Attached WWI cover from India to Zossen (Halbmondlager) PoW Camp Germany. The verso of the cover shows a partial hand stamp that reads: "Contrary to Regulations/
Letters for Prisoners ?/ must be ??"
Would appreciate some help: does anyone know if this is a British h/s or Indian one and does anyone have the rest of the text of this hand stamp.
Thank you,
Robert Gray
Hi, Robert, welcome to the Forum.
I confess your question falls outside what little expertise I might have as regards military mail. However, I see the two datestamps on your item are only 10 days apart. This implies, I think, that the item never left India, so your 'Contrary to Regulations' mark would have been applied in India.
With respect to the uninked words, I would surmise that the third line would say something along the lines of 'must be written in English'. That's only a guess, though, based on the assumption that the censorship authority was operated by the British in India. Hopefully someone with more knowledge can supply a more robust answer.
rgds
Nick
Outside my field of knowledge, but I note the first stamp bears the word "out" and the second "in"
Hi Nick,
Thank you for your advice on this. I will try with some India collectors as well.
Kind regards,
Bob
Bob
This seems to be an unusual cachet, possibly not seen before. I don't know what the two datestamps are, where applied, etc.
As you may not get any further here, might I suggest you submit this to our Journal Editor (Chris Grimshaw) as a query in a future FPHS Journal. We do publish queries in our Journal although in recent times we don't appear to have received as many as we have had in the past.
Mike :)
Hello Bob
Welcome to the Forum, hopefully the first of many queries and contributions. Will extract what I need from your post and feedback so far. This will appear as a Query in the Winter Journal.
Chris
Hello Robert
This handstamp was listed and illustrated in my 2000 book on British Censorship of Civil Mails during WWI (2nd impression copies still available from me: £20 + p&p)
The handstamp reads CONTRARY TO REGULATIONS / Letters for Prisoners of War / must be addressed in ink.
This was a requirement originally laid down by the German Govt.
I had recorded only two examples back in 2000 but I have seen a few more since, so I would rate the marking as fairly uncommon.
Graham
Graham,
Thank you for the explanation. I could not find anything like it associated with India. The cover likely traveled from India to London where it was hand stamped prior to being forwarded to Germany through a neutral country.
I will p.m. you regarding the censor book.
Best regards,
Bob