Postes France Massacre at the Village of Oradour-sur-Glane - 1945

POSTES FRANCE on 13 October 1945 issued a stamp commemorating the Destruction of Oradour-sur-Glane in June 1944.  This surtax stamp benefited the Entraide Française. The design showed the Burning of the Oradour Church. That said, the FDC (13 October 1945) date is correct while the postmark cancellation shown here refers to the postal relay system created by King Louis XI; it is not the FDC Oradour landmark that was used. Also, while this 1945 postcard depicts a prominent landmark in Ales, it should not be mistaken for the destroyed church in Oradour.

 

Historical background: On 10 June 1944, the village of Oradour-sur-Glane in Nazi occupied France was destroyed, its church was burned, and 642 of its inhabitants, including women and children, were massacred by soldiers of the German 2nd SS Panzer Division.

According to the Yvert-Tellier specialised catalog, many of these charity stamps were issued for the benefit of the Entraide Française or the "French Mutual Aid [Society]".  This was a public charity whose purpose was to provide assistance to the sick, the disabled, and the needy.  Following a bit of further research, it seems that one of their key focuses was the plight of French Jewish families (especially the children) that had either been displaced or deported by the Germans during the war.