Forza - do you remember cenzored letters?

[Jaga]

Now there is a big debate in the USA since the general public did not know that the phone conversations, letters could be cenzored without your knowledge in case you had some connections to any of the potential terrorists.

I remember a short period of time during the military law. We were receiving letters with the information that the letter was seen by somebody watching for anything inapproproate to be written there! Some letters were coming with some sentences or words being .... cleaned out!

I wish I had such a letter at home for the future generations!

As a matter of truth - not too many people cared about it very much. It was actually better to censor the letters which had a label "Cenzored" than. not now about it... ;D

[forza]

I do remember censored letters and postcards. It was probably aimed at frightening people ( you're right they didn't succeed in it!) and probably those letters were never ever read by anybody! The envelopes stamped "ocenzurowano" are not that difficult to get since they are collectors items. click here

[Jaga]

FOrza,

I wish we kept any of these letters knowing that they woudl become collection items. It is hard to see the picture from the list! These were interesting times a bit scary but not that terribly scary

[Pawian]

admin said:

I wish I had such a letter at home for the future generations!

My sister has such a letter. Nothing was cleaned inside, only the stamp "Censored" on the envelope makes it historical.

[Jaga]

Pawian,

can you scan this letter and sent it to me? Of course after your sister would agree to post it- i will delete all the addresses....

[hollister]

Actually during WWII letters from soldiers overseas to the states were censored. My mom had a whole bundle of letters from my dad written while he was in Italy that sections blacked out. I always wondered what in the world he could have said to have caused such actions. Generally it was anything that would have given troop location or size of the unit.

[piwo]

Actually during WWII letters from soldiers overseas to the states were censored. My mom had a whole bundle of letters from my dad written while he was in Italy that sections blacked out. I always wondered what in the world he could have said to have caused such actions. Generally it was anything that would have given troop location or size of the unit.

Things such as moral of comrades, availability of warm/suitable clothes, supplies, food, have always been an area of concern for the military. Even if not giving away locations, if the enemy knew for example that there wasn't enough food, or proper clothes for the climate, this could also be used to enemy advantage: things we just normally don't think about being that important. Just a guy griping about not having gloves, or enough to eat would prove a valuable piece of information for one's enemies. And of course, the military probably demonstrates additional paranoia about everything in war. I'm not sure if that's so bad, but I'm sure a lot of letters were probably just not delivered, and that's sad.


Were letters in Poland stamped "ocenzurowano" only stamped for incoming letters, or did they stamp them outgoing as well?

[Jaga]

During the WW II in Poland in Silesia people could only write in German - letters were also cenzored. My uncle was in a labor camp, he could not tell too much about how things are going, not to complain etc.

Holly, Piwo, thanks for extra informations about the reasons why miliatry letters can be censored, very interesting!