Japan.(Manchuria - Kwantung Leasehold). 1934. 'Anglo-Chinese Eastern Trading Company, Harbin' 'Trading envelope' addressed to 'Anglo-Chinese Eastern Trading Co. London' bearing Japan 'Tazawa' SG 231, 1s orange, SG 233, 3s carmine, SG 241, 2s green, SG 242, 6s carmine (pair) and SG 243, 10s blue tied by Dairen/ I.N.P.O. date stamp in violet '14th Sept 34', endorsed 'via Siberia'.

A very attractive five colour mixed issue franking used from the Kwantung Leasehold.

Japan. (Manchuria - Kwantung Leasehold). 1934. 'Anglo-Chinese Eastern Trading Company, Harbin' 'Trading envelope' addressed to 'Anglo-Chinese Eastern Trading Co. London' bearing Japan 'Tazawa' SG 238, 30s orange and green and SG 266, 4s orange tied by Dairen/ I.N.P.O. date stamp in violet '2nd July 34', endorsed 'via Siberia'.

Attractive item from the 'Kwantung Leasehold.

Japan. (Manchuria - Kwantung Leasehold). 1933. 'Anglo-Chinese Eastern Trading Company, Harbin' registered 'Trading envelope' addressed to 'Anglo-Chinese Eastern Trading Co. London' bearing Japan 'Tazawa' SG 229, 50s chestnut and deep blue tied by vernacular Dairen date stamp '8.5.20' (20th May 1933) with Dairen (1) registration label and routed via the Imperial Japanese Post Office with Dairen/ I.J.P.O. dated '21st May 33' on face in violet, routed via Changchun with Hsinking/ I.J.P.O.' transit '21st May 33' with hand-struck 'Registered' and vernacular hand-stamp in blue on face (erased by registration label) and endorsed 'via Siberia'.

A very rare single franking of the 'Tazawa' 50 sen used from the Kwantang Leasehold.

Japan. (Manchuria - Kwantung Leasehold). 1932. 'Anglo-Chinese Eastern Trading Company, Harbin' registered 'Trading envelope' addressed to 'Anglo-Chinese Eastern Trading Co. London' bearing Japan 'Tazawa' SG 238, 30s orange and green and SG 241, 2s green tied by vernacular Dairen date stamp '7.11.29' (29th Nov 32) with adjacent 'Dairen/ I.N.P.O.' in violet dated '30th Nov 32' and Dairen (1) registration label and hand-struck 'Registered' with bold vernacular hand-stamp in blue on face.

Very attractive cover from the Kwantung Leasehold Territory.

Japan. (Manchuria - Kwantung Leasehold). 1935. 'Anglo-Chinese Eastern Trading Company, Harbin' registered 'Trading envelope' addressed to 'Anglo-Chinese Eastern Trading Co. London' bearing Japan 'Tazawa' SG 238, 30s orange and green (pair) and SG 267, 8s olive-green tied by vernacular Dairen date stamp '10.8.26' (26th Aug 1935) with adjacent 'Dairen/ I.N.P.O' in violet dated '27th Aug 35' and Dairen/ (1) registration label and hand-struck 'Registered' with bold vernacular hand-stamp in blue on face and hand-stamp 'via Siberia' in carmine (struck three times) and endorsed 'via Siberia'.

Spanish Colonies. (Spanish Morocco). 1943. Registered Air Mail envelope addressed to Bettlach, Switzerland bearing Spanish Maroc SG 207, 50c magenta and SG 229, 1p brown and indigo tied by boxed 'Certificado/Tangier' date stamp '23rd Oct 43' with hand-stamp 'Certificado' and framed 'Censura en Destino'in carmine on face, routed via Madrid with 'Censura Gurernativa/ Madrid' censor label and boxed Madrid transit with Bettluch receiver '13th Nov 43' on reverse.

Spanish Colonies. (British Post Offices in Cuba). 1873. Stamp-less envelope addressed to France cancelled by British Post Office 'Havana/ Paid' date stamp 'Jy 9th 73', rated '7d' in m/s red crayon with oval 'PD', endorsed 'voire Anglaise' with London/ Paid transit on face in red 'July 29th', French entry cachet and charged '12' on arrival in m/s with 'Paris a Bordeaux' ambulant and Assum receiver on reverse '31st Juil'.

John Parmenter records the Havana Paid in use from '23rd September 1865 until 8th March 1870' and rated Rarity 'G' (Very rare).

A very beautiful cover.

Spain. (South Africa - Belgian Congo). 1945. Air Mail envelope addressed to Jadoville, Belgian Congo bearing Spain SG 878, 5c maroon (block of four) and SG 972, 60c orange mixed with "Charity" labels 5c brown (pair) and 10c turquoise tied by Jaen date stamp '22nd Feb 45' with 'Censura/ M" tape with boxed 'Censura/ S' and 'Censura/ E" on reverse dated '23rd Feb' in black and violet, endorsed 'via Angola" with Lisbon '26/2' and bilingual 'Opened By Censor' tape tied by South Africa 'Coat of Arms 'B' censor hand-stamp in violet of Johannesburg with Elisabethville and Jadotville arrival '4th Nay 45' on reverse.

Spain. (France). 1916. Stamp-less envelope headed 'Hospital Espanol Para Los Heridos de la Guerra/ Hopital Benevole No 15, 121 Boulavard Bineau Neuilly Sur Seine' addressed to Paris cancelled by Paris/ Jouffro double ring with military cachet 'Hopital Benevale No 15 bis/ 121 Bould. Bineau Neully s Seine/ Hopital Espanol/ Le Medicin Chef' double ring in violet with Paris arrival on reverse '12th Nov 1916'.

Founded in 1906 the American Hospital in Neully sur Seine has been much documented on its work during World War One but little information is known on the Spanish Hospital also in Neully sur Seine.

A very rare item not recorded by Bertrand Sinais in his livre France in World War One.

Morocco. (British - France). 1899. Picture post card of 'Souvenir of Tanger' addressed to France bearing British Morocco SG 2, 10c carmine tied by French Post Office Tanger/ Maroc double ring '3rd April 1899' , underpaid with triangular 'T' hand-stamp of the French Post Office in Morocco and bearing French postage dues Yvert 29, 10c brown (pair) applied and tied by Grenoble date stamp '8th Avril 99'.

Lovely item of quality taxed in France because British Post Office Morocco stamps used in the French Post Office in Tanger.

Early French Maroc card pre 1900 published by 'Y. Hell, Depostitaire, Tanger'.

Iraq. (Trans-Pacific Mail - Singapore). 1941. Registered Air Mail envelope written from the 'American Mission, Mosul' addressed to New York bearing Iraq Yvert 110, 5f grey-green, Yvert 115, 25f lilac (pair) and Yvert 118, 50f brown (pair) tied by bilingual Mosul/ Reg double ring ' 19th Mar 41' with matching registration label and 'Registered' hand-stamp, carried via Singapore with censor tape tied by 'Passed By/ Censor 161/ A' in violet on face and reverse with circular 'F' and '7' censor cachet on face, routed via Hawaii with Honolulu, Hawaii/ Registered transit in violet 'April 20' and New York arrival 'April 24'.

Attractive cover paying 1d 55 fils rate via Singapore and the Pacific.

Persian Gulf. (Indian Postal Agencies in Persia). 1911. Envelope addressed to Dizfoul (Persia) bearing India SG 122, 1/2a green (5) tied to reverse of cover by Bagdad date stamp '13th Feb 1911', routed via the Indian Post Office in Mohammerah and Persia with oval transit '19th Feb' and Dizfoul arrival '27th Feb 11' on reverse.

Persian Gulf. (Kuwait). 1958. Registered Air Mail envelope addressed to London bearing Kuwait SG 126, 20 n.p. on 3d violet (4) tied by large bilingual Kuwait - Safat/ Registered double ring '2nd Aug 58' with adjacent 'R/ Safat Kuwait' registration label.

Scarce postmark with renewed 'd' in 'Registered'.

Persian Gulf. (Kuwait). 1960. Registered Air Mail envelope addressed to London bearing Kuwait 10 m.p. claret and 50 n.p. red (pair) tied by oval bilingual Safat - Kuwait - Reg date stamp '12th Jy 1960' with 'R/ Safat Kuwait "D" registration label with London receiver and forwarded to Northamptonshire.

Persian Gulf. (Indian Postal Agencies in the Iraq). 1909. Registered envelope addressed to Muscat bearing India SG 125, 2a mauve and SG 126, 2a6p blue tied by Bagdad/ Reg date stamp '8th Nov with Provisional registration label and Muscat receiver '17th Nov 09'.

French New Caledonia. (Australia - Hong Hong). 1940. Registered Air Mail envelope addressed to Paris, France bearing New Caledonia Yvert 120, 50c blue, and 'Air Mail' Yvert 18, 85c green and brown, Yvert 29, 65c violet, Yvert 30, 4f50 scarlet and Yvert 32, 9f blue tied by Noumea/ Nelle Caledonia double ring '21st July 40' with matching Noumea registration label with 'Ouvert Par La Censure/ Nouvelle Caledonie' censor label in green, endorsed 'voie Panair' with framed 'Le Aerienne/ Traverse/San Francisco/ Honolulu/ Canton/ Hong Kong' in green on reverse and '1st Corrier/ Pan-American Airways/ Noumea Nlle Caledonie' in violet on face, routed via Sydney with 'Opened By Censor' (two dots underneath) with instructional 'Retour a L' Envoyeur/ Relations Postales/ Interrompus' on face in violet and returned via Sydney with '2/ Opened By Censor' label tied by triangular '2/ Passed By Censor' in violet and received back in Noumea '31st Jan 42' , endorsed 'Indo-Chine' and carried to French Indo-China with triangular censor cachet '2' and '7' and returned again to New Caledonia with receiver '16th Oct 44' and forwarded to Paris with 'Geoffnet' censor tape tied by circular German censorship in violet applied in Paris and tied by Paris arrival '7th Dec 45' on reversed.

Remarkable item condemned and held for 5 years due to the Occupation of Paris by the Germans. Fantastic item of Service Suspended mail.

Ex Tony Eastgate collection.

French Colonies. (French Cameroun - Tchad). 1917. Stamp-less picture post-card 'Une rue de Fort-Lamy, Tchad' addressed to France cancelled by 'Jaunde/ 5.2.17/ (Cameroun) hand-stamp in violet with framed 'T' hand-stamp and Maisse arrival '6th Mar 17'.

French Colonies. (Gabon). 1937. Air Mail envelope addressed to Gabon bearing France Yvert 246, 1f orange-red and Yvert 289, 1f 75 lilac (pair) tied by Orleans Quatier/ Loiret date stamp '15th Mai 37', endorsed 'via Toulouse - Dakar/ 1st Service Cotonou - Pointe-Noire' with framed 'Service Aerien Senegal - Congo/ 1st Voyage Mai 1937/ En Liaison Avec Air France - Air Afrique' in violet on face, underpaid with 'T/ 4.00' hand-stamp and bearing French Gabon postage dues Yvert 2, 10c brown, Yvert 6, 45c green (pair) and Yvert 11, 3f violet tied by Port Gentil/ Gabon receiver '20 Mai 37' on face.

Very rare Gabon A.E.F. postage dues on cover.

Thailand. (Provisional Censor Mail). 1942. Envelope addressed to Bangkok bearing SG 292. 5s violet (pair) tied by Pattani (railway) date stamp with Provisional orange-red blank censor tape with m/s 'Verified/ Passed/ Censor' and dated.

Thailand. (Burma - Trans -pacific Mail). 1940. Air Mail envelope addressed to France bearing Thailand SG 242, 25s deep blue and SG 243, 50s black and orange-browen (4) tied by Bangkok GPO date stamp '23rd Nov 40', carried by 'BO.A.C.' to Rangoon '24/11' with censor label 'Opened By Censor' (red on white tape) and triangular 'Passed Censor Rangoon/ 6' in violet on face, sent 'C.NA.C.' via Hong Kong and Hawaii, two Oceans route via Lisbon and Ireland with 'P.C. 90/ Opened By Examiner/ 6616' label applied with red parallel bar "jusqu'a mark applied at London office of exchange and sent by rail to France with written notation indicating the letter arrived 'R. 23.3.41' on reverse.

Thailand. (Domestic Air Mail Service - Laos). 1923. Registered Air Mail envelope addressed to Switzerland bearing Siam SG 134, 6s on 5a carmine, SG 150, 12s sepia and black, SG 161, 10s on 12s sepia and black (pair), SG 167, 3s bright green (block of four),, "Victory' SG 189, 3s bright green and SG 221, 25s indigo tied by large bilingual Korat "Aeroplane" date stamp stamp (17.7.66) - '17.10.23' with 'R/ Siam Nagor Rajasima' registration label, endorsed 'By Air Post' with 'Par Poste Aerienne' label, routed via Ubol with large "Aeroplane" Ubol transit '22.10.23' on reverse, routed via PAKSE/ Laos with double ring '31st Oct' and Saigon/ Cochinchine transit with Bern receiver '9th Dec 23.' on reverse.

Lovely item of mail sent by the 'Siam Royal Aeronautical Service' from Kotat to Ubon by domestic airmail service and then by road and river steamer to Pakse, Laos and down the Mekong River to Saigon and carried onwards by mail steamer to Europe.
The rate for foreign airmail 35 satang, additional fee for inland airmail 10 satang and registration fee 25 satang and 8 satang for transit via Laos rather than via Bangkok.

Thailand. (Liberated Dutch Prisoners of War). 1946. Folded letter sheet endorsed 'On Active Service' written from 'J.C. Lucas. Ldst. Soldaat 200398, Irenekamp, Bangkok, Siam' addressed to s' Gravenhage, Nederland'with Irene Camp logo on face.

The envelope was probably carried via the Nederland Postkantoor, Bangkok.

A very rare Liberated Dutch Prisoner of War mail from Irene Camp named after the first names of the Dutch Royal family.

David Tett only showed a photo copy illustration in his book 'The Railway, The River and The Bridge'.
John Garner in his article on Irene Camp for the Thai Times April 2004 notes only a few known.

Thailand. (British Force in Thailand). 1965. Air Mail envelope headed 'Forces (Air Mail)' written from 'Plant Troop, Cre Op, Crown, B.F.P.O. 656' addressed to England bearing Great Britain 'Wilding' SG 615, 3d violet tied by 'Field Post Office/ 573' double ring dated '13th April 65'.

Operation "Crown" involved the building of Loeng Nok Tha airfiled in the remote border area of Northern Thailand.

The British had the Field Post Office 573 from '7th Dec 64 - 7th July 1965'.

Thailand. (Royal Postcards - Kedeh). Circa 1920. Black and white post-card of 'Prince Paribara Sukhum Bandhu, Siamese Prince of Nakhon Sawan' visiting Changlu a village on the Siam - Kedah border in his roll as Minister of the Interior.
Lovely card showing the Royal Procession on Elephant in Chang Loon.

Prince Paribatra was a son of King Vajiravudh (Rama V).

Thailand. (Netherlands - Dutch East Indies - First Trial Flight). 1928. Registered Air Mail envelope addressed to Galang, Sumatra bearing Netherlands Yvert 136, 3c yellow-green, Yvert 180, 22 1/2c bistre-olive and Air Mail 4, 40c red and Yvert 5, 75c green tied by Amsterdam Zud double ring '11th Sept 1928' with matching registration label with 'Per Luchtpost/Par Avion' label in orange and red 'Aangeteekend' label, endorsed' 'Per Luchtpost Nederland - Nederland Indies van 13/9/28' with Medan backstamp '23/9' and Galang arrival '24th Sept' on reverse.

The first K.L.M. trial flight from Amsterdam to Java left Amsterdam 13/9/1928. Due to the flooded condition at Don Muang Airport the plane continued to Singora without landing at Don Muang. The plane departed Amsterdam Thursday 13th reaching Rangoon on 21st September and owing to the floods at Don Muang landed at Singora Saturday 22nd and departed for the Dutch Indies '23/9' arriving Batavia '25th Sept.

Forty two post-cards were carried but very little REGISTERED mail is known.

Ex John Garner collection.

Thailand. (Hong Kong - Philippines). 1939. Air Mail envelope headed 'Cornelder's Scheepvaart Maatschappij N.V. Rotterdam' addressed to Manila (Philippines) bearing Netherlands Yvert 145, 20c blue, Yvert 150, 50c blue-green, Yvert 152, 1g blue, Yvert 212, 15c orange and Yvert 372, 10c violet tied by Rotterdam double ring '28th Aug 1939' with 'Per Luchtpost/ Par Avion' label and endorsed '35 gram', carried 'K.L.M.' to Bangkok with arrival transit ''2/9' and forwarded by Imperial Airways to Hong Kong with Victoria/ Hong Kong receiver 5th Sept', jusqu'a mark with 'bars' hand-stamp applied over 'Par Avion' blue label (Ian McQueen Type 60) indicating the end of Air Mail service and carried onwards by steamer to Manilla.

'Nils Ramm - Ericson' in Air Mails of Siam does not record any mail via Siam with the 'Jusqu'a obliterator via Hong Kong.

The 35 gram rate is an exceptional 7 times Air Letter franking.

Thailand. (Cuba). 1937. Envelope addressed to 'Takuapa, West Siam, Asia' bearing Cuba Yvert 184, 1c green and Yvert 223, 4c purple tied by Admon De Correos/ Habana/ 2 duplex dated '7th April 1937', endorsed 'via Penang S.S.' wirh bingual G.P.O. Inland Section transit on face '15th May' and 'You Should Put Your Money Into a Savings Bank' slogan on reverse with bilingual Takuapa arrival on face '23rd May.'

Very rare item of incoming mail from the Spanish West Indies paying ther Printed Matter rate from Cuba to Phang Nga Province, West Siam.

Thailand. (Denmark - German Occupation). 1940. Registered Air Mail envelope addressed to Denmark bearing Thailand SG 244, 1t green and lilac and SG 284, 15s blue tied by Bangkok GPO date stamp '3rd April 40' with matching Bangkok GPO label and printed boxed 'Registered' in violet with 'By Air Mail/ Par Avion' imprint label, carried with 'B.O.A.C.' to London, upon arrival two parallel bars applied in m/s indicating the end of Air Transport and 'P.C. 90/ Opened By Examiner 5594' censorship applied and routed via Berlin with Berlin censor label tied by circular carmine censor hand-stamp and Kobenhaven arrival on reverse '10th May 40.'

Fine registered Air Mail sent by 'B.O.A.C.' flying boat "Caledonia" from Klong Toi with jusqu'a m/s in bars applied indicating the end of Air Mail service in London and carried onwards via Berlin for censorship as Denmark had been occupied by the Germans on April 10th 1940 while this letter was in transit.

Also included real photograph of the flying boat "Caledonia".

Thailand. (Siamese Expeditionary Force in France World War One). 1918. Siam postal stationery card 'two satang' brown cancelled by Bangkok/ 5 date stamp addressed to 'Captain Phra Pradiyat, R.N. Siamese Expeditionary Force, France, Europe' with oval censorship 'Ouvert/ Par 'L' Autorite Militaire/ 309' on face and endorsed 'APO/ 2' in carmine ink.

Captain Phra Prradiyat represented Siam at the International Hydrographic Conference, 26 June 1919 at Greenwich and at the Paris Peace Conference, April 1st 1919 representing Siam as Naval expert "Captain Phra Pradiyat Navayuth, Aide - de - Camp of His Majesty the King of Siam' 'Member of the Siamese Military Mission at Paris' (8, Rue Greuze).

Thailand. (Siamese World War One Expeditionary Force). 1918. Picture post card of 'L' Fontaine de Brouchere, Bruxelles' written by Siamese personal addressed to 'Lieutenant Colonel Phra Song Suradej, 3 Boulevard Delessert, Paris' endorsed 'F.M.' (French Militaire).

The ' Mission Militaire Siamese' Headquarters was set up at '3 Boulevard Delessert, Paris to coordinate with the Expeditionary Force and the French authorities.

Special regulations for Army personal deployed outside the Royal Territory (Siam) sending mail via the 'Military Post' (F.M.) were not required to pay postage and to use the camp's military mailboxes without the need to pay postage.

Thailand. (Royal Thai Air Force in World War One). 1913. Photographic card produced by 'First Lieutenant Thip Ketudat' of the Royal Siamese Aeronautical Service' showing 'The three Thai Officers 'Major Luang Sakdisulyauvdh, Captain Luang Arvudsikitkorn and First Lieutenant Thip Ketudat' on their return to Siam inspecting an airfield near Warsaw'.

The Royal Siamese Aeronautical Service was founded on the 18th January 1911 as the military aviation section of the Army. At this date the Siamese Ministry of Defense decided to send a delegation of three officers to France for the study of flying and maintenance of airplanes.

All three got their pilots licenses in France after comprehensive training at Avord. In November 1913 the three officers returned to Siam with four "Breguet 111" and four "Nieuport" planes for assembly at Don Muang.
On 23rd March 1914 the 'Royal Siamese Aeronautical Service' was renamed Royal Siamese Flying Corps' and placed under control of the 'Royal Siamese Engineers Corps.'
In January 1915 work began on a sports filed at Don Muang, Rangsit and in May 1915 the first of the "Breguets' having been assembled was flown.

Thailand. (Postcards). 1929. Picture post card from Siam 'Promoting Hygiene showing mosquitos and bugs on a pair of hands' addressed to London bearing Siam SG 255, 10s carmine tied by Bangkok GPO date stamp '30th Nov 29' with hand-stamp '28 Nov 1929' adjacent.

Very unusual card perhaps issued by the Thai Red Cross.'

Brigadier General R.C. Stevenson (Royal Artillery) was the Military Attaché in Bangkok during WW1 1914/15 and was awarded the Order of the White Elephant.

Thailand. (Luxembourg). 1938. Envelope addressed to Luxembourg bearing Siam SG 164, 2s on 2a grey and deep violet (block of six) on reverse, SG 253, 3s green (reverse) and SG 255, 10s carmine tied by Bangkok/ 6 date stamp '23rd Feb 38' with Luxembourg Ville arrival '19th Mars' on reverse.

Lovely franking to Luxembourg and a scarce block on cover.

Sudan.(Parcel Tag Label). 1938. Parcel Tag headed 'Sudan Air Mail (Pmr. No 148 E.) dispatched from Juba to London bearing Sudan SG 74, 5m on 2 1/2p magenta and blue (block of six) tied by Khatoum date stamp '1st Jul 38', endorsed 'Kilos 1 grs. 500'.

Rare and colourful Air Mail Parcel Tag from Sudan.

Sudan. (Postage Dues). 1965. Stamp-less envelope addressed to Omdurman cancelled by large Omdurman date stamp '23rd Jan 1965', underpaid with boxed 'T' hand-stamp and bearing Sudan postage dues SG D12, 2m black and brown-orange, SG D13, 4m brown and green (pair) and SG D15, 20m ultramarine and carmine tied by bilingual Omdurman receiver '24th Jan''.

Very rare Sudanese postage due cover.

Fiji. (V FOR VICTORY). 1944. Illustrated envelope 'V FOR VICTORY' addressed to England bearing SG 256, 2 1/2d brown and green tied by Suva date stamp.

Mauritius. (Rodrigues Island). 1944. Stamp-less envelope headed 'On Active Service' addressed to 'Rodrigues Battery, Rodrigues Island' cancelled by 'E.A./ A.P.O. 73' double ring dated '31st Aug 44' with 'Opened By Examiner/ E.E.' censor label tied by framed 'Passed By/ Base Censor/ E.E.' and '(Crown)/ Passed By Censor/ No 4982' in violet on face and signed by the Censor.'

Nice item from Army Post Office 73, Mauritius Garrison H.Q. (15.12.43) - (1.5.45).
A small Garrison of 215 Rodrigues men were active on the island to protect the cable station from Japanese attack.

Pakistan. (India - War Label). 1943. Air Mail envelope addressed to New Jersey bearing India SG 248, 1/2a brown (3), SG 259, 1r grey and red-brown, SG 268, 1a carmine (pair) and SG 269b, 1 1/2a dull violet tied by Karachi date stamp '15th June 43' with 'Help To Defend Your Country/ SIND War Stamp' bilingual label in violet, endorsed 'Karachi/ U.S.A.' with 'Opened by Examiner' label tied by framed '(Crown) Passed DHB 25' censor with hand-stamp 'DHB/ 58' in violet, routed via Great Britain with 'P.C. 90/ Opened By Examiner 8102' censorship.

The "SIND" War Stamp label tied to front of envelope by part of the framed Karachi crown censorship.

Malaya. (Straits Settlements). 1875. Folded letter addressed to the 'Bank of Scotland, Glasgow' bearing Straits Settlements SG 17, 30c claret tied by circular dotted bamboo obliterator with adjacent Penang/ A dispatch in red dated 'Sept 20' with oval 'forwrded By/ Sandhands Buttery & Co/ Penang' in blue, endorsed 'via Brindisi' with Glasgow receiver 'Oct 25 75' on reverse.

Very attractive Forwarding agents covers from Penang. Knowing the bamboo chops were applied in Bangkok could this cover have originated in Siam !

Hong Kong. (Treaty Ports). 1878. Envelope addressed to Switzerland bearing Hong Kong SG 12, 12c pale blue tied by 'Y/ 1' obliterator with adjacent Yokohama/ A date stamp 'Mr 4 78', endorsed 'via Brindisi' with Hong Kong transit 'Mr 12th' on reverse. bold Brindisi '17 Apr' and Dubendorf arrival '20th Avril' on reverse.

The British concession and trading in Yokohama was very prosperous yet the number of surviving covers is less than 200, far smaller than those of the French Post Office in Yokohama.

Rhodesia & Nyasaland). (Southern Rhodesia). 1960. Envelope addressed to the 'Namingomba Tea Estate, Cholo' bearing Rhodesia & Nyasaland SG 19, 1d carmine red and black tied by Tekerani/ Nyasaland date stamp '12th May 60', underpaid with 'T/ 4d' in m/s and bearing Southern Rhodesia postage due SG D3, 2d agate (pair) tied by Cholo/ Nyasaland receiver dated '16th May 1960' on face.

The Central African Federation consisted of the three southern African territories of the self Governing British Colony Southern Rhodesia and the British Protectorates of Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland which existed between 1952 and 1963.

Sudan. (Great Britain). 1954. Air Mail envelope addressed to 'The Palace, Khartoum' bearing Great Britain 'Wilding' SG 523, 6d reddish purple tied by Berkhamsted roller '17th Apr',, underpaid with framed 'T/ 15/ L' postage due hand-stamp and bearing Sudan postage dues SG D13, 4m brown and green and SG D15, 20m ultramarine and carmine applied and tied on arrival by bilingual Khartoum receiver '19th Ap 54' with Khartoum roller on reverse.

Scarce fourth issue postage dues on cover.

Nyasaland. (Tanganyika - Northern Rhodesia). 1916. Stamp-less envelope (with two page letter) headed 'On The Public Service' addressed to Portugal written from 'J.M. Lional Vaughan, "B.S.A.P." (British South Africa Police), c/o Army Post Office, Broken Hill. Northern Rhodesia dated 'October 3rd 1916' and signed, routed via Tanganyika with double ring 'F.P.O.' 1' on face '16th Oct 16' at New Langenburg (Tukuya) with 'Opened by Censor/ 568' censor label tied by Lisbon receiver '3rd Jan 1917' on reverse.

The Nyasaland Rhodesia Field Force under the Command of Brigadier General Edward Northey, began their offensive in East Africa on '20th May 1916'. Northey's forces crossed into German East Africa on 26th May 1916'. On May 30th they had occupied New Langenburg.
The Nyasaland Rhodesia Field Forces Troops could send normal letters via the Filed Post Office, F.P.O. No 1 New Langenburg G.E.A. (4.6.16) - (26.12.16).

French China. (French Naval Forces in China). 1946. Stamp-less envelope endorsed 'F.M.' , addressed to France written from the French cruiser "Suffren" cancelled by octagonal 'Croiseur "Suffren" date stamp '26th Aout 46' with framed 'FNEO' (Forces Naval Extreme Orient) with Trebeurden arrival '7th Sept' 46' on reverse.

The "Suffren" returned to Indo-China arriving in Saigon on 25th Feb 1946'. She spent her time between Saigon and Ha Long Bay and repatriating troops left in Hong Kong and China.

The 'F.N.E.O.' (Forces Naval Extreme Orient) is a scarce cachet, not listed by 'Desrousseaux' in his 7 volume work on French China and French Indo-China.

China. (French China - Liberation of Shanghai). 1945. Chinese illustrated stamp-less envelope (with censored four page letter in French) addressed to Hanoi, Tonkin written from China (Shanghai) dated '17th Oct 1945' with framed 'Troupes Francais/ En Chine/ Controle Au Depart' in violet on reverse and signed by the 'lieutenant' (bottom left).

The Shanghai French Concession was a Foreign Concession in Shanghai, China from 1849 until 1943. The Concession came to an end when Vichy France under German pressure signed the enclave over to the Japanese puppet State in Eastern China (Nanjing). The Japanese occupied the International Settlements of the British and Americans. Civilians and the Troops surrendered and were placed in P.O.W. or Internment Camps. The French Troops did not move from the preserved French Concession as the Vichy Government considered itself Neutral. Towards the end of the war the city was liberated from the Japanese and the French Troops left for home at the end of 1945.

This rare censor is only found on the reverse of military mail and is scarce with just a few items known. The cachet (censor) is illustrated in Desrousseaux, Livre 4, page 309.

China. (French China - French Naval Forces). 1937. Stamp-less envelope endorsed 'F.M.' addressed to France written from the French cruiser "Primauguet" cancelled by octagonal 'Croiseur "Primauguet" date stamp '27th Nov 37' with bold hand-stamp 'Mers De Chine/ Franchise Militaire' on face and Marseille arrival on reverse dated '27th Dec 37'.

The "Primauguet" was one of the first cruisers built for the French Navy after WW1 in 1924. She served in the south China Seas and sank after coming under heavy attack from the American battleship "Wichita" at Casablanca in 1942.

Desrousseaux in volume 4 of his French China classic 7 volume livers places the "Primauguet" in Dairen, Manchuria from 1935 - 1937.

French China. (Occupation of Tientsin). 1940. Stamp-less envelope written from 'B.M.J. C.C.N.' Sector Kos Rang, Tientsin, Chine de Nord' addressed to Vosges France', endorsed 'F.M.' cancelled by circular 'Corps D' Occupation De Chine/ Le Vaguemestre; (with anchor in center) and hand-stamp dated '29 May 1940' in violet on face, endorsed 'via Siberia' with "Gepruft" German censor label tied by circular censor cachet in red and Vosges arrival '20th Nov 40' on reverse.

Scarce item from the Imperial Japanese Army's Japanese North China Area Army whom blockaded the British Settlement in Tientsin, thus escalating into a major international incident. The cover was 6 months in transit. Parts of France had just been placed in German Occupation at this early date in the War.

French Indo-China. (French Naval Forces). 1930. Stamp-less envelope addressed to Paris endorsed 'F.M.' cancelled by octagonal 'Cuirasse - "Waldeck Rousseau" date stamp '18th Feb 30' (stuck twice) with circular 'Divieson Navale Extreme Orient/ Franchaise Militaire' in violet on face and Paris arrival '19th Mars' on reverse.

The "Waldeck Rousseau" was launched March 4th 1908. After the outbreak of WW1 she joined the main French fleet that blocked the southern end of the Atlantic. In May 1929 she was sent to French Indo-China as the flagship of the French Fleet in Asia.
Desrousseaux volume 4 places the "Waldeck Rousseau" at 'Baie d' Along' in China during 1930.

China. (French Indo-Chinese Workers in World War Two). 1943. Envelope (with letter) addressed to Youne, France cancelled by bold Vaucluse date stamp with circular 'Secretariat a Travail. 3rd Legion I.C. - 37th Comp/Le Vaguemestre'. A scarce item from the Chinese Workers in France during World War Two.

China. (Chinese Labour Force in France World War One). 1918. Envelope addressed to Paris cancelled by 'Lyon a Marseilles' ambulant date stamp '1st Feb 1918' with bold double circle 'Travailleurs Coloniaux/ Groupement Chinois/ St. Chamas/ (Bouches - du - Rhone)' in violet.

One of the darker aspects of World War One was the plight of 12,000 Chinese workers who were recruited by the British Army from the North of China in 1916 to serve on the Battle Front in France as labourers, trench diggers, munitions carriers, mine disarmers and corpse bearers under often inhumane conditions. A large number were also struck down by the devastating Spanish flue epidemic of 1918.