or promote a cause, but they do not necessarily carry a value designation. This month's article describes some cinderellas produced during the mid-1940s.

Background

By early 1943 the German High Command finally realized it was in for a protracted struggle against the Soviet Union. The devastating defeat at Stalingrad in February of that year had a sobering effect on the military administration. Until then, German armies had gone from victory to victory. Now, with some to 110,000 troops dead, 90,000 captured and much materiel lost, replacements had to be found.

A new program was created allowing for the formation of foreign military legions culled from nationalities under German occupation. Among units created were those in Estonia, Latvia and also in Galicia (western Ukraine). The altered military situation caused the German attitude toward their conquered subjects to change: the "Eastern nationalities" suddenly found themselves elevated from "untermenschen" (sub-humans) to "co-fighters" in a war against the "evils of Bolshevism." This change in status allowed the new military units to acquire concessions from the occupying Germans that previously would have been unthinkable.

The Ukrainian military formation was designated as the SS Sharpshooter Division - Galicia (Division Galizien in short). Assurances were received that the division would fight only against the Red Army and that Ukrainian chaplains would be allowed to serve with the enlistees. In addition, the training of a Ukrainian officers' corps was to be undertaken and a number of Ukrainian political prisoners set free.

The formation of the Division was announced on April 28, 1943, and the response was staggering. By early June over 80,000 recruits had reported to enlistment offices. Of this total, 50,000 were found to be acceptable for service, and after further screening 29,000 were selected for active duty. This total was actually sufficient for eight complete regiments, but since the division could only accommodate three infantry regiments and 13,000 men in total, the other five regiments were formed independently under the German Police command. In essence, they served as a reserve for the division.

In addition to the three infantry regiments, an artillery regiment was added, as were various detachments of fusiliers, sappers, communications personnel and anti-aircraft artillery. In all, between 15,000 and 18,000 soldiers made up the complete fighting force.

Propaganda labels

During the creation of the Galicia Division in September of 1943, two propaganda labels announcing the formation of this military unit were printed in Lviv. Released by the Military Administration of the Sharpshooter Division Galicia in Lviv, the label designs by Sviatoslav Hordynsky depict soldiers of the division in battle gear and the division's coat of arms - a modified version of the Galician district's lion on a shield with three crowns.

The labels were sold at the Divisional Support Establishment Offices to aid the Divisional Welfare Fund. No value was shown on these labels, which were printed on thick, light cream-colored, non-gummed paper. The selling price for the two division stamps was 5 zloty.

Figure 1 shows these two labels affixed to an envelope bearing a return address of: Military Administration "Galicia," 10 Parkova St., Lviv (the headquarters location of the Division). Both the two bronze-red "stamps" in the upper right, and the gray-blue "stamp" in the lower left, are "cancelled" by a circular marking that again reproduces the Division's emblem in its center and the German inscription "Wehrausschuss Galizien" (the meaning is the same as the title on the return address) along the inner border.

Very few of these "covers" were ever created and fewer still survive. I have only seen two, and the one illustrated sold about 15 years ago for several hundred dollars. Although technically these labels are not postage stamps, they are eagerly sought by certain philatelic collectors specializing in military material. Ordinary, loose (unattached) labels are not that difficult to find and go for about $3 each. Reportedly, the entire remainder of unsold labels was destroyed in 1945 by a commission in Blumhofen by Kaufbeuren in southern Bavaria, where the archives of the Galicia Division had been evacuated. Even so, many sheets of these labels survived.

The fate of the Division Galizien

The Galicia Division command and the technical corps consisted entirely of German officers; this created some friction, especially during the early formative organizational period. The division name was changed to the 14th SS Freiwilligen (Volunteer) Division - Galizien on June 30, 1943.

In mid-June of 1944, the Division saw its first action. Not yet fully trained and inadequately supported, it was thrown into the path of the advancing Red Army at Brody in western Ukraine. The unit performed bravely but was encircled. In action that lasted 19 days, the Division was virtually wiped out. Of the 14,000 men and officers who participated in the battle, only about 3,000 were able to return to the German lines. The chief villain for this debacle was Adolf Hitler himself, who refused to listen to the counsel of his military advisors who had urged that the forces evacuate Brody to set up positions in a more defensible location.

The Division was quickly regrouped and replenished with reserves. The organization of a second division, composed of eastern Ukrainians, was also begun. These, and a number of other units, were eventually classified as the Ukrainian National Army (within the German Army). The Germans gave Ukrainian Gen. Pavlo Shandruk nominal command of this entire formation.

In the autumn of 1944, the Galicia Division fought in Slovakia and in January of 1945 it was transferred to Austria to fill gaps in the front. The division was always deployed to areas where it could fight communist forces and the men of the Division acquitted themselves with distinction. Gen. Shandruk joined the Division in April 1945. Under his auspices the force was formally attached to the Ukrainian National Army as its 1st Division; on April 25 the troops swore an oath to the Ukrainian people.

During Germany's capitulation early in May 1945, most of the troops (some 10,000) surrendered to the British. They were thereafter transferred as internees to Rimini in Italy (where they spent two years) and later to various camps in Britain (17 in England, three in Scotland). It was here that they worked as contract laborers for one and a half to two years before being released. Most of the men emigrated to North America, but a considerable number remained in England.

Rimini postal issues

It was at the large Rimini locale that an internal (camp) postal system was set up. Over the two-year period of internment a total of 29 stamps, one souvenir sheet and four postcards were created for internal correspondence. Since this type of local postage did legitimately carry mail, albeit within the enclosed area of the sprawling camp, many Ukrainian philatelists avidly collect these emissions.

Figure 2 shows the souvenir sheet from the Rimini camp; this gray-green item, released in August 1946, was composed of the first four stamps released in this camp and prominently also displays the division lion coat of arms. Only 2,000 such sheets were prepared; today they go for between $25 and $50 each (when they can be located).

Ingert Kuzych may be contacted at P.O. Box 3, Springfield VA 22150 or by e-mail at: [email protected].

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, March 5, 2000, No. 10, Vol. LXVIII

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