- £125.00
Portuguese Colonies. (Mozambique). 1944. Envelope addressed to Germany bearing Mozambique SG 359, 50c magenta (strip of four) tied by Bandula date stamp '8th Aug 44', endorsed 'via Portugal and Switzerland, routed via Beira '9/8' and South Africa with bilingual 'Opened by Censor' label tied by censor cachet, Lisbon transit '12th Jan 45' and boxed instructional applied 'Devolvido ao Rementente/ Servico Interrompido' on reverse and returned to Mozambique '14th Feb 1945.'
Portugal and its Colonies being neutral throughout the war were free to communicate with Germany subject to Allied censorship. But by late 1944 Western Europe was a war zone and no mail routing was available (Marseille was liberated 28th August 1944). Consequently any mail arriving arriving in Lisbon was therefore returned.
Lovely item of interrupted mail.
