Canadian forces were sent to Europe in 1951 to join NATO's newly created integrated military force. The NATO alliance was responding to the threat posed by the Soviet Union during the "Cold War" period. This article deals with the organization of Canadian NATO forces in Europe and the postal services provided to handle forces correspondence. Although Canadian forces remained in Europe until 1993, I have chosen the 1951-1974 period for this post.
The article is organized as follows:
1. Introduction - Canada's NATO Commitment
2. Postal Rates
3. Land Forces
4. Air Forces
5. NATO Headquarters
References include:
Maloney, Sean M. (1997). War Without Battles, Canada's NATO Brigade in Germany 1951-53. Whitby, ON: McGraw-Hill Ryerson.
Bailey W.J., Toop E.R. (1990) The Canadian Military Posts Volume 3 Operations in NATO, United Nations and Canada. London : Edward B. Proud.
1. Introduction - Canada's NATO Commitment
The North Atlantic Treaty was signed in Washington on April 4, 1949 establishing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Canada was one of the principal initiators of the alliance and has been a member of NATO since its foundation.
NATO initially lacked military strength, but the Korean War and the threat posed by the U.S.S.R. prompted NATO allies to create an integrated military force in Europe under American General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Canada demonstrated its commitment to protect European security by contributing an Army brigade group and an Air Force air division to NATO's European integrated force.
a) Canadian Army Brigade
Northern Germany: 1951-1970
The Canadian Army brigade of over 6000 troops was originally stationed in northern Germany:
- Hanover area (1951-53)
- Soest area (1953-70)
Southern Germany: From 1970
In 1970, Canadian land forces were moved south from Soest to Lahr, a small town in the Black Forest region of southwestern Germany. By the early 70s less than 3000 land troops remained in Europe.
b) Air Division
To meet NATO's air defence commitments, No. 1 Air Division was established in the early 1950s with four Royal Canadian Air Force Wings ((F)W) in France and West Germany :
- Marville, France- 1(F)W
- Grostenquin, France- 2(F)W
- Zweibrucken, Germany - 3(F)W
- Baden-Soellingen, Germany - 4(F)W
1967: Marville base was closed, and its wing 1(F)W was transferred to Lahr, Germany.
1969 : Zweibrucken was closed and its air wing 3(F)W was disbanded.
2. Postal Rates and Postal Services
The rate table below is from the 1959 Canada Official Postal Guide and provides the rates for mail service to Canadian Armed Forces Abroad. The same rates applied to mail sent from Canadian troops abroad. I have only provided the 1959 table for your reference. Differences in rates before and after 1959 are noted in the discussions that follow.
- Rates for surface letters, post cards and printed matter were the same as the domestic rates
- For surface and air parcels, special military rates were in effect
- The air mail letter rate was 15 cents per 1/2 ounce
- Forces Air Letters (no enclosures) rate were the same as the surface letter rates
- Special services such as Registration and Special Delivery were the same as the domestic rates
3. Canadian Land Forces
a) Hanover Area (1951-53)
The first Canadian Army brigade, 27 Canadian Infantry Brigade, was stationed in the Hanover area with the following post offices:
Hanover: CFPO 40, 41, 42, 44, 45
Hohne : CFPO 43
Herford : CAPO 5000 (8 Command Postal Depot)
Hanover
CFPO 40, Hanover, Germany
Post card mailed to Barrie, November 21, 1952
Hanover post card
CFPO 44, Hanover, Germany, to Hanover, November 16, 1952
5 cents letter rate
Herford
CAPO 5050 at Herford was the regulating post office, remaining in the Hanover area when the Brigade moved to the Soest area.
Montreal to serviceman c/o Postmaster CAPO 5050, January 25, 1953
CAPO 5050 was No. 2 Communications Zone Postal, Herford, Germany
5 cents Forces Air Letter rate
Ottawa to CAPO 5050, Herford Germany, July 21, 1953
15 cents air mail letter rate
No. 2 Canadian Base Post Office, Montreal was established to handle mail for the Army and Air Force postal systems:
Machine backstamp
2 Base P.O. Montreal machine backstamp
July 23, 1953
b) Soest Area (1953- 1970)
In late 1953, the 27 Canadian army brigade was replaced by the 1 Canadian Infantry Brigade which moved to the Soest area in Westphalia, south-west of Hanover. The 1 Canadian Infantry Brigade was replaced by the 2 Canadian Infantry Brigade in 1955. The 4 Canadian Infantry Brigade Replaced the 2 Canadian Brigade in 1957.
Post Offices in the Soest area:
Werl: CFPO 44, 45, 46, 5050
Soest : CFPO 42, 101, 102
Hemer: CFPO 40, 41
Iserlohn : CFPO 43, 112
Werl: CFPO 44, CFPO 45, CFPO 46, CFPO 5050
CFPO 44 was moved from Hanover to Werl (Soest Area of Germany)
Werl (CFPO 44) to Vancouver, February 20, 1954
25 cents paying 15 cents air mail rate + 10 cents special delivery fee
CFPO 45, Werl to Toronto, November 4, 1954
CFPO 45, Werl to Toronto, October 25, 1954
15 cents air mail letter rate
CFPO 44, Werl to London, October 15, 1956
5 cents Forces Air Letter rate
CFPO 45, Werl to East Rochester, February 24 1960
5 cents surface letter rate to the United States
CAPO 45, Werl to Toronto, November 13, 1958
15 cents/lb. parcel rate
60 cents paying the rate for a 3 lb. 8 oz. parcel
CFPO 45 undated roller cancellation and CFPO dated oval handstamp
CFPO 5050, Werl to Dunfermline, Scotland, November 11, 1957
5 cents preferred surface letter rate to Great Britain
The regulating post office, CFPO 5050 was moved from Herford to Werl in 1955
Quebec to CFPO 5050, June 28, 1957
15 cents air mail letter rate
Shortpaid 6 cents and taxed 12 cents
Werl CFPO 45 receiver
July 1, 1957
Base Post Office, Montreal, June 29, 1957 transit
10 cent + 2 cent dues affixed
CFPO 44, Werl to Willowdale, January 14, 1964
15 cents air mail letter rate
CFPO 5050, Werl to Willowdale, October 23, 1968
15 cents air mail rate to Canada
Victoria,B.C., to CAPO 5050, November 2, 1967
15 cents air mail rate
The letter was addressed to:
Hdqts, Company 2PPCLI [2nd Battalion Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry]
CAPO 5000
Fort McCleod, Germany
Fort McCleod was located in Iserlohn, Germany.
The letter was returned to the sender because there was no record of the addressee:
PPCLI return to sender handstamp
Soest : CFPO 42, CFPO 101, CFPO 102
CFPO 101, Soest to Woodstock, May 12, 1966
30 cents paying the 1 ounce air mail letter rate
CFPO 42, Soest to Toronto, September 7, 1966
5 cents Force Air Letter rate
CFPO 102 Soest to New Lowell, Ont., October 4, 1968
Return address : CAPO 5050 Europe
Church in Soest
CFPO 42 Soest to Bradford, England, October 19, 1968
5 cents surface letter rate to Great Britain
The German Post Office incorrectly taxed this letter, treating it as an unpaid letter.The tax fraction T 100/50 was subsequently scratched out.
CFPO 42 Soest to St. Catharines, August 18, 1969
6 cents surface post card rate
CFPO 42 Soest to St. Catharines, October 9, 1969
15 cents air mail rate to Canada
Shortpaid 9 cents and taxed 18 cents, double the deficiency
Hemer : CFPO 40, CFPO 41
CFPO 40 Hemer to Bergenfield, NJ, April 10, 1968
5 cents surface letter rate to the United States
CFPO 40 Hemer to Port Hope, July 3, 1969
6 cents surface letter rate to Canada
CFPO 41 Hemer, February 5, 1968
5 cents surface letter rate to Canada
Iserlohn : CFPO 43, CFPO 112
CFPO 43 Iserlohn (Fort Beausejour) to Oromocto, July 22, 1968
15 cents air mail letter rate to Canada
Shortpaid 5 cents and taxed 10 cents, double the deficiency
A total of 20 cents postage due was paid by the addressee at Oromocto on August 12, 1968
CFPO 43 Iserlohn to Montreal, January 12 1968
55 cents paying the 5 cents surface letter rate + 50 cents registration fee
CFPO 43 cds
CFPO 5050 Werl transit handstamp
CFPO 112, Iserlohn to Edmonton, January 9, 1969
6 cents surface letter rate
Unification
On February 1, 1968, the three military services (army, air force, and navy) were merged to form the unified Canadian Forces. Upon unification the 4 Brigade was reduced by 50% and renamed 4 Canadian Mechanized Battle Group.
c) Lahr (from 1970)
In October, 1970, the Soest Area Battle Group was closed out and was moved to Lahr in Southern Germany, close to the air squadrons. Some of the Battle Group moved to the base at Baden-Soellingen. In 1973 the name of the Battle Group was changed back to 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group.
CFPO 105 Lahr to serviceman stationed at Lahr. March 1, 1973
Correspondence from Lahr Dental Clinic
CFPO 105 Lahr to Woodstock, August 19, 1973
8 cents surface rate to Canada
CFPO 108 Lahr to Scarborough, June 14, 1974
8 cents surface letter rate to Canada
3. Air Forces
a) Aircraft
The Canadair Sabre was the jet fighter first used by the RCAF in Europe until replaced with the Canadair CF-104 in 1962
The Avro CF-100 (known as the "Clunk") was an all-weather twin engine interceptor. NATO identified a shortage in all-weather fighter/interceptor aircraft in 1955 and the RCAF responded by providing the Air Division with four squadrons equipped with the CF-100 Canuck to supplement existing squadrons equipped with the F-86 Sabre. The CF-100s were withdrawn from operational service in Germany on December 31, 1962.
The CF-104 was designed as a light-weight nuclear strike aircraft. Air Division Sabre squadrons were converted to the CF-104 Starfighter beginning in 1962. The Starfighter units changed the RCAF's original mission from fighter/interceptor to nuclear strike/reconnaissance.
b) Air Bases
To meet NATO's air defence commitments, No. 1 Air Division was established in the early 1950s with four Royal Canadian Air Force Wings to be stationed in France and Germany.
i) North Luffenham, England
Until the bases in France and Germany were established, the RCAF took over the RAF station at North Luffenham, England in November 1951. North Luffenham was the first RCAF station in Britain since June, 1946.
North Luffenham forces mail was handled by CFPO 101. (No covers shown)
20th Anniversary Souvenir Flight
To mark the 20th anniversary of the taking over of RAF North Luffenham by the RCAF, the RAF conducted a special flight from Goose Bay, Labrador to Waddington, Lincolnshire, on November 15, 1971.
RAF Post Office receiver
ii) Marville, France
Initially stationed in North Luffemham, England, 1 (F) Wing was moved to RCAF Station Marville, France, in 1954.
In 1963 the Government of France announced that all nuclear weapons in France were to be placed under French control. This was unacceptable to the RCAF (and other NATO units stationed in France), so the two nuclear strike squadrons at 2 Wing were moved to Zweibrücken and Baden-Soellingen while remaining non-nuclear armed units in France were repositioned to Marville.
In March 1966 the Government of France announced that it would be withdrawing its military forces from NATO and that NATO units based in France would have to leave or fall under French command. Therefore, the RCAF moved Marville's 439 and 441 Squadrons to Lahr in April 1967.
CFPO Marville, France to Toronto, June 25, 1956
4 cents surface post card rate
CFPO 108 Marville, France to Bridgeport, Conn., August 8, 1966
Souvenir cover mailed from CFPO 106 Zwiebrucken to Marville, February 15, 1967
"LAST DAY OF OPERATION" handstamp applied at Marville
iii) Grostequin, France
RCAF Station Grostenquin, located near Metz, France, was the home of 2 (F) Wing. Canadair F 86 Sabres, Avro CF 100s, and Canadair CF 104 Starfighters operated from the base. The base was closed in 1964 due to a dispute with the French Government over the control of nuclear weapons in France. Squadrons were transferred to Marville and Zweibrucken, Germany.
July 2, 1953 - An F-86 Sabre prepares to depart from in front of the control tower at 2 (Fighter) Wing Grostenquin, France.
MPO 506 Claresholm, Alberta, to 2(F) Wing at Grostenquin, June 26, 1958
The letter was addressed to RCAF CAPO 3052
CFPO 105 Grostenquin
CFPO 105 Grostenquin to Toronto, October 16, 1956
15 cents air mail letter rate to Canada
iv) Zweibrucken, Germany
RCAF Station Zweibrücken, Germany, also known as 3 Wing or 3 (F) Wing opened on January 6, 1953. On August 27, 1969 Zweibrücken was closed down and 3 (F) Wing was disbanded.
RCAF alert crew at Zwibrucken as Sabres fly overhead
CFPO 106 Zweibrucken (3 (F) Wing)to London, Ont., January 18, 1964
5 cents Forces Air Letter rate
RCAF 3 Wing , Zweibrucke, Germany, CFPO 106, to RCAF Supply Depot, Downsview, November 8, 1962
$1.25 paid the 8 -12 ounce air mail parcel rate (in effect from 1961 to October 31, 1968)
CFPO 5055 Zweibrucken to Montreal, September 19, 1967
5 cents surface letter rate + 50 cents registration
CFPO 5000 Lahr Germany transit
CFPO 5055 Zweibrucken to Westwin, Man., November 23 1967
15 cents air mail rate + 50 cents registration
v) Baden-Soellingen, Germany
RCAF 4 (F) Wing arrived at Baden on September 4, 1953. Canadian troops remained at the Baden-Soellingen base until 1993.
CFPO 107 Baden-Soellingen to Kamloops, December 2, 1954
15 cents air mail rate
CFPO 107 Baden-Soellingen to Calgary, July 25, 1956
30cents double weight air mail rate
CFPO 107 Baden-Soellingen to Halifax, May 12, 1959
Air mail post card to Canada (15 cents)
Baden
Correspondence from Commanding Officer 4(F) Wing
CFPO 107 Baden-Soellingen to RCAF Trenton, September 29, 1962
30cents double weight air mail rate
Commanding Officer Handstamp
CFPO 5056, Baden-Soellingen to Carleton Place, November 26, 1967
5 cents Forces Air Letter rate
Forces Air Letters found with enclosures were treated as air mail letters and forwarded by surface mail unless the air mail rate was prepaid. In this case, the sender had enclosed a page from a PX catalogue.
CFPO 5056 Baden-Soellingen (machine cancellation) to Edmonton, November 28, 1968
6 cents forces surface letter rate
The addressee had moved. Directory service was unsuccessful. Since there was no return address, the letter was forwarded to the Vancouver Undeliverable Mail Office. The letter would have been returned to the sender and charged 5 cents.
Edmonton Directory Department, December 17, 1968
Vancouver Undeliverable Mail Office, December 20, 1968
CFPO 5056 Baden-Soellingen to St. Catharines, December 22, 1967
5 cents printed matter rate
CFPO 5056 Baden-Soellingen to Ottawa, April1 1971
6 cents forces surface letter rate
CFPO 5056 Baden-Soellingen to Ottawa, December 3, 1971
7 cents forces surface letter rate
vii) Lahr
In April 1967, The RCAF transferred squadrons from Marville, France to the new RCAF Station Lahr ( formerly France's Base Aérienne 139 Lahr). In October, 1970, the Soest Area (Army) Battle Group was closed out and was moved to Lahr. In the early 1970s, fighter squadrons were moved to Baden-Soellingen. Lahr became a Canadian Army base, but Canadian Air Group Headquarters remained there. The airfield remained operational for air transport operations as well as being a deployment base for the CF-104s from Baden Soellingen.
Souvenir first day cover cancelled at CFPO 5000, Lahr, November 1, 1968
Address : 1 Wing, CFPO 5ooo
CFPO 5000, Lahr to Ithaca, N.Y., February 26, 1970
6 cents surface post card rate to the US
CFPO 5000, Lahr to Port Burwell, March 9, 1970
6 cents surface letter rate
b) Air Division Headquarters : France
Air Division Headquarters was initially set up in Paris, and was moved to Metz, France on April 10, 1953. Air Division Headquarters moved to Lahr, Germany in 1967.
Paris
CFPO 104 was opened in Paris to serve the Air Division's temporary headquarters
CFPO 104 Paris to Ottawa, February 23 1953
The sender of this card was to be stationed at Metz in 2-3 months and would be staying for two years.
Metz
CFPO 109 Metz to New York, December 4 1953
15 cents air mail rate to the United States + 20 cents registration fee
CAPO 5052 Metz, registration handstamp
Paris : CAPO 5053
Ottawa to CAPO 5052 (Air Division Headquarters), December 27, 1960
15 cents air mail rate to Canadian Forces
Prepaid less than 75% of the air mail rate and sent by surface mail
CFPO 109 Metz to Toronto, July 22, 1963
5 cents surface letter rate
e) Air Materiel Base: Langer England
CFPO 102 Langar
CFPO 102 Langar, England to RCAF Station Mont Apica, November 25, 1960
2 cents printed matter rate
Commanding Officer, 30 Air Materiel Base, RCAF Langar to CAPO 5055 Zweibrucken, March 7, 1962
RCAF Langar meter
CFPO 102, Langar to RCAF Station, Trenton, September 10, 1963
8 cents paying the 2 ounce surface letter rate
RCAF Station Moisie to Commanding Officer, 312 Supply Depot[ RCAF Station Langar], CAPO 5051, October 5, 1961
8 cents paying the 2 ounce surface letter rate
CFPO 102 Langar receiver, October 17, 1961
St. John to 30 Air Materiel Base (Langar), CAPO 5051, September 6, 1961
15 cents air mail rate
f) London : CAPO 5051 (redesignated CFPO 5051, January 1, 1965)
CFPO 5051 London to Canada, November 29 1967
30 cents paying the 2 lb. parcel rate
Vancouver customs handstamp December 15, 1967
g) Air Weapons Unit : Decimomannu Italy
The RCAF Weapons Unit was stationed at the NATO firing range in Decimomannu, Sardinia. Decimomannu was the testing ground for all fighters of Air Division.
CFPO 111 Decimommnau to Los Altos, Calif., July 8, 1963
5 cents Forces Air Letter rate
Air Weapons Unit CFPO 5047 Decimommnau to Vancouver, September 2, 1965
15 cents air mail rate + 35 cents registration fee
CFPO 5047 Decimommnau to Vancouver, February 27, 1967
5 cents surface letter rate
h) NATO Command Base : Ramstein, Germany
Ramstein was NATO command base which provided support for NATO's HQ Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force . CFPO 110 was sent to Ramstein to support the RCAF component assigned to the Allied Tactical Air Force.
CFPO 110 Ramstein to Crediton, December 4, 1967
5 cents surface rate
Return Address :4 ATF Support Unit, CFPO 5050 Ramstein, Belleville, Ontario
4. NATO Headquarters
a) Supreme Headquarters Allied Parties (SHAPE)
Paris (Rocquencourt) 1951-1967
The Supreme Allied Headquarters (SHAPE) was established on April 2, 1951 in Rocquencourt, France, near Paris, as part of an effort to establish an integrated and effective NATO military force.
S.H.A.P.E. headquarters near Paris
Casteau, Belgium (from 1967)
When the French government announced its withdrawal from the NATO military structure in 1966, SHAPE was informed that it had to leave French territory by April 1967.
Belgium became the host nation for both NATO's political headquarters and SHAPE. Belgian authorities decided that SHAPE should be located at least 50 kilometres from Brussels because SHAPE was a major wartime military target. The Belgian government offered Camp Casteau, a Belgian Army summer training camp near Mons. In September 1966, NATO agreed that Belgium should host SHAPE at Casteau. SHAPE closed its facility at Rocquencourt near Paris on 30 March 1967, and the next day held a ceremony to mark the opening of the new headquarters at Casteau.
S.H.A.P.E. Headquarters, Casteau, Belgium
CFPO 5048 SHAPE Headquarters, Casteau, Belgium, to Toronto, February 6, 1969
6 cents Forces Air Letter rate
CFPO 5048 SHAPE Headquarters, Casteau, Belgium, to London, August 24, 1971
7 cents Forces Air Letter rate
CFPO 5048, SHAPE Headquarters, Casteau, Belgium, to Ottawa, July 17, 1972
8 cents surface letter rate
b ) Allied Forces Central Europe (AFCENT) Headquarters
Allied Forces Central Europe (AFCENT) was one level below SHAPE in the integrated command structure. The headquarters was known as Headquarters, Allied Forces Central Europe (HQ AFCENT) from its inception in Fontainebleu, France. AFCENT remained in France under French command until 1967, when France removed itself from the military command structure. The headquarters was relocated to Brunssum, Netherlands in 1967.
Fontainbleu, France
Allied Air Force Central Europe (AAFCE), Fontainbleu, France
CFPO 5053 Paris to Toronto, October 26, 1953
15 cents air mail rate to Canada
CAPO 5053, Paris to Toronto, November 8, 1961
Shortpaid for air conveyance
CFPO 5053 (re-designated from CAPO 5053) Paris to Northpost, N.S., January 6, 1967
4 cents post card rate
Brunssum, Netherlands
When France withdrew from NATO's integrated military structure in 1966 it became necessary for AFCENT to vacate its headquarters in the French town of Fontainebleau where it had been established since its inception in 1953. The Netherlands government offered the use of the recently closeddHendrik Coal Mine infrastructure in Brunssum. Consequently AFCENT moved to Brunssum, on March 15, 1967.
Ottawa to AFCENT (Brunssum, Netherlands) CFPO 5045, July 30, 1970
15 cents air mail letter rate
CFPO 5045 receiver
Cobourg to AFCENT (Brunssum, Netherlands) CFPO 5045, January 9, 1972
CFPO 5045 receiver
CFPO 5045 (AFCENT Brunssum, Netherlands) to Trenton, September 26, 1973
8 cents surface letter rate
