| Crash site | Falsterbo, Sweden |
| Airline | Deutsche Lufthansa |
| Aircraft | Focke Wulf Fw 200 – D-ARHW – Friesland |
| Route | Berlin – Malmö/Bulltofta – Stockholm/Bromma |
| Crew | 4 – 0 survivors |
| Passengers | 6 – 0 survivors |
The crash
The plane left Berlin on schedule at 09:10 and the last radio contact was at 10:19. It was very cloudy and when the plane got closer to the Swedish coast the captain decided to go down below the clouds. When he came down below the clouds he was just above a German patrol boat. The crew on board the patrol boat thought they were being attacked by an enemy plane and opened fire. The airplane caught fire and crashed into the sea 2-3 km south of Måkläppen near Falsterbo.
The crashing plane was observed from the Falsterbo light house at 10:25, and they immediately informed Bulltofta airport. An airplane from the Swedish airforce was over the crash site at 11:15 and at the same time a Swedish navy boat also arrived. Soon more boats arrived and took part in the search. At 12:40 the first parts from the wreck were found and during the afternoon more debris and also some mail bags were salvaged and transported to the Bulltofta airport.
The mail
The plane carried 627 kg of mail. In all 29 mail bags were salvaged – some by the search and rescue boats and others were found along the shore the following days. The majority of the mail came from Switzerland and was addressed for Sweden.
The Swedish Post produced a special label which was used on all mail addressed to Sweden (type A).
The rest of the mail was forwarded to the recipients with a special handstamp (type B).
Number of items in my records:
| To / From | Germany | Hungary | Liectenstein | Switzerland |
| Finland | 1 | 2 | ||
| Sweden | 3 | 2 | 35 | |
| Great Britain | 5 | |||
| Ireland | 2 | |||
| Brazil | 1 | |||
| Costa Rica | 1 | |||
| USA | 3 |
A.
Swedish label.
Black printing on white paper.
Size: c. 37½ x 26½ mm.
Translation:
This item has been damaged by water in the
crash of the airplane on the route Berlin-
Stockholm near Falsterbo 29 November 1944.
Stamps have in some cases fallen off.
B.
Swedish handstamp.
Violet.
Size: 67 x 25 mm.
This handstamp was used on mail which
was forwarded to the recipients.
This handstamp was also used on mail
from the Kinnekulle crash (1944-08-29).
Service Covers
I have only recorded very few items which were forwarded in a Swedish service cover. As the mail was mostly in relatively good condition except for watersoaking there was little need for such covers. A more detailed study is under way.
Examples of mail
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Registered express cover from Vaduz, Liechtenstein with illegible postmark addressed to Helsingfors, Finland. Swedish crash handstamp and German censorship of Berlin. The cover also shows Finnish censormarks (label + circular handstamp). On the back is a Finnish arrival postmark dated -5.XII.44. |
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Cover from Switzerland postmarked ZÜRICH 2 18 XI 1944 and addressed to Pori, Finland. The Swedish crash handstamp was struck three times on the backside. German censorship of Berlin. The cover also shows a Finnish circular censor handstamp. On the back is an arrival postmark PORI 9 XI 44. |
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Cover from Germany postmarked GRÜNA 18.11.44 to Stockholm, Sweden. Swedish crash label and German censorship of Berlin. |
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Cover from Hungary postmarked BUDAPEST with illegible date and addressed to Sweden. Swedish crash label type A on front and Hungarian censormarks (label + handstamps) on the back. |
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A much watersoaked cover from Hungary with illegible postmark addressed to Stockholm, Sweden. On front is the usual Swedish crash label. |
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Cover from Teufen, Switzerland with illegible postmark dated 16.11.44 to Stockholm, Sweden. Swedish crash label and German censorship of Berlin. |
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Cover from Basel, Switzerland with illegible postmark dated to Stockholm, Sweden. Swedish crash label and German censorship of Berlin. |
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Cover from Switzerland postmarked OBERDORF (BASELLAND) 16.XI.44 to Stockholm, Sweden. Swedish crash label and German censorship of Berlin. |
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Large registered cover from Switzerland postmarked ST GALLEN 1 16.XI.44 to Stockholm. Swedish crash label on the back with Swedish postmark STOCKHOLM 1 * ANK D * 7.12.44. Also German censorship of Berlin. |
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Cover from Switzerland postmarked ZÜRICH 14 XI. 44 to Stockholm, Sweden. Swedish crash label and German censorship of Berlin. The cover was forwarded in a neutral Swedish glassine service cover (size: 165 x 135 mm). |
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Cover from Switzerland postmarked BASEL 17.XI.44 to Stockholm, Sweden. Swedish crash label type A and German censorship of Berlin. This cover also has the framed Swedish crash handstamp type B, which was for onward going mail via Great Britain. Only example I have seen used on mail to Sweden and must be stamped on this cover by mistake. |
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Cover from Switzerland postmarked ST. GALLEN 14.XI.44 to St. Albans, England. Swedish crash handstamp and German censorship of Berlin. The cover also show British censormarkings incl. two interesting labels P.C.5 and P.C.137. |
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Cover from Switzerland postmarked RIEHEN 14.XI.44 to London. Swedish crash handstamp and German censorship of Berlin. The cover also has a British censorlabel (no. 2127). On the back is an arrival postmark LONDON 29 DE 1944. |
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Cover from Degersheim, St. Gallen, Switzerland with illegible postmark addressed to Dun Laoghaire, Ireland. Note the framed Swiss handstamp “über – via with manuscript Schweden”. Swedish crash handstamp and German censorship of Berlin. The cover also has a British censor label (no. 9233) and an Irish censor label (no. 144). |
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Cover from Basel, Switzerland with illegible postmark addressed to Suzano, Brazil. Swedish crash handstamp and German censorship of Berlin. The cover also has a British censor label (no. 6959). On the back there are two Brazilian arrival postmarks of early March 1945. |
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Cover from Switzerland postmarked ZÜRICH 15.XI.44 to Pasadena, U.S.A. Swedish crash handstamp and German censorship of Berlin. The cover also show U.S. censor label (no. 5737). |
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A much travelled picture postcard from Sweden written and postmarked UPPSALA 19.8.44 and addressed to Paris, France. The postcard was sent via Germany where it was censored (red censormark and blue strike of chemical censorship). As the postcard could not be forwarded from Germany to France it was returned to Sweden with two handsamps “Zurück” and “VERKEHR UNTERBROCHEN”. On the return flight from Germany to Sweden the postcard was onboard the airplane which crashed. |
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