From H.M.C. Ship

[Peter Gassmann]

Hello All

could anyone help with this (Canadian?) navy censor mark? who used it? around which time?

unfortunately no letter inside the cover, so no other clues.

best wishes, Peter

[Alan Baker]

Peter

I've checked my copies of Colbeck and Hampson and there is no ship's name noted against DB/N551 (at the time of publication in 1997). It is definitely WWII I think.

I will email my contacts in the Canadian Military Mail Study Group to see if anyone can offer any more up to date information

[Ross Debenham]

I believe this is a civilian censorship marker as DB was the civil censorship code for Canada in WW2. I don't know where N was the censorship code for, it may be Newfoundland which was the terminal point for the trans-Atlantic convoys. Maybe there was a agreement between the Navy and civilian postal authorities with regards censorship of mails from naval ships.

[Alan Baker]

This is definitely a WWII naval censor mark. The new type, as per this example, was introduced in 1943. Low numbers, without the top line, are shore bases, the two line numbers from 500 upwards were issued to individual ships. The identification of the ship's has been difficult in the past and there are quite a few gaps in those known.

Colbeck and Hampson, Volume 1, gives a detailed description of the different types of censor used and lists the numbers identified, although the publication was in 1997 and more may have been identified since.

The three volumes were I think published by Canimpex Publishing. The FPHS library holds copies

[Peter Gassmann]

many thanks Alan! Looking forward to hear from Canadian specialists.

Thanks, Ross, for the idea with Newfoundland. I did not find any matching entry in the book by Peter Burrows on civil censorship in Canada and Newfoundland.

[Alan Baker]

Almost certainly the "N"  stands for Naval

[Alan Baker]

No luck so far from Canada with identification of the ship. My contact has a record of usage in the UK and Newfoundland, which suggests the ship was involved in escort duties with Atlantic convoys

[Peter Gassmann]

thanks Alan! at least we know it is a Canadian ship
best wishes, Peter