CENSOR STAMP OR NOT CENSOR STAMP

[Ross Debenham]

I attach a scan of an registered envelope sent from East African Army Post Office 2 and endorsed using a circular "INSPECTOR GENERAL STORES & ACCOUNTS" with date, and signed. My question is whether this cachet can be classified as a censor marker or not.

[Peter Harvey]

Hi Ross,

Hope that you are well. Nice cover.

I would say no, this is a location or unit cachet, rather than a censor cachet. If the writer had improvised this and written CENSORED over the top, we may have had more of a discussion point.

Regards

[Ross Debenham]

Thanks Peter, hope you are okay as well. I tend to agree with your sentiments, although what worries me is that it has been signed which to my mind would be unnecessary.

[John Cranmer]

Hi

As it is addressed to the Managing Director of Schweppes and is registered I wonder if it may have contained some financial or other official documents which may account for the signature ?

John

[Chris Grimshaw]

Hi Ross

Interesting item. 

The circular cachet 'Inspector General - Stores and Accounts' appears to have been applied after the Boxed Registration marking.

It's possible the item was examined to ensure that it was on 'Official Business' and not someone using the APO System with the cost of Registered postage for private correspondence.  This would account for the signature, presumably it was passed and OK. 

Outside my field and just a suggestion,.

Chris