We have Winston Churchill today not for the fact that he was Prime Minister during the Second World War, but because it was his voice that came on the radio at 3 pm in the afternoon of the 8th of May 1945, and announced that the Germans had surrendered.
And this is therefore considered to be the date of the Victory in Europe.
That was not the end of the war in other places, and it was not really the end of the war in Europe, many troops lost their lives after the supposed victory, from snipers, land mines, and from ill feeling between the oppressors, once captured, and the oppressed, once freed.
This is a card that was issued in Germany, in German. The top box starts with the words "Von Nurnberg bis Stalingrad", or "From Nuremberg to Stalingrad", and it is often sold under this title. However, this is not the name of the set, that is "Der Zweite Weltkrieg im Bild", or The Second World War in Pictures", and it is a set of sixty series, each of six picture cards. Our card is from Serie 13, and it is the final picture in the group, picture 6.
The main text title says "Angriff auf London und Coventry - Militarischer Fehlschlag" - that means "Attack on London and Coventry - Military Failure". I will try and translate the whole as it could be quite interesting. Below this in the box it tells us that the set is split into two parts, Band 1 for series 1-30 and Band II for series 31-60,
The bottom section is "Viele Rauchen" means "many smoke", Eilebrecht is the company name, and "erzeugnisse" actually means products.
The set is first listed in our original World Tobacco Issues Index, which was published but four years after the set. There are two sets listed, each of two series, and the entry reads :
EILEBRECHT Cigaretten und Rauchtabak-Fabriken A.-G,
Baden-Baden, GermanyGerman language issues, 1950-52. Special albums issued.
- KARL MAY SERIENBILDER (Karl May Series). Lg. 103 x 70. 50 sub-series, each Nd. 1/6 ... E19-1
1. Band I. Serie 1/20 (120)
2. Band 2. Serie 21/50 (180)
- DER ZWEITE WELTKRIEG IM BILD (The Second World War in Pictures). Lg. 104 x 70. Grey-black. 60 sub-series, each Nd. 1/6 ... E19-2
1. Band I. Serie 1/30 (180)
2. Band 2. Serie 31/60 (180)
I will try to use the Karl May series some time, for he is an intriguing character, best known for his stirring world-wide adventure novels, several of which feature a cowboy character (said to be based on himself) called Old Shatterhand.
Now in our updated volume of the World Tobacco Issues Index there are three groups of sets, the two above, for which the text had not changed, only the codes - plus "MUNCHHAUSEN`S ABENTEUR (Adventure of Baron Munchhausen). Lg. 105 x 70. 15 groups, each numbered 1/6 (90). Special album to hold 30 series (180 cards) half of which is for a set of Don Quixote which has not been studied ... E-380-500"
So if there are any German readers, who have that set, do please tell us.