Type a.500 number 5906

[Ross Debenham]

I attach a scan of a cover post marked with South African red security paquebot cancellor dated 21 October, 1942. Cover is hit with Type A.500 censor marker number 5906 I think. In the original ebay post the cover had the notation "ex troopship, in pencil. Can any member help me as to whether this censor marker was used on a troopship, and if so, what troopship?

[Michael Dobbs]

Ross

Sorry I cannot help - I have looked through the late Alstair Kennedy's censor ledger and he has not recorded 5906.
However, I don't think that it would have been allocated to a troopship per say - it would have been allocated to a unit or detachment aboard the troopship and so would have been used before and after the troopship voyage as well.

Mike

(PS: I have now modified the censor number in the topic heading from 6906 to 5906!)

[Ross Debenham]

Thanks Mike, I thought that might be the case. But lets face it, without these little mysteries, collecting covers would not be half as interesting, would it.