allied censorship

 

At the end of September 1944, after Belgium was liberated by the Allies, the Belgian Authorities established mail censorship facilities in Antwerp. Enemy action destroyed the facilities in Antwerp necessitating the relocation of the offices to Brussels on 11th March 1945. A final date of censorship is not known but censorship continued until October 1945.

 

Three types of circular censor marks are known: , and with numbers up to 649.

 

CONTROLE TOEZICHT

  Is a common bilingual indication of passage through the censor.

 

After censorship a closure tape was applied. Tapes exist in two types, a single language variant in lilac and bilingual ones in black.

 

TOEZICHTDER

VERBINDINGEN

Nr

In geval van klacht, bevengemeld nummer herinneren

In the event of complaint, to point out this number.

In the event of non-compliance with the regulations one of several "return to sender" cachets would be applied.

 

 

NIET TOEGELATEN

TERUG AAN AFZENDER

 

NON-ADMIS

RETOUR A L’ENVOYEUR

 

 

 

   TERUG AAN DEN VERZENDER DOOR TUSSCHENKOMST VAN HET

TOEZICHT OP HET VERKEER OM DE IN DEN OMSLAG AANGEDUIDE

REDENEN

 

 

Langue francaise Censored 

Circled 501 censor’s mark.

Resealing tape.

SPOEDBESTELLING EXPRÈS

ANTWERPEN T 28 VII 1945 T ★★ rectangular cancellation to Lausanne Switzerland, 

25c COB 676A [Victory Lion],

2fr. COB 693 [Col ouvert & V],

Missing Stamp?

 

It was a requirement that the language employed in the correspondence be indicated. If this was not done then the correspondence would be returned with an appropriate cachet, even if the language was obvious.

 

LANGUE EMPLOYÉE

NON INDIQUEE

GEBRUIKTE TAAL

NIET AANGEDUID

 
PSC123 50c BRUGGE 21-2-45.16 E 3 E Single-ring to UK, added 2x25c 676 to make correct International PC rate. Obviously posted in the zone that required the language employed be identified and the card was returned to sender with the boxed cachet LANGUE EMPLOYÉE/NON INDIQUÉE. Omission rectified and card reposted with additional franking. BRUGGE 28-2-45.17 L 1 L Single-ring to UK, 1fr. 680 [VL]. Circled 435 censor mark.

Expres envelope from Warcoing to High Wycombe dated 4 April 1945.

Boxed Expres in French only.

Blue Par Expres label.

Tariff of 1 August 1941 Letter Rate 1,75fr., Expres Fee 3,50fr. [5,25fr.] but letter charged at ordinary overseas letter rate and internal express rate of 2,25fr. [4,00fr.]

Belgian censor’s tape and censor stamp (143 in a large circle)

Envelope endorsed "Langue française" according to immediate post-war regulations

Franked with

2,25fr.(1944 Léopold III “Col ouvert” Liberation),

1fr. Lion (1944 Victory printed by Waterlow’s),

5c and 10c Petit Sceau first issued in 1935, and also 60c Petit Sceau overprinted "V".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BELGIUM PHILATELY        HOME