28th February 1944
Oflag 77
Kriegsgefangenenpost. A reply card sent to an Italian prisoner/internee at Oflag 77 situated at Deblin-Irena (in occupied Poland). Notes: In January 1944 there were 47 Italian inmates reported at Stalag 325 (Lemberg). The present postcard in its complete form may well have been sent from Stalag 325 (as indicated on the address panel). During February 1944 there were no reported Italian inmates at Stalag 325. In January 1944 Stalag 307 contained 7,765 Italian inmates. At some point in January the stalag was renamed Oflag 77. By February 1944 Oflag 77 reportedly held 7,477 Italian officers along with 847 batmen. Ref: 28.02.1944
Oflag 77 (Stalag 307)
The first POW camp was established in Dęblin by the German occupiers in 1939 for Polish troops of the Independent Operational Group Polesie taken prisoner during the German invasion of Poland that began World War II.
Following the Battle of France, French, Dutch, Belgian and Senegalese POWs were brought to the camp.
It was located in the Dęblin Fortress.
In April 1941, the Stalag 307 camp was established in Moosburg, then relocated to Kaliłów in May 1941, and finally to Dęblin in October 1941.
While still in Kaliłów, abysmal living conditions and feeding rations caused widespread malnutrition and diseases, and there were also mass executions of POWs, including those attempting to escape. Some 13,000 POWs died there. In Dęblin, Stalag 307 housed French, Soviet and Italian prisoners. Overcrowding, poor food rations and sanitary conditions caused starvation and epidemics, resulting in a high mortality rate.
The camp had two subcamps, located in Zarzecze and Poniatowa.
In January 1944 Stalag 307 was reorganised into Oflag 77, and on 19th August 1944 it was dissolved.
Around 100,000 POWs died in the camp.
Source: Wikipedia
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