World War II

Censored and Military Postal History

World War II - Civil Censorship - India

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1939 from England

Ipswich, England, 31 August, 1939, to India.

Violet triangle 'PASSED / CENSOR / 4 / KARACHI' (type 1B1) on this cover is a very early example of censorship in India.

Paid at surface rate, arrived at Karachi for censorship, forwarded to New Delhi and redirected to Simla.

10 September 1939 arrival handstamp on reverse is good indicator this cover might have been flown and did not go by surface in this short a time.

Comments please!

1940 to England

Airmail cover from 'CHROMEPET, Madras to MANCHESTER, England.

'PASSED / CENSOR / 12 / MADRAS' with
Morenweiser censor handstamp (type 1D1).

In use Sept 39 - Apr 40 in violet and red ink with numbers 1 - 12 seen.

Additional 6As adhesives on reverse making total 14As airmail rate.

1944 to Switzerland

Indian 'OPENED BY CENSOR' label printed in red with code '106 C' and tied by a black triangle handstamp (type 3) 'PASSED BY CENSOR' with identity 'C' of Bombay numbered '18'.

Red Cross mail sent by surface rate to Switzerland.

Red 'COUPON-REPONSE' mark applied by Red Cross on arrival.

1944 to Ireland
Postal stationery envelope with additional adhesives mailed in SCHILLONG 1944 to Dublin, Ireland.

Censored in Calcutta with black ink lozenge '[CROWN] / PASSED / DHA/9' handstamp (type 6 - used Mar 42 - 1945) tying 'P.C.90 OPENED BY EXAMINER' label (type 13A) on buff paper.

The additional type 5A 'DHA/213' Indian mark in violet was also applied in Calcutta.

Additional red boxed bilingual Irish 'SAORTA AG AN / SCRUDOIR / RELEASED BY / CENSOR' handstamp.

Airgraph to Ireland

Indian Airgraph with censor mark to right of address.

Special Airgraph boxed handstamp reads
'AIRGRAPH / DHC/? CENSORSHIP' applied in Bombay.

Airgraph service was introduced in April 1941 whereby special forms were photographically reduced onto one roll of film equivalent to 100lbs of mail.

This was sent to the destination for processing and printing. The prints were then dispatched to the recipient in a standard photo print size 4" x 6".

1500 forms were photographed per roll. Tthis saved weight at a time when space was limited in aircraft used to transport mail.

The United States equivalent was called 'V-MAIL'.

Censor handstamp and label types quoted are from the CCSG published book:
British Empire Civil Censorship Devices World War II - British Asia by Konrad Morenweiser