Posted on November 21, 2023 by Mike White -
1943 (Dec 12) Stampless envelope endorsed Prisoner of War Mail – Postage Free to Colonel James W. Duckworth, Medical Corps, American POW, Headquarters Military Prison Camps of P.I. #3, Japanese Red Cross, Tokyo – Japan – via New York, from his wife cancelled San Francisco / Buy War Savings / Bonds slogan & with transparent EXAMINED BY / 6537 plus orange chop of Sakuma the Japanese censor & pencil Cab indicating Cabanatuan POW Camp 3 that was Bilibid Prison (See Tett Vol 5 page 24 -25) ……… Being a Medical man & Senior Officer (Colonel & above) it is more than likely he was initially in Bilibid Camp that was originally the civilian prison in Manila with Hospital facilities, yet it appears he was transfered to Cabanatuan………This cover is illustrated by Tett Vol 5 page 92
Posted on November 21, 2023 by Mike White -
1943 (Oct 28) Stampless envelope endorsed Prisoner of War Mail – Postage Free to Pfc. Earl H. Wheeler, Military Prison Camp 1 from Mrs Louis A. Wheeler cancelled Harlingen, Texas / Army Gunnery School slogan & with transparent EXAMINED BY / ??? tape tied red circular U.S. CENSORSHIP / star / EXAMINED / By 776, scarcer violet 20mm fancy style circular Ag censor applied by the Germans in Vienna together with red framed Ken’etsuzumi (Censored) / Philippines Furyo Shuyosh (Philippines POW Camp) with oval orange chop of censoring officer Nishimoto inserted & pencil Cab signifying Cabanatuan POW Camp ….3 Country censorship on POW mail is rare
Posted on November 21, 2023 by Mike White -
1944 (Jan 25) Stampless longer envelope endorsed Prisoner of War Mail – Postage Free to Pfc. Earl H. Wheeler, Interned in Philippine Military Prison Camp 1 from Mr & Mrs Louis A. Wheelerm, Rio Hondo, Texas & cancelled Harlingen, Texas / Army Gunnery School slogan & with transparent EXAMINED BY / No number tape tied violet circular U.S. CENSORSHIP / star / EXAMINED / By 215, & with red framed Ken’etsuzumi (Censored) / Philippines Furyo Shuyosh (Philippines POW Camp) with oval orange chop of censoring officer Nishida inserted ….A clean item
Posted on November 21, 2023 by Mike White -
1943 (Nov 11) Stampless longer W.J. Withers, 112 Market St. Illustrated Pictorial envelope showing cans of Mattina Tomato Paste & Popeye Spinach endorsed Prisoner of War Mail to Master Sgt Gund Hettinger, American POW, Headquarters Philippine Military Prison Camp 1 & cancelled San Francisco /Buy War Savings Bonds slogan & with transparent EXAMINED BY / 278 tape, & with partial violet Ag within 20mm circle German Censor applied in Vienna & circular orange chop of censoring officer Tajima plus pencil Cab indicating Cabanatuan POW Camp ….Approximately 10 -12 Pictorial Illustrated covers going into Japanese controlled POW Camps are apparently recorded
Posted on November 21, 2023 by Mike White -
1943 (Oct 13) Stampless envelope endorsed Prisoner of War Mail – Postage Free to Lt. Douglas Robin Fisher U.S.N.R. Interned in Philippine Islands, c/o Japanese Red Cross, Tokyo – Japan – via New York, Philippine Military Prison Camp 1 from Mrs Daisy Fisher cancelled on reverse San Francisco /Buy War Savings Bonds slogan & with transparent EXAMINED BY / 132 tied red circular U.S. CENSORSHIP / star / EXAMINED / By 773, violet 21mm circular Ag censor applied by the Germans in Vienna together with red framed Ken’etsuzumi (Censored) with oval orange chop of censoring officer Nishida inserted & pencil Cab signifying Cabanatuan POW Camp ….3 Country censorship on POW mail is rare
Posted on November 21, 2023 by Mike White -
1943 (Nov 10) Stampless envelope endorsed Prisoner of War Mail – Postage Free to Lt. Douglas Robin Fisher U.S.N.R., Philippine Military Prison Camp No 1 c/o Japanese Red Cross, Tokyo – Japan – via New York, from Mrs Daisy Fisher cancelled on reverse New York NY Grand Central Annex & with transparent EXAMINED BY / 132 tied red circular U.S. CENSORSHIP / star / EXAMINED / By 773, & on opposite side Brown resealing label tied by smudged red OKW Eagle Swastika of German censors, orange chop of Kimura the Japanese censor & pencil Cab signifying Cabanatuan POW Camp …
Posted on November 5, 2023 by Mike White -
1944 (Mar 31) BOVRIL AUSTRALIAN ESTATES LIMITED printed Airmail longer envelope to Bovril Australian Estates, London bearing George VI 3d & Emu 5½d tied Victoria River Downs cds & with red on white 5 Opened by Censor label (L5 – 8a) tied violet framed diamond 5 / PASSED / BY / CENSOR / 17 (H5-5) … Remote is a huge understatement Victoria River Downs is 750 km South of Perth,102 km South East of Timber Creek & 252 km West of Daly Waters, originally a huge cattle station with up to 70,000 head. It was bought by Bovril in 1909 who still retain it. Apparently Victoria River Downs is an intermediate stop on the Connellon Airways Alice Springs/Wyndham service, on which this letter would have commenced it’s journey. From Wyndham to Perth it would have been carried by MacRobertson Miller Airlines & thence by sea to the UK…Rare to say the least
Posted on November 5, 2023 by Mike White -
1943 (Feb 16) Printed Airmail envelope with some thinning to reverse to Bleadon, nr Sunderland bearing Lyre Bird 1/- & Queen Elizabeth 1d making a 2/1 rate tied Mosman Park / West Aust. cds & with red on white 5 Opened by Censor label (L5 – 8a) tied violet framed PASSED BY / CENSOR 1 (H5-2b) plus 0n other side transparent US EXAMINED BY 5563 tape applied at New York…2/1 airmail rate instigated in January 1942 due to the Japanese disruption of airmail to the UK by providing a service by sea to USA entry port then by air across the US to New York where it picked up the clipper flights to Lisbon & thence by BOAC or KLM to London
Posted on November 5, 2023 by Mike White -
1942 (Oct 27) Plain envelope to Reading bearing George VI 2½d from Victoria Park but tied Perth / W.A. cds & with red on white 5 Opened by Censor label (L5 – 9c) tied violet framed PASSES BY / CENSOR 5 (H5-2d) …Little only records one item with label (L5- 9c) dated 21 Aug 1942 this expands that by over two months
Posted on November 5, 2023 by Mike White -
1944 (May 26) Plain envelope registered to Philadelphia bearing block x 4 George VI 2½d on 2d tied GPO Perth / W.A. cds & with R / Registration Branch / Perth, G.P.O., W.A. / No 6008 label & censored with violet 5 within circle (H5 – 8c) recorded used by Little 4 Oct 44 – 4 May 45…H5-8c dated 26 May 44 predates Little’s dates by 5 months
Recent Comments