S.S "Groningen IV". 1944 Cover with enclosed letter posted at Siddeburen (Dec 16), and a picture postcard to Overveen with 1947 (Jan 13) arrival c.d.s, both extensively waterstained, bearing the explanatory label "STAATSBEDRIJF DER PTT / Stuk, afkomstig uit het S.S "Groningen IV", / dat einde 1944 op het Ijsselmeer is gezonken / en thans is gelicht". The "Groningen IV" was sailing on the Ijsselmeer, from Lemmer to Amsterdam, when she collided with the "Jan Nieveen" late on 8th January 1945. The "Groningen IV" sank with the loss of 14 lives, the vessel finally being raised 20 months later, in September 1946. (2). £150-180
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S.S "Groningen IV". 1945 (Jan 2) Cover posted within Holland franked 7½c, received in Amsterdam on 17 December 1946, a little water damaged, reverse bearing the "Groningen IV" explanatory label. The "Groningen IV" sank on the Ijsselmeer on 8th January 1945 following a collision, and was raised 20 months later in September 1946. £80-100
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S.S "Greenhill Park". 1945 (Feb 15/22) Covers from Canada to Australia, the first with the stamp washed off, handstamped "SALVAGED FROM / SHIP FIRE / VANCOUVER BC", the second burnt at one side, both covers with an explanatory slip "OFFICE OF DISTRICT DIRECTOR OF POSTAL SERVICES / VANCOUVER, B.C., CANADA. / The enclosed letter was damaged by fire and explosion / on a ship at Vancouver, B.C. G.H CLARKE / District Director of / Postal Services". The S.S "Greenhill Park" was loading at Vancouver on March 6th when she exploded following a fire in No. 3 hold, killing eight men and damaging or destroying 135 bags of mail. (2). £160-200
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S.S "John Bidwell". 1945 Printed matter cover franked 1½c from Milford, Delaware, to Santiago, delivered in 1960 backstamped "CORRESPONDENCIA RETARDADA / Y RECUPERADA DEL / S/S "JOHN BIDWELL" / 1945 1960 / CORREOS DE CHILE". The "John Bidwell" sailed from New York to Valparaiso in July 1945, but was diverted to the Far East when the war ended in August. After the war the ship was laid up, and scrapped in 1960 when 500 bags of mail for Chile were found in a hidden compartment. £100-120
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Australia. 1940-44 Covers from Australia to G.B all with different "Damaged by Sea-Water" cachets, one 1942 cover officially sealed in Liverpool. (3). £100-120
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Canada. 1941-45 Covers from Canada to England handstamped "DAMAGED BY SEA WATER" (2 types), "DAMAGED BY / WATER" or "DAMAGED BY FIRE & WATER", one 1941 cover registered. One 1944 cover from S.S "Beaverhill" which drifted into a reef at St. John, New Brunswick; two 1945 covers from S.S "Scythia" which caught fire as she entered the River Mersey. (5). £150-180
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China / Malaya. 1941 Water damaged cover from China to England franked 10c, with "NOT OPENED / BY / CENSOR" applied in Hong Kong, an Officially Sealed label tied by arrival c.d.s (Sep 11); and a cover from London (Oct 31) to Singapore, water damaged and the stamp washed off, handstamped boxed "DAMAGED BY SEA-WATER" and "NO SERVICE / RETURN TO SENDER". (2). £100-120
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Egypt. 1941 (July) Covers from British (7) or Australian troops in Egypt, to G.B (7) or Ireland with various "Damaged by Sea Water" cachets (7, three types) or endorsement, one cover from G.B. to Egypt and returned with "Addressee Reported / Prisoner of War" cachet, one Honour Envelope with Australia 3d strip of three tied by A.I.F Field P.O No. 14 c.d.s, all eight covers clearly from the same incident. (8). £180-200
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Egypt / Middle East. 1941-43 Covers (5) and a piece from Egypt or Palestine, and a 1945 (Apr 29) cover from G.B to Teheran but returned unknown, all with "Damaged By Sea Water" cachets (3 types), the last cover possibly from an air crash. (7). £120-140
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Iceland. 1941 (Aug 16/18) O.A.S covers to England with F.P.O datestamps (F.P.O 304, the other one indistinct), and a 1945 (May 8) cover from Reykjavik to England franked 60aur, all with differing "Damaged By Sea Water" cachets. (3). Photo on Page 64. £160-200
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India / Ceylon. 1941 (May 19/22) Covers from India (2) or Ceylon (2) to G.B all handstamped violet "SALVED FROM THE SEA", all clearly from the same incident (listed by Nierinck as a possible air crash), one Ceylon cover bearing a 10c War Purposes Contribution label. (4). £100-120
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India / Ceylon. 1941-42 Covers from India to G.B (5) or Ceylon to USA, all with some water damage (three India covers with stamps washed off), the Ceylon cover handstamped "RECEIVED IN DAMAGED CONDITION", the India covers handstamped "Damaged By Sea Water" (3, two types) or "RECEIVED WITHOUT STAMPS", the other soiled cover with an accompanying letter from the Middlesborough Postmaster explaining it was damaged by sea water. (6). £150-180
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Jamaica. 1942 (Sep 15) Cover from Canada to a U.S soldier franked 3c, redirected to "U.S Marine Forces, Jamaica", reverse with a Kingston arrival c.d.s (Nov 28) and the explanatory label "The enclosed article was received in a United / States mail which had been damaged by fire. / W.A. CAMPBELL, / Postmaster General". Just two examples of this Jamaica label recorded in "Maritime Disaster Mails" by Hoggarth and Gwynn, very rare. Photo on Page 74. £200-250
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Malta. 1942 (Oct 26) Cover (letter enclosed) to the USA, written at Balzan but posted at Valletta, franked two ¼d pairs + 1½d, the stamps washed off and replaced incorrectly (but clearly belonging to this cover), handstamped violet boxed "DAMAGED BY SEA-WATER". One of two Oct./Nov. 1942 covers from Malta with this cachet recorded by Hoggarth & Gwynn. £100-120
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Portugal - Madeira. 1942 Cover from Funchal to London, the stamp washed off, officially sealed in the London Returned Letter Section, the reverse bearing the unusual explanatory label "It is regretted this / packet has been damaged by / fire in transit. / Returned Letter Section / Mount Pleasant / E.C.1" (altered in manuscript from "the enclosed packet" with the reference "Sovex 452" crossed out). £100-120
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Samoa. 1942 (Dec.) Cover from Apia to Scotland bearing Western Samoa 2d, censored in New Zealand, repaired with two Officially Sealed labels and handstamped violet "DAMAGED AT SEA". Hoggarth & Gwynn record this cachet on two other Nov./Dec. covers sent from New Zealand to P.O.Ws in Europe. A rare wreck cover from Samoa. Photo on Page 64. £150-180
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Sierra Leone. 1942 Stampless O.A.S covers to England with Field Post Office 41 datestamps of August 3rd or November 26th (2); and a cover from London to "Air Head Quarters, R.A.F, West Africa Force" but redirected back to London with F.P.O 41 backstamp (Nov 28), all handstamped violet boxed "DAMAGED BY SEA-WATER" (3 types), the three November covers all clearly from the same incident. F.P.O 41 was located at Freetown. (4). £130-160
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South Africa. 1942-43 Covers from G.B (3) or Brazil (2), and an O.A.S cover with undated H.M Ships handstamp and censor cachet, all to South Africa, handstamped "DAMAGED ON BOARD / SHIP" (the only example recorded by Hoggarth & Gwynn), "DAMAGED ON BOARD", "DAMAGED BY / SEA WATER" (2), boxed "DAMAGED BY SEA WATER" (the former "Comorin" cachet) or bilingual "DAMAGED BY SEAWATER / BESKADIG DEUR SEEWATER", the two Brazil covers probably from the S.S "Piratiny" wrecked off South West Africa on May 13th. A good lot with some scarce cachets. (6). Photo on Page 64. £300-350
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Turkey / Greece. 1940-42 Covers comprising 1940 (Dec 30) cover from London to Corfu handstamped violet boxed "DAMAGED BY SEA-WATER" and "NO SERVICE / RETURN TO SENDER", received back in London on October 30th 1941; and two 1942 (Feb 28/Mar 4) covers from Istanbul to England, one with the stamps washed off and both with signs of fire damage, both with violet boxed "DAMAGED BY SEA-WATER", the two Turkey covers clearly from the same incident. (3). £120-140
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USA. 1942-43 Covers from the USA to England, two with stamps washed off, with differing "DAMAGED BY / SEA WATER" cachets in one or two lines, one with bilingual "Postage Stamp lost / in transit", two February 1943 covers from the same incident. (3). £80-100
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South America. 1941-43 Covers from Argentina (3), Brazil, Uruguay or Colombia with "DAMAGED BY / SEA WATER" cachets (2 types), two Argentina covers of Nov 23/27 1941 from the same incident, Argentina and Uruguay covers of June 7/12 from another incident, also a cover from an unknown origin but with the same cachet and received on 3rd August 1943, probably from this same incident. (7). £200-240
WORLD WAR TWO POSTAL HISTORY
(Also See Lots 55-81, 379-421, 655, 664, 710, 769, 853/9, 867-878) |
G.B. 1939-44 Covers and cards including circular "POSTAL CENSORSHIP / AIR MAIL / LONDON", cachets of "Postal & Censorship Dept Permit Branch" (4, one with "Returned To Sender By The Censor" label) or similar "Secretariat" cachet, cover with enclosed letter from the Editor of the Postal Censorship Magazine "Personalities", War Dept. Urgent Train Letter label, censored telegrams (5, one with War Office c.d.s and "DELAYED IN TRANSIT" cachet), internal censorship, security cancels, patriotic envelopes, Red Cross Message Forms to Guernsey (2, one of May 1944 delivered after the war in May 1945), also a Poland postcard to a Portugal undercover address with cachet of Polish Naval Headquarters in London, etc. (61). £120-150
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Civil Censorship. 1939-47 Covers all with censor labels or cachets including 1940 cover from Brazil to Egypt with scarce printed "GIBRALTAR" censor seal, New Guinea covers (3, two with differing boxed "PASSED BY / CENSOR" cachets), airmail covers to or from the USA censored in Hong Kong (4), also Madagascar, Malta, Belgian Congo, Gold Coast, Nigeria, Southern Rhodesia, Zanzibar, Sarawak (2), Sudan, Mauritius, etc. (331). £250-300
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Postage Due Mail. 1939-45 Covers and cards with postage due stamps or handstamps, including postage dues of Malayan Postal Union (2 covers) and Palestine, also "Insufficiently Paid for Air Mail" handstamps (5, one from Indian F.P.O 90 in Eritrea, one from Ireland), South Africa cover with a 1/- revenue stamp disallowed, Gold Coast censor cachets (2), etc. (17). £120-150
British & Indian Forces Mail |
1939-45 Forces mail with various censor cachets or seals, less usual types include Star of David shaped "PASSED / BY / NAVAL CENSOR / 2041", cover with four differing censors including triangular "PASSED BY / CENSOR", 1942 India cover with manuscript "Censored" alongside a handstruck signature, circular "GREEK NAVY CENSOR" (2 types), Base Censor seals (9, most different), 1942 cover from U.S A.P.O 887 in London with typed provisional 'censored' seal, also 1941 cover to a N.Z soldier reported missing at Crete, 1942 card from a N.Z P.O.W in Stalag XVIIIA, etc. (28). £100-120
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1939-46 Forces mail including Indian F.P.Os (63) with locations in Burma, Persia, Malaya, etc., also 1944-45 covers to or from a U.S. officer in India or Burma (38, many redirected), 1943 stampless O.A.S. cover from Mauritius with boxed "PASSED BY / WAR / DEPARTMENT / CENSOR / No 1", airgraphs (some illustrated), patriotic envelopes, etc. (225). £150-180
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1939-c.1960 British F.P.O covers, mainly World War Two with some postwar, including B.E.F, North Africa, Middle East, Italy, Germany, etc., mixed condition, a very large quantity that could repay careful sorting. (4,000++). £300-350
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1940-45 Forces mail with various British security cancels, mainly machines inscribed "Postage Paid", "Official Paid" or "Paid" with or without date dies, also London F.S machines with or without the date, and machines simply with bars and a date, a few security type handstamps, includes 1942 Calais Raid period, 1944 D-Day period, mail from transports, etc. Mixed quality, an unusual lot. (c.200). £120-150
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West Africa. 1941-45 Stampless O.A.S cover with F.P.O datestamps from Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Gambia or Gold Coast, mixed quality. (250+). £100-120
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Egypt. 1940-45 Forces mail with "EGYPT / POSTAGE PREPAID" handstamps or machine cancels, also covers with Egypt Army Post stamps tied by British F.P.O datestamps. (c.300). £120-150
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Faroe Islands. 1942-43 Stampless O.A.S covers with F.P.O 219 (2), 611 (23), 695 (8) or from the same sender as other F.P.O 219/695 covers but with a red London Official Paid machine (5) or simply a censor cachet, very mixed quality, many roughly torn open or other faults, fourteen largely fine, with three others in need of a bit of careful pressing but otherwise complete. (33). £200-300
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India / Ceylon. 1941-46 Covers with Indian F.P.O datestamps, many 1944-46 covers from Burma, also covers with Ceylon stamps, and three covers bearing Ceylon War Purposes Contribution labels. (c.240). £150-180
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Royal Marines. 1941-45 Covers, cards, air letters and airgraphs from or to Marines, the interesting collection written up on pages, including items from Burma, Sierra Leone, Australia, New Zealand, India, Ceylon, South Africa, Egypt, Palestine or North Africa. (40). £100-120
British & Empire Censorship |
1940 Covers from G.B to USA or Ireland, or to a British Corporal in an Internment Camp in Switzerland, all bearing green "Return to Sender By The Censor" labels with enclosed Postal Censorship form P.C.3, "The communication returned in this cover constitutes a breach of Defence Regulations", all mentioning air raids. Three fine covers, two with enclosed letters, with two versions of the P.C.3 form. (3). £100-120
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1941-45 Covers from G.B to Ireland or USA bearing green "Returned To Sender By The Censor" labels and enclosed Postal Censorship form P.C.3 or P.C.3 (Revised), the 1945 cover franked 1/3 handstamped boxed "POSTAGE REFUNDED", the 1941 cover returned because the letter "refers to Plane brought down & the time", the 1945 letter refers to "rockets & locations of military units" with details of passages to be deleted. (2). £100-120
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1941-44 Covers from G.B to Ireland (3), Italy or Spain (?) all returned because they were re-used envelopes, bearing green (4) or black "Returned To Sender By The Censor" labels, with enclosed censor forms P.C.102, P.C.110 (2 types), P.C.110 (Revised) or P.C.110 (2nd Revision), one cover with 6d stamps handstamped "POSTAGE REFUNDED", all fine. (5). £160-200
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1941-45 Covers from G.B to Ireland (2), Algeria or Portugal bearing green "Returned To Sender By The Censor" labels, returned because of prohibited enclosures, three with enclosed P.C.177 censor forms (two versions) naming enclosed photographs, cigarette cards or simply "enclosure", the other cover with an enclosed form "Slip Prin 9" from the Permit Branch, Printed Matter Section, Aintree, regarding permits for printed matter, the 5d stamp handstamped "POSTAGE REFUNDED". (4). £150-180
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1939-42 Covers from G.B to Iran, Italy, Finland or Switzerland all bearing green "Returned To Sender By The Censor" labels, returned because they had prohibited enclosures, containing censor forms P.C.9 (cards and photos to foreign destinations stopped by the censor), P.C.80 (2, "transmission of these articles to certain destinations prohibited", both containing photographs) or P.C.82 (postage by individuals of cards and printed matter forbidden to certain neutral countries), the cover to Iran with 1/3 in stamps handstamped "POSTAGE REFUNDED". (4). £150-180
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1942 Cover from Cheadle to Argentina franked 3/6, handstamped "POSTAGE REFUNDED" and bearing a green "Returned To Sender By The Censor" label, an unnumbered form from the Military Censor Section enclosed, "This letter, apparently written by a soldier, was posted in the Civil Post contrary to Army Regulations and was returned by the Civil Postal Censorship", very scarce. £100-120
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1941-44 Covers with enclosed censor forms concerning missing contents (two covers with two differing forms enclosed), comprising 1941 cover from G.B to USA with enclosed form P.C.12A (cover empty) and an unnumbered form (missing stamps); 1943 cover from the Air Post Philatelic Exhibition in Paris to Argentina with enclosed form P.C.5 (cover empty) and a note from the recipient showing it did not arrive until 1946; and 1944 cover from Ireland to G.B with enclosed forms P.C.12 (covering letter mentioned in enclosure missing) and P.C.168 (Revised) (Government Regulations prohibit import of stamps or philatelic items without a permit). (3). £120-140
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1940-45 Covers from G.B to USA (2), Canada or Belgium bearing "Returned To Sender By The Censor" labels in green (3) or black, one posted at the Exhibition of Czechoslovak Stamps in London bearing the exhibition miniature sheet and G.B stamps with the exhibition cancel, all returned because they contained stamps or were of philatelic interest, containing censor forms P.C.101. P.C.178 or P.C.178 (Revised) (2 versions). Also a 1941 cover sent within England bearing uncancelled Yugoslav Government in Exile 19th Century Patriots set with "CONDEMNED" and "RELEASED" handstamps and enclosed form P.C.254, "This cover was empty when it reached the censorship, but being of philatelic interest was detained under wartime regulations and is now released to you"; and 1940 censored cover from W.T Wilson to the USA with B.P.A permit cachet. (6). £180-220
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1939-45 Covers comprising stampless cover from Ireland to USA charged 10c with enclosed form P.C.137 (British censor is not responsible for the absence of stamps from this cover); and covers from G.B to USA, Switzerland to G.B or Brazil to Germany all with differing versions of censor form P.C.11, "The British Censor is not responsible for the mutilation of this letter". The Brazil cover carried by the Italian ship "Ociania" which was presumably intercepted by the British. (4). £160-180
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1940-43 Covers from G.B to USA or Ireland (with green "Returned To Sender By The Censor" label), and a cover to London with G.B 2½d cancelled boxed "Paquebot", a Thorshavn c.d.s alongside, all with differing enclosed versions of censor form P.C.5, "This cover was open when it reached the censor"; all fine, the Faroe Islands Paquebot cover very unusual. (3). £120-150
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1943-44 Covers from G.B to Canada bearing green "Returned To Sender By The Censor" labels, returned because the writers requested food or rationed goods be sent to them, two with differing versions of censor form P.C.219 enclosed, the other with an enclosed note from the sender "Returned owing to forbidden goods being requested to be sent to England from abroad. Bird-seed for a budgerigar was one of the offending articles mentioned", this cover with 1/3 in stamps handstamped boxed "POSTAGE / REFUNDED". (3). £120-140
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P.O.W Mail. 1942-44 Covers (2) and a 2½d P.O.W air mail lettersheet to Italy all with enclosed censor forms relating to P.O.W mail, the lettersheet and one cover bearing green "Returned To Sender By The Censor" labels, the other item an O.H.M.S cover with "POSTAL & TELEGRAPH CENSORSHIP / MANCHESTER" cachet. Enclosed forms comprise P.C.180 (Circular news letter returned due to large volume of personal correspondence from relatives and friends despatched to prisoners), P.C.199 ("Underlined passages contain information of value to the enemy" - lettersheet with line "Lloyd now a flying officer doing radio location in Scotland" underlined) or P.C.185 2nd revision (censor not responsible for any deletion, excision, comments or other additions to letter). (3). £180-220
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P.O.W Mail - Japan / Singapore. 1943-44 Stampless covers from G.B to British Civilian internees in Tokyo or Singapore both with green "Returned To Sender By The Censor" labels, the cover to Singapore with enclosed censor form P.C.186 "Letter to a P.O.W is insufficiently addressed and unlikely to be delivered". The form gives the address of offices from where the full postal address for army, navy and air force prisoners may be obtained, but not an office for civilian internee addresses. Two unusual covers to internees in Japanese camps. (2). £100-120
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P.O.W Mail - Hong Kong. 1944 3d Air Mail P.O.W postcard from London to a soldier in the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Force held in Hong Kong P.O.W Camp "S", the message with the line "Fresh Slings and Arrows" underlined (referring to V1 and V2 rocket attacks?), returned enclosed within a stampless cover bearing "POSTAL & TELEGRAPH CENSORSHIP / MANCHESTER" cachet, with enclosed censor form P.C.216 (intended for P.O.W mail to Europe) "Letter returned because of reference to air raids". A unique returned card to Hong Kong. Photo on Page 74. £180-220
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1941-43 Covers from France to USA (3), Brazil to USA, Peru to France or USA to Cuba all intercepted by the British and censored in Bermuda (5, three with manuscript or handstamped "I.C") or Trinidad; and a cover from USA to Jamaica bearing "P.C.90. OPENED BY / EXAMINER ID / 6106" seal with a blue crayon cross drawn across it prior to use, probably indicating the cover was condemned by the censor. (7). £100-120
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1941-42 Covers from Belgium, Germany, Spain, Switzerland or Holland, and a registered postcard from Holland, all to the USA, all intercepted by the British in Bermuda and detained until after the war, released in January 1946, handstamped "RELEASED" and violet "HELD BY BRITISH / CENSOR / RELS'D JAN 1946" (4) or "HELD BY BRITISH CENSOR / RELEASED JANUARY 1946" (2). Also a 1941 cover from Belgium to Mexico held in Bermuda until 1946 handstamped "RELEASED", unknown and returned to Belgium, reverse handstamped "Relanida durante la guerra / ultima por la CENSURA / britanica". (7). £240-280
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1940-42 Covers from USA (2), Cuba, Bolivia or Peru to Europe or from France to China, four registered, all intercepted by the British and detained until 1946, handstamped "RELEASED" (5) or "Released by / Prize Court". An unusual lot, several detained in Bermuda. (6). £200-240
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