La Posta January 2002 41
Figure 1 APO 713 cover mailed from Brisbane to Vancouver with pre-printed
censor mark. Reverse side shows a four day transit time across the Pacific.
About three-quarters of the way through the box
An Unusual World War II
and having found nothing of interest I was about to
call it quits when a cover with a return address ofCensor Mark
th
the 40 Fighter Squadron, APO 713 Lae, New
By Joe Edinger
th
Guinea and postmarked at the 7 Base Post Office
It pays to look through that last box. After spending
which was located in Brisbane, Australia at the time
the day browsing through many dealers boxes of WW
caught my attention. The cover was posted from
th
II covers at the 1999 SEPAD stamp show in Philadel-
the 7 BPO on 23 JAN 1944 (figure 1). The
phia, I was bleary-eyed and ready to call it a day. I had
backstamp shows that the letter took only four days
found a few good WW II covers and also a copy of
from Australia to Canada – not bad for those days
Stan Jersey’s wonderful book, “Military Postal His-
– or even for now days!
tory of the United States Forces in the New Hebrides
As a retired printer what immediately caught my
Islands, 1942-1946.”
eye was how the censor mark on the cover looked
Getting home and making a pot of my favorite coffee
too good. It had perfectly even color and impres-
seemed like a great idea. While heading for the exit I
sion and was perfectly positioned in the lower left
passed a cover dealer that I hadn’t checked out. I asked
hand corner of the envelope. This seemed quite an
if he had any WW II APO covers. He produced a large
unusual application for the normal rubber stamped
plastic tub containing about two thousand covers and
censor mark. I took it out of the acetate holder and
said, “They’re mixed in here with these foreign and
upon closer inspection discovered why. It is a type-
other assorted WW II covers.” Reluctantly I thought,
set printed censor mark, the only actual printed cen-
let me look through this last box. The coffee would
sor mark this collector has ever seen.
have to wait.
Concluded page 43
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