Description

1944 (Jan 19) Plain envelope registered airmail to Zurich bearing on reverse GV1 pair 4d & single 3d (damaged) making 11d rate tied double ring Gibraltar Camp cds & with matching Registration label No 3956 from Evacuee Rafael Tenebaum, Gibraltar Camp 11, Kingston & with PC90 OPENED BY EXAMINER I.D./8812 label & on opposite side Geoffnet Obercommando der Wehrmacht / . . X . . label (Riemer X – 50) tied red circular Eagle Swastika (Riemer X -6) & unframed black 410 & red 57243 hand stamps & oval New York/Foreign (1 Feb)+ Lisboa /Central (18 Feb) transits + Zurich (15 Mar) arrival cds

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After France fell in 1940 it was felt the Germans could advance through Spain threatening Gibraltar & denying the allies access to the Mediterranean. British authorities decided to evacuate as many as possible of the civilian population of Gibraltar to safer zones, mostly to the UK but 25 Oct 40 a group of 1104 of these evacuees arrived at Kingston with a further 400 evacuees arriving Port Arthur on 15 Dec 40. These evacuees were deemed Wards of the Crown & were not allowed to follow crafts or professions for pay nor could they reside anywhere other than the camp. All the able males were mobilised into the Pioneer Corps & as such acted as guards for the POW & Internment Camp. Ref..The Military Mail of Jamaica by Derek Sutcliffe 1982

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Scarce item between family members via Undercover address P.O. Box 237, with one interned & the other fighting with the Allied Free Dutch Forces