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The CEN (T) SOR marks on British naval mail in WWI

Started by webmaster, January 24, 2022, 07:39:30 PM

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[size=medium][font=Arial]From Tony Walker:[/font][/size]
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[size=medium][font=Arial]These censor marks are quite distinctive and are given good coverage in Micheal Gould's two WWI Naval censors volumes.  Nevertheless I am having some difficulties with the censor mark CEN (T) SOR -  the brackets by the way represent a full circle in the actual censor mark.[/font][/size]
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[size=medium][font=Arial]Michael looks to divide this mark between HMS Tetrarch and HMS Terror, based partly on colour (the mark can be either in green or purple), and location as implied from the cancellations.[/font][/size]
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[size=medium][font=Arial]Here is a list of my covers in date order, where available :[/font][/size]
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[size=medium][font=Arial]Censor mark in [b][color=rgb(0, 102, 0)]green [/color][/b]: 25.01.17 : London registered oval cancel[/font][/size]
[size=medium][font=Arial]Censor mark in [b][color=rgb(0, 102, 0)]green[/color][/b] : 23.03.17 : London mc[/font][/size]
[size=medium][font=Arial]Censor mark in [b][color=rgb(0, 102, 0)]green[/color][/b] : 06.08.17 : London mc[/font][/size]
[size=medium][font=Arial]Censor mark in [b][color=rgb(0, 102, 0)]green[/color][/b] : 31.10 17 : London mc[/font][/size]
[size=medium][font=Arial]Censor mark in[b][color=rgb(0, 102, 0)] green[/color][/b] : Heavy 8 barred circle cancel, no date[/font][/size]
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[size=medium][font=Arial]Censor mark in [b][color=rgb(153, 0, 153)]purple[/color][/b] : 21.12.17 : Hull mc definitely TETRARCH as it had headed notepaper inside[/font][/size]
[size=medium][font=Arial]Censor mark in [b][color=rgb(153, 0, 153)]purple[/color][/b] : 21.10.18 : London mc[/font][/size]
[size=medium][font=Arial]Censor mark in [b][color=rgb(153, 0, 153)]purple[/color][/b] : Undated with Harwich 7 barred circle cancel[/font][/size]
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[size=medium][font=Arial]All the covers are addressed to businesses, naval outfitters etc.[/font][/size]
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[size=medium][font=Arial]An important fact is HMS Tetrarch was not launched / commissioned until 20 April 1917, so the first two dates at least cannot be from this ship.  It is interesting to note the purple marks all occur later than the green marks.  The 21.12.17 cover is confirmed as Tetrarch, so the other two could be from the same ship.  Does this mean the green marks must be all HMS Terror?[/font][/size]
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[size=medium][font=Arial]HMS Terror was commissioned on 22 July 1916, so the dates all match.[/font][/size]
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[size=medium][font=Arial]In terms of size, shape and letter alignment I can see no difference between the green and purple censor marks.  Several of the covers have good indicative censors initials which I will attach here**.  Some are mentioned and illustrated in the handbook Vol 2.  Michael Gould, in some exasperation remarks there might be three of these marks ! (p 126 Vol 2).[/font][/size]
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[size=medium][font=Arial]Specific queries :[/font][/size]
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[size=medium][font=Arial]Are there any green censor marks dated after 21.12 17?  If not it suggests the censor handstamp was passed to Tetrarch where the censor used a purple ink pad.[/font][/size]
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[size=medium][font=Arial]Conversely are there any purple censor marks known dated earlier than 31.10.17. in which both ships could be using the same mark, but different inks![/font][/size]
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[size=medium][font=Arial]Identifying the censors may lend some clarification to this.  The CEN(T)SOR mark is by no means scarce so there should be a fair number of them around, if I can persuade you to look for them.....[/font][/size]