Page 443 - Collection

Scouting Around the World POW Officers Camp Woldenberg

The Woldenberg Camp

The first German POW camp to introduce a local camp post was Oflag l!C Woldenberg, near the town of the same
name, on the German side of the 1939 German-Po lish border. Woldenberg is today in Poland and is named Dobiegniew.

The Woldenberg Camp numbered about 7,000 prisoners of war, of whom more than 6,000 were Polish officers. The
camp consisted of more than 50 barracks, a score of administration and service buildings and meeting hall s. It was the
largest Polish POW camp in Germany and almost a town by itse lf.

Though there were profess ional postal employees and philatelists among the prisoners, the first postage stamps were
issued through the efforts of the rank-and-fi le prisoners who mainly wanted to improve daily living conditions.

Postal stationmy card sent internally in the
prisoners-of-war officers camp Waldenberg II C.

Postmarked .. WOLDENBERG OF-OB-llC 24 XII 42"

The postcard was prepared for Christmas I9./2. and
shows a cachet with Scout Badge ..CZUWAJ 24 XII 42"

C=uwaj means Be Prepared, which is the Scout A!fotto.

Scouting in prisoner-of-war camps in
Germany was confined to Rovers, since
th eir inhabitants were, for the most part,
young men. Rover Scouts in the
Woldenberg officers camp took part in
mail delivery service .

Postcard sent internally in the prisoners-
of-war officers camp Waldenberg II C.

Postmarked
.. WOLDENBERG OF-OB-llC 2.J XII ./3"".

The postcard was prepared for Christmas
1942. and shows a cache1with Scout Badge

..CZUWAJ 2.J XII ./2"'. The year is
corrected in ink to ..43 ".

Postcard sent internally in the prisoners-ofwar
officers camp Waldenberg II C.

Postmarked
.. WOLDENBERG OF-OB-llC 4 IV 1944''.